सबसे पहले तो मुझे अपनी पीठ थपथपाने दीजिए। अब आप पूछेंगे कि क्यूँ भाई ऐसा क्या तीर मार लिया तूने? आख़िर कौन सा झंडा गाड़ दिया तूने कि ख़ुद का ढोल ख़ुद ही बजा रहा है? अरे अरे! थोड़ा सब्र तो कर मेरे यार, थोड़ा साँस तो ले दिलदार। हौले-हौले राज़ पे से पर्दा खोलूँगा। आख़िर मैं भी आज के २४*७ न्यूज़ चैनल का दर्शक हूँ। शुरू में थोडे ही अपने सारे पत्ते खोल दूंगा। हाँ ध्यान बस इतना देना होगा कि ज्यादातर न्यूज़ चैनल्स कि तरह मैं ढाक का तीन पात ना साबित होऊं और मेरे ब्लॉग के रीडर्स के साथ चीटिंग ना हो। उन्हें ऐसा ना लगे कि यार इस बंदे ने हमारा समय बरबाद कर दिया और हमारी उम्मीद पे खरा नही उतरा।
सो इससे पहले पे आपका धैर्य जवाब दे जाए, मैं इस ब्लॉग पोस्ट को 'कहानी घर घर की' और 'क्यूंकि सास भी कभी बहु थी' की तरह जरुरत से ज्यादा नही खींचता हूँ। वरना आप दुबारा मेरे ब्लॉग पर मुरकर भी ना देखे।
एक्चुली बात ये है कि इतनी सर्दी वाली रात में मैने रजाई से निकल दूसरे रूम में रखी अपनी पेन और नोटबुक लाने कि 'बहादुरी' दिखाई। इस क्रम में मैने अपने आलस्य('कोरहिपन' मेरी बहन के शब्दों में) और सुस्ती को धोबी पछाड़ देते खुद उठकर इस ठण्ड का सामना करने कि 'ब्रवेरी' दिखाई। हूँ ना मैं तारीफ़ का हकदार?खैर, कुछ लाइंस पहले मैंने 'कहानी घर घर की' और 'क्यूंकि सास भी कभी बहु थी' का जिक्र किया जो की अब ऑफ-एयर हो चुके हैं. बहुतों नें चुंग-गम(chewing gum) की तरह खिचे गए इन दो शो के बंद किये जाने की तरफदारी की थी. मैं भी ऐसे लोगों की फेहरिस्त में शामिल था. भाई आखिर हद होती है किसी चीज़ की. TRP के एवज में कुछ भी दिखाते रहोगे क्या? किसी का कभी भी कोई पुराना पति या बेटा निकल आता था और कहानी को बढाता रहता है. कोई भी कभी भी मरकर वापस आ जाता था मानो की यमराज से कुछ रिश्तेदारी thi जो की मरे हूए इंसान को भी वापस भेज देते थे पब्लिक डिमांड पर. बिना कोई सर-पैर के कहानी परोसी जा रही थी.

कोई लॉजिक नहीं बस जो मन में आया दिखाए जा रहे थे वोह सीरियल वाले.पर आज इन्ही illogical shows को मिस कर रहा हूँ मैं. कारण ये नहीं है की तुलसी या पार्र्वती के ज़िन्दगी में क्या चल रहा था, ये जाने बिना खाना मेरे हलक से नीचे नहीं उतरता था. या फिर रात के 10 se 11 के बीच टाइमपास का कोई और जरिए नहीं है मेरे पास.
कारण ये है कि ये दो शो मैं और मेरा परिवार मिल के देखा करते थे.रात १० से ११ का समय जो कि इन शो का टाइम होता था, 'हमारा' होता था. जी हाँ, पूरा दिन जो परिवार 'मैं' के अलग-अलग शेड्स में जीता था, 'हम' हो जाता था.ये इन shows का ही कमाल था कि हम कुछ quality समय एक साथ बीताते थे. तुलसी और मिहिर कि ज़िन्दगी से रु-बा-रु होने के साथ साथ अपनी ज़िन्दगी कि धुप-छावं डिस्कस कर लिया कर लेते थे। शो देखना तो महज़ एक बहाना था। असल मोटिव तो एक दूसरे की कंपनी में रहना था। पर अब सब कुछ बदल गया है। अब हम एक साथ समय नही गुजारते। 'हम', 'मैं' के कई भागों में बंट गए हैं अब। आज कितना याद आ रहा है वो वक्त। आई रिअली मिस डोज मोमेंट्स। ये शो भले ही कॉमर्शियल रीजन्स से ऑफ़-एयर हूए हों पर मुझे तो इमोशनल लॉस हुआ है। क्या इसकी भरपाई हो पाएगी? जो चला गया वो अब शायद कभी वापस नही आए क्यूंकि इस कॉमर्शियल वर्ल्ड में इमोशन नही नम्बर( टी र पि)का बोलबाला है.ज़िन्दगी आगे बढ़ने का नाम है। इसलिए अब तलाश और इंतज़ार शुरू हो गई है ऐसे शो की जो 'क्यूंकि.....' और 'कहानी' का इतिहास दुहराए; जो माले के अलग-अलग मोतियों को फिर से एक धागे में पिरोये। फिलहाल 'बालिका वधु' में वो संभावना दिख रही है। उम्मीद है कीइतिहास ख़ुद को दुहरायेगा। पर कहते हैं ना की 'डी मोर डी मेर्रिएर'। जितना ज्यादा उतना बेहतर।
रिअली ये दिल मांगे मोर!

Review of the Movie DOSTANA

It didn’t start with ‘K’. It didn’t have Karan Johar’s lucky mascot Shah Rukh Khan even in a brief appearance. But most importantly and thankfully, it did have the entertainment package that one associates Dharma Productions (Karan’s production house) with. This was a genre that was a first from the Johars—an out and out comedyIn a long time. It wasn’t a spoof on a community but a light take on the subject of homosexuality.

Welcome all to the fun-filled world of DOSTANA!

DOSTANA—the title conjures up images of Amitabh Bachchan and Shartudhun Sinha’s yesteryear classic DOSTANA. It isn’t a rehash of the old DOSTANA In this era of remakes, one may be excused to interpret this DOSTANA a remake of the earlier one.But thankfully, all similarity remained confined to the title only.

Directed by Debutante and Karan Johar’s aide Tarun Mansukhaani, this DOSTANA comes as fresh and ‘light’ breath of air as the box office too heaved a big sigh of relief after witnessing a ‘thanda’(cold) and serious(read ‘Fashion’, ‘Karzzzz’) outcome at the box office in recent times.

Abhishek-Priyanka-John starrer DOSTANA basically is rib-tickler which hovers around the theme of same-sex relationship (read gay relationship) but in a lighter vein. Littered with breathtaking Miami beaches and sceneries, enough flesh-showing (this time the male actors, John Abraham to be precise, takes it upon himself to do the needful) and some amazing chemistry between Abhishek and John, this DOSTANA becomes a must-watch.

The movie takes a lighter take on the gay community and walks away without offending them or for that matter anyone. The two chief protagonists, Sam(Abhishek Bachchan) and Kunal(John Abraham) pretend to be gay couples in order to rent a flat they desperately need. If nothing succeeds like success, nothing complicated like complications. That small lie snowballs into a much bigger and inescapable thing they had envisioned. The 1st half of DOSTANA brings you some really funny moments but the loosely scripted 2nd half entertains and tickles your funny bones in patches. Or may be the 1st half of the movie raised the bar and expectations a tad too much for the 2nd half to sustain the same entertainment and humour package that the 1st half offered. Whatever may be the reason, the 2nd half disappoints. After all, making a full-fledged film out of the KAL HO NAA HO Kantaaben joke was always going to be a difficult task.

Among the actors, the one to look out for is Abhishek Bachchan. He’s surely the pick of the actors. John hasn’t looked this hot ever before. Not only women but the males also could be seen gasping every time John flashed his biceps and well-sculpted body. But it wasn’t only muscles that floored the fans. John does a pretty decent job with his acting and complements Abhishek very well. He’s was a much improved show from his last out-and-out comedy Garam Masala. Priyanka, as usual wins the hearts of the audience with her beauty and acting prowess. She looks screen-scorching hot. Seasoned actors like Kiron Kher as Abhishek’s mother and Boman Irani as the gay editor-in-chief of a fashion मैगजीन again live up to the their reputation and steal the show even if their brief but hugely entertaining and indelible performances. Bobby Deol, as Priyanka’s boss, (another guest appearance in the movie) does an okay job as the script didn’t leave much to explore and exhibit for this Punjab da Puttar. The music scored by one of the most happening duos of Bollywood Vishal-Shekhar is nothing much to write home about sans the track Desi Girl and Maa Daa Laadla Bigad gaya.

All in all, DOSTANA makes up for a good-watch. In fact, it’s more than a good-watch. So, go and soak in the DOSTANA spirit. Fun is guaranteed.

DADAGIRI

An ode to Sourav Ganguly—‘ The Phoenix’

As the cricket fraternity and fans all over bid adieu to the transformer of Indian cricket—Sourav Ganguly, I also couldn’t help stopping myself from joining the bandwagon to pay ode to this legend of Indian cricket who no longer will be seen wearing the Indian tri-colours on the cricket field.

With the conclusion of the 2008 Border-Gavaskar trophy, the hugely successful though quite eventful career of Sourav Ganguly came to a halt as the southpaw announced retirement from all forms of international cricket.

Farewells are always an emotional affair where there is a tinge of disappointment of going. However huge this loss (retirement of Sourav Ganguly) may be to the Indian cricket, on a personal front, it will be a monumental loss as I saw and admired Ganguly not only as a cricketer but a big role model.

I still have vivid memories of Sourav who broke onto the international cricket arena with an indelible century on debut that made the world sit and take note of this ‘Prince of Kolkata’. I can recapitulate those moments when I first heard about ‘Dada’--- It was the Lords test in 1996. I didn’t have any cable connection that time. So my only source of cricket updates used to be the Doordarshan news. I was busy writing my project report when my grandfather asked me to rush to the drawing room where he was listening to the DD news. That was the time when I first saw the images of Sourav Ganguly. The video clipping showing Sourav caressing the off side for a boundary and reaching to a magnificent century marked with exceptional class, tremendous grit and princely elegance is still etched in my memory.

With the passage of time, he grew from strength to strength to strength and his stature in the cricketing history of our cricket-frenzy nation continued to reach new heights. In between records stumbled and Sourav Ganguly became synonymous with success and aggression. But his cricket credentials are not the only reasons why I would always remember him. Sourav Ganguly will always be my hero, my idol for his determination, grit, never-say-die-attitude and resilience. He taught us how to make ‘comebacks’ despite all odds being against you. He taught us to always keep our chin up even when we have our backs to the wall and sail through the troubled waters even when the whole world turns against us.

The world may have christened him as ‘Dada’, ‘Bengal Tiger, ‘Prince of Kolkata’, ‘Maharaja’. But for me he’ll always be a ‘PHEONIX’—a true fighter who literally rose form the ashes fighting all adversaries. The fact that he’s leaving on a high gives more pleasure to his fans and well-wishers than maybe himself. He truly deserves every bit of praise and accolades he’s getting for serving and literally transforming Indian cricket into a world power in cricket. Sourav Ganguly will surely be missed.

Wishing Sourav a happy and successful life post cricket!

Baadshah O Baadshah.

I’m penning this poem on the Baadshah of Bollywood।

I hope it’ll be liked by one and all in all likelihood।

A starlet was born on this day।

Who brought the world at his feet, I must say।

He paved way 4 himself by sheer hard work and diligence.

And won accolades for his acting skills, exceptional sense of humour and good common sense.

The number of admirers he has is profuse।

Undoubtedly he is an icon and I’m sure this status he wouldn’t misuse।

He has stood the test of time with great courage and perseverance।

Fans and critics alike have been bowled over by SRK’s sense of humour and energy that’s in him immense

.
Wishing heartiest and balmy wishes to our DEVDAS alias DON।

You have performed every role with panache and aplomb

SRK is not only a fabulous actor but an icon

We hope to see you in new avatars for 100 years more as the K…k……kk… Kiran magic hasn’t yet gone.

When I got a call from Mahatma Gandhi on Deewali

When I got a call from Mahatma Gandhi on Deewali
(written by Chandan Kumar)

This was the 100th time I was watching the climax scene of the bollywood movie Rang De Basanti. I felt a new dose of inspiration being infused in me every time I heard these dialogues from DJ, one of the main protagonists of the movie, who in the climax of the scene says-" there are only two ways to live life. One is to accept whatever is happening without complaining or cribbing about it. Or else take the onus on yourself to script that change.” It basically hammered home the point that one should abandon the 'culture of silence' we've been subscribing to since ages and be the change we want to see. We should show some courage to at least stand for our rights. One should not indulge in 'passing the buck' kind of habit when it comes to bring a change in the way our corrupt and wicked system works. With these thoughts, I was getting ready to go for my CAT coaching classes. We were just a day away from celebrating Deewali but still I had to go for my coaching class while my other friends were busy making plans for Deewali. “Aditya, try to come back home early after your classes. You’ve to help me clean your room”, my mother reminded me.
“I remember, Mummy.” , I said.

As I was about to leave, there was a knock at the door. I opened the door only to find a middle- aged man who introduced himself as the Passport Verification Officer. Actually my father had applied for a passport some time ago. And this gentleman had come to see the applicant in person. But father was out of town. We asked him to come after Deewali as father was scheduled to be back after Deewali. “No, problem. I’ll come again when the applicant comes.” said he. After a brief pause, he continued “Well, won’t I get my ‘karcha-paani’(bribe)?”.

“What kharcha-paani’(bribe)? We've paid the entire amount that we were asked to.So, why this extra demand for money?” I asked that fellow.

“Hmmm..........my dear......... as many as 4 people in your colony have shouldered this 'so-called' demand. You can ask them if you wish. They got their work done without any hassle. So, it's your choice, sir.”, said he making his intensions crystal clear-----pay the bribe or wait for ages to get the passport verified!

"No, no. We don't have any problem. He is young. He doesn't know these 'procedures'. Come next week.", said my mother to the officer pushing me aside. Once the officer left, we were joined by Sinha aunty who too had to give in to the unjustified demand made by this corrupt officer.

“Aditya, you don't know these people. If you don't pay heed to their demands, they can make life very diffcult for you. We are common people. They can bring 1000 types of obstacles in the way of getting your work done. So, why get into their bad books? It's just a matter of few hundred bucks. Give them that and get relieved of all tensions and hurdles.” advised Sinha aunty.

“But aunty, that's just not justified. It's a direct attack of corruption on us. We should raise our voice against that.", I suggested.

“Shut up! This is not your 'filmi'(movie) world. Be practical. Don't always live in a fantasy world. This is the way the world works. You'll do yourself a world of good if you accept this as soon as possible. You are no hero who is going to change the world.” confronted my mother.
I had no option but to withdraw myself from the argument. It was another one of the many occasions where I was forced to accept the 'culture of silence' and couldn't stand for justice, fairness or rights.....whatever you call it.

I left for my CAT coaching classes.

As I was returning home from my coaching, I happened to run into Manish-- my neighbour with whom I was never on good terms. Manish was a spoilt brat who never left any opportunity unused to pass unpleasant and abusive remarks on me. This time too, he uttered an abusive word for me as I brushed past him and entered my house. I have had enough! I thought of beating him black and blue then and there and settle all my scores with him once and for ever. May be he mistook my dignified silence for cowardness. I had decided what I had to do. This Deewali was going to be very fatal for Manish, I promised myself.

It was Deewali night that day. My family had gone to take part in the Deewali Puja organised in the community hall of my colony. But I stayed at home. Once they left, I went to the balcony of my house and placed a rocket bomb in the direction of Manish’s house. The windows of his room were left opened which made my task easier. I thought of abandoning my ‘Mission revenge’ for a split second but the anger and hatred for Manish refused to go. I had contacts with some goons through a friend of mine. So, I decided to take his help to bash up Manish in case he didn’t get hurt with the firecracker. I was about to lit up the rocket bomb when the landline phone started ringing.

“Hello, can I speak to Aditya?", the voice asked.
“Yes, this is Aditya speaking. Who's this?”, I said.

"Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi", he said.

"What? Mahatma Gandhi on Deewali! If it was 2nd October,15th August or 26th January, I might have believed you my so-called Baapu. But getting a call from Gandhiji on Deewali sounds a little out of place. So stop playing pranks with me and tell me seriously who are you?" ,I asked.

“That’s the saddest part that people remember the freedom fighters and all those who died for the cause of the country only on their birth and death anniversaries.Rest of the time, they are left in the cold. Just organising a function or event in their remembrance can’t be called a real homage to them. Trust me, I’m Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi, my son."

I've had enough of this fellow. “Listen, I'm in no mood to entertain you.I'm already worried. So, spare me my dear Baapu!", I said angrily.

“worried over all the vices like corruption, crime prevailing in the society and Manish's disrespectful attitude towards you, isn’t it?", he asked.
The last question forced me to take this fellow seriously.

I-- “yes.......but......how do you know about all these things?"
Baapu--” you shouldn't get upset or angry with people like Manish who holds such an important place in your life."

I-- “Important and Manish? I don't give such cultureless people any importance."

Baapu- " Unimportant? Don't lie. If he means nothing to you, then why do you get upset at his remarks? If you are getting upset or reacting to his remarks, this means at some level you're acknowledging his importance and presence in your life so much so that he's able to disturb you peace of mind at his will. Am I right?"

Yes, Baapu was absolutely right! Getting affected by Manish's remarks meant I was giving him some importance. If he’s a nobody to me, then why lose my mental peace over his hurting remarks.

I-- “I got your point Baapu. But you tell me, whatever he's doing to me, is that right?"
Baapu- “Whatever he does, it's his culture. May be that's how he's been brought up and those are the values he's been taught. You have no control over that. Least you can do is to not to lose your dignity and lower yourself to his level."

I-- “ok, so what should I do?"
Baapu--" Nothing."
I--" Nothing? What do you mean by 'nothing' Baapu? Wouldn't my 'silence' would be interpreted as my weakness or cowardness?"

Baapu-- “son, reacting to him by taking the course of foul/dirty language or violence would not qualify as your bravery. That is the path only weak individuals take. If you could control your anger and hatred for him, that would be the real sign of your bravery."

I-- “I’m listening to you Baapu..............."

Baapu-- “Answering our enemies in the same coin would not help the cause as it would only increase hatred and ill feelings. If we keep behaving well with them, irrespective of their behaviour towards us, sooner or later they'll also start respecting us and their attitude towards us will gradually change. So, keeping silence is not always a sign of weakness."

I-- “I’m getting your point. But silence is not always golden, Baapu. We are too scared to call a spade a spade and stand for justice, our rights. We just watch corruption, crime, unethnicity making deep inroads into our socio-political system and do nothing to drive them away. We all just indulge in passing the buck when it comes to be a leader and fight for justice, equality, fairness and truth. We are forced to adopt a 'culture of silence'. What you have to say on this?"

Baapu--- “I can only say that that BE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE. THE BEST WAY TO CHANGE THE WORLD IS BY NOT BEING CHANGED BY IT."

I--" I'll keep all things in mind and try to imbibe these in my life Baapu. By the way, I forgot to wish you A Belated Happy Birth Anniversary. What gift can I give you?"

Baapu--" If you can be a good citizen, a good human being who would never leave the path of truth, who would spread love and peace all over and help in bridging the gap between humans who fight in name of cast,creed,religion, that would be the best gift for me. After all, that’s what festivals like Deewali teach us too. Ok, I've to go now. Try to follow the path I've shown you. "

I--- “I’ll try my level best to live upto your expectations Baapu and make this world a better place to live in. Thank you for mentoring me. Bye......Thank you again. We miss you Baapu. I’ll post this conversation on my blog and tell the whole world about it. By the way, how can I contact you again Baapu?”
P.S.= (The edited part begins here-----)

Baapu-“I’ll contact you on my own whenever you need me.” Said Baapu and hung up the phone.

Minutes later, the firecrackers meant to harm Manish were replaced with a bag of sweets and I headed for Manish’s house to wish him Happy Deewali and bridge all our differences.
The next day, I posted a blog titled “A telephonic conversation with Baapu” on my personal blog. Within minutes, 4 comments were made on this latest blog post------
1. Uhh! That’s cut paste from the movie Lagay Raho Munnabhai—posted by Rohit
2. have had enough of Gandhigiri and Munnabhai………Not again.....posted by Pooja
3. Can I have the phone number of Baapu, please????........lol……….. posted by Tannu Sharma
4. not bad but heavily inspired from the cult bollywood movie Lagay Raho Munnabhai……….have seen similar articles before………..—posted by Anurag

I was shattered, to say the least. I had expected to get some really nice comments but what I was reading was a far cry from what I was anticipating.
The phone started ringing. I hoped it was Baapu. I was right.

Baapu—“so you kept your word! I’m happy that you took the initiative to bridge your differences with that boy. And did you post our conversation on your blog?”

I (in a subdued voice)—“Yes.”

Baapu- “you sound so subdued. Any problem?”

I--- “Yes, Bappu. I got very discouraging reviews on my blog. I was accused of lifting the idea of the blog from the bollywood movie Lagay Raho Munnabhai(LRM) where only the chief protagonist Munnabhai sees and talks to Mahatma Gandhi and guide them to solve their problems by applying Mahatma Gandhi’s principles.”

Baapu---“I see.”

I—“Baapu, I don’t blame them either. The themes/story plots are too similar to miss or overlook.”

Baapu—“Have you seen the movie?”

I—“Of course, I have. I’ve seen it 10 times. It’s my all-time favourite.”

Baapu—“No, you haven’t seen the movie. You’ve just watched the movie.”

I-“I didn’t get you, Baapu.”

Baapu---“If you had really ‘seen’ the movie, you wouldn’t have lost your mental peace and entertained any violent thoughts over the remarks made at you by that fellow. If my information is correct, one of the scenes in the movie LRM, the actor playing BAAPU tells Munnabhai that answering our enemies in the same coin would not help the cause as it would only increase hatred and ill feelings. If we keep behaving well with them, irrespective of their behaviour towards us, sooner or later they'll also start respecting us and their attitude towards us will gradually change. So, keeping silence is not always a sign of weakness. Am I wrong?”

I—“You are absolutely right, Baapu. But the comments on my post………”
I was stopped midway through my sentence by Baapu.

Baapu-“What comments? With due respect to those people, let me tell you that let others decide what they’re more interested in--- finding similarities with x,y and Z or imbibing the messages put across through the movie LRM or for that matter, your post. More importantly, learn to take criticism in your stride. Turn the stones thrown at you into milestones.”

Baapu continued……….
“Take your case for instance. You watched the movie 10 times but you didn’t implement the lessons the movie intended to teach. And anyways, it doesn’t do the world any harm if good things are repeated. Whether it’s LRM or your blog post, both hammer home the message of brotherhood, non-violence and strive for a peaceful social environment. As long as it happens, it hardly matters if the same things are repeated again and again in different avatars or forms or where the inspiration is coming from”

I—“Thank you so much Baapu. I’ll see to it that I not only talk but DO what I say. Thank you once again.”


(A story by Chandan Kumar,Patna,Bihar)

A letter to John Abraham

A letter to John Abraham

Dear as well as near to us John,
I am sure that it won’t be considered a PAAP if I travel in KABUL EXPRESS without a ticket. After all, all I want is to see the heartthrob of Bollywood ZINDA to wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY (forthcoming movie).

May each and every GOAL of John see the light of the day. I would like to thank John for not drawing a LAKEER for his fans (ACs and coolers not included) and promoting the benefits of NO SMOKING.

It’s really sweet and nice of you to establish a bond of love and affection with those who love and adore you to death. All our best wishes are with you so that you reach to the शिखर of success and happiness.

Most youngsters want to have a JISM like yours but I would like to have a girlfriend like yours. Don’t take this as buttering if I say that you are one of the few actors of this KAAL who after seeing so much success and wealth has his feet firmly on the ground. In order to create DHOOM in the industry, never compromise upon your down-to-earth nature.

We have a lot of AITBAAR on you and will never be VIRUUDH you.

We all pray that for you that not even a single bad SAAYA comes closer to you and our DOSTANA remains as rock-solid as ever. Just concentrate on doing good KARAM everything will be Clinic All Clear.

Here I would like to ELAAN one thing that your performance in GARAM MASAALA was quite thanda( quite cold)

. But the BAABUL of Bollywood came back well with all guns blazing by hiring TAXI NO. 9211 which added another feather in your cap.

Your ardent fan,
Chandan Kumar

In Conversation With myself

As I sit in front of my PC, I don’t exactly know what I’m going to write. There are lot of things going on in mind---------- my grandfather’s scheduled heart operation tomorrow, the unpleasant events that unfolded in the college today, etc…..etc……I don’t know why I’m feeling a little low and what’s been bugging me since morning. On a deeper introspection I realise that it’s again how others perceive me or do to me has bogged me down since morning. Whether it’s becoming the butt of leg pulling at the college or the helpless feeling of not getting my true worth, both financially and critically, all that has resulted in the feeling of disappointment encompassing my life on 22nd September, 2008.

Sometimes I wish I were a little more handsome. Then life would have been a lot easier and simple. The above sentence may well appear not to be in sync with the start of this blog post or worse, the whole blog may appear to be so out of the tune for you. To make matter simpler, this blog is in response to the dejection of things not turning up as per my expectations during the course of the day. Why the world can’t be nice to u all the time? Why everyone can’t have talents,good looks,luck everything on his side?

While watching Amitabh Bachchan’s latest flick The Last Lear, I came across this dialogue from the mouth of the protagonist of the movie that the desire to perform makes an actor. Likewise, what makes a writer? It’s the desire to express, to let go all ur feelings. At this moment, I’m feeling a lot relaxed and at peace with myself. I vow not to pay heed to any sort of mindless and discouraging acts/comments of those lesser morons who have been born just to make the numbers. That’s the prime reason I started blogging---- to express myself, to release all the uneanted thoughts and be at ease with myself.

A blog may have so many definitions, but for me it’s on outlet to get in touch with my real self. It’s the time I talk to myself. It’s a way to de-stress and rejunevate. I foresee a life in the world of words. I don’t know whether I have the talent and temperament to survive and thrive in the galaxy of words or not. But I’ve the passion and love for writing and love expressing myself through the medium of words. Now it seems I’m dragging this blog a bit too long. I pray that everything goes well in the days to come. May God give me and my family the strength to fight all odds. May no one sleeps tonight with an empty stomach, may no one feels hard done by people in and around him. May God take care of all of us……………..Amen!!!!!!!!!!

जो दिखता है वही बिकता है

Good Looks Vs Talent

As i was talking to my would-be father-in-law over the phone
In the typical Rajasthani tone he asked ,”Aap koan?"(who r u?)

I replied, "I'm the 1 who will be a household name from Amritsar to London,
I am the one n only Chandan".

He seemed impressed with the answer of mine
But when I met him, he told me that the no. of children her daughter has is nine.

It was apparent that it was an excuse
Because of my average or rather below than average looks , once again i was refused.

I was consoled not to get disheartened as surely good looks work in one's favour
But to survive in the long run ,one needs great skills n hard labour.

Good looks may prompt a Kumar Gaurav(chaar din ki chandni) to happen to one
But 2 b a Hrithik Roshan(i.e lambi race ka ghoda), a strong will power,belief in ur abilites and lots of hard work needs 2 b done.

Thank U Mr. Chetan Bhagat!

Finally the wait was over. The prolonged delay in the publication of my part-2 graduation exams had all the students on tenterhooks. But August 22, 2008 brought all end to all the wait and restlessness that was going beyond the joke for the students. A sense of frustration and restlessness had enveloped the psyche of the students due to the delay in the publication of the results. But today all such things were done and dusted with. It was celebration time!

But a tinge of disappointed writ large on the faces of quite a few students. A regular scene on a result day, isn’t it! Count me first in the list of such students. I was not exactly disheartened but yes was a little disappointed. I was not losing sleep over the fact the others had scored more than me and I was lagging at the lower rung of the rank table. The disappointment was by and large due to the fact that my efforts did not yield me the desired result. The result did not do justice to the effort I had put in to prepare for the exams. And mind you, it’s just not the numbers I’m talking about. Whether I stand 1st, 2nd or 3rd, I care two hoots about this position game. But yes the output should complement the input given. Sadly, it did not happen in my case.

The disappointment level was all the more disturbing considering the fact that a few ‘blessed’ people( read ‘people with contacts and lobbying privileges’) who would be worse than a ‘Paanchvi Fail’ were sitting high on the ranks table. Talent once again lost out to lobbying and unethical habits of the people in power. But here I would like to congratulate my dear friend Abhishek who topped the charts. He deserves every bit of the success and praise that’s bestowed on him. You truly deserves all this mate!! Congrats!

Anyways, a disappointed Chandan was parented and helped to get over that disappointed by none other than Mr. Chetan Bhagat, the gr8 writer and author of 3 bestsellers--- Five Point Someone, One Night@the call center and The 3 Mistakes of My Life. I’m sure u must be finding it tough to buy this claim of mine that how can a busy and not easily accessible person like Chetan Bhagat come to my aid? Well, he did come! But in the form of an interview article. In the interview, Mr. Bhagat had spoken about things that happens or will happen with all of us. His words really changed my perception towards life. This is what helped me win over the ghosts of dejection and disappointments------
(Chetan Bhagat’s blog Excerpts:---------------

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.
Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?
Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.
To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn’t any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.
Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.
But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday?
They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.

I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.
You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school. Where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.
One last thing about nurturing the spark - don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.
I’ve told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you.
But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.
Disappointment’s cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release.
Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts , having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.
Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you.
In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty darn lucky by Indian standards. Let’s be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don’t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s ok. I don’t look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It’s ok. Don’t let unfairness kill your spark.
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.
There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.
I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, you eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.
Thank You.

HAAPY BIRTHDAY GULZAAR SAHAB

"रात का नशा अभी आँख से गया नहीं ........." गुलजार साहब का लिखा अशोका फिल्म का ये गाना आज भी दो दिलों कि धरकन को रूमानियत के धागे में पिरोकर एक कर देता है. 18 अगस्त 1936 को दीना ( जो कि अब पाकिस्तान में है) में जन्मे इस फनकार के बारे में शायद कि किसी ने सोचा होगा कि इस गुलज़ार कि रचनाओं से आगे जाकर साहित्य, रंगमंच और फ़िल्मी बगिया गुलज़ार हो उठेगी. समय आया और गया . समय के साथ सब कुछ बदला पर गुलज़ार साहब के नगमों ने मानो समय कि लगाम अपने हाथों में ले ली और ढलते समय और बदलते सामाजिक मूल्यों के धपेड़े गुलज़ार के नगमों के बागीचे को छु भी ना सके. बल्कि वोह खुद गुलज़ार के दुनिया का अटूट अंग बन गए और उन नगमों के रंग में रंग गए . समय के साथ गुलज़ार के शब्दों ने अपनी वेश भूषा थोडी बदली जरूर पर उनका शब्दों कि कशिश और जादू वही रहा जिसने पीढी दर पीढी को अपना मुरीद बना लिया. जिस तन्मयता के साथ लोग गुलज़ार साहब के गीतों और अन्य रचनायों पर मुग्ध को जाते थे, उसी तरह आज भी लोग उनके गीतों पर अपने पाओं को थिरकने से नहीं रोक पाते. "मुसाफिर हूँ यारों...ना घर है ना ठीकाना...." हो या कजरारे कजरारे या फिर बीरी जलैले....." पीढी देर पीढे पर गुलज़ार का जादू सिर चढ़ कर बोला और लोग गुलज़ार साहब के शब्दों में खुद को ढूँढ़ते रहे और उनके शब्दों के समुन्दर में गोते लगाते रहे. वे झुक कर शब्दों और मानविय सवेद्यनाओं के इस महान जादूगर को सलाम करते हैं. "मुसाफिर हूँ यारो ..........ना घर है ना ठीकाना मुझे चलते जाना है......." इस जैसे हजारों नगमों के रचियता आज भी ज़िन्दगी को शब्दों में पिरो कर चले जा रहे हैं. इस मुसाफिर के यात्रा के सह यात्री बने इनके अनगिनत चाहने वाले और बरबस ही इस मुसाफिर ने लोगों के दिलों में अपना ठीकाना बना लिया जिसकी बुनियाद दिन पर दिन मजबूत होती जा रही है.गुलज़ार साहब पर मेरा ये ब्लॉग मानो सूरज को दिया दिखाने जैसा है . पर गुलजार जैसे कोहिनूर गाहे बगाहे ही इस दुनिया में आते हैं और पूरी दुनिया पर अपनी एक अमिट छाप छोड़ जाते हैं.बस यही दुआ है कि यह गुलज़ार और अधिक गुलज़ार हो और हमारी प्रेरणा और सहारा बना रहे. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GULZAAR SAHAB!

When Life got BIG ( 92.7 FM) : Will history repeat itself?

On the desktop of life, some experiences/memories are like permanent icons. One such indelible memory has been the events that took place on the 10th of August last year. Yes! 10th of August………….this day will remain one of the most cherised memory of mine. 10 August 2007 was the day when a new world opened up to me. A new promising life beckoned me. It was the day when I appeared for an interview in BIG 92.7 FM, one of the leading private FM channels in the country. It was so special for me that still I consider it to be one of the high points of my career to date. In a country full of ‘recommendations’ and ‘lobbying’ it was a sort of achievement for me as I had got that coveted interview call purely on the basis of my merit. Here I may come across as a pompous person but if I have done something substantial, I deserve to get a pat on my back and let the world sit and take notice of me. It’s not that I can’t live without telling the world of my achievements but what’s the problem in selling oneself aggressively. I wear my USP on my sleeve. That’s what I am. Anyways, though I could not bag a job in BIG 92.7 FM’s Ranchi branch, I was pretty happy with the fact that I reached there without any recommendation or lobbying. The poem on KISHORE KUMAR that u see below is the one that fetched me the personal round interview in the FM channel. Of course, here I would like to mention the name of Anurag Bhaiya who informed me of the openings in the channel. In fact I want to thank everybody who helped me through thick and thin and persist through the rough patches. THANK YOU FOLKS!!!!! It’s again 10th August today. Though no interview calls 2day this year, I’m sure that success is just round the corner. But the million dollar question is: Will history repeat itself? Is another interview call is in the pipeline? I’ll be waiting for it. May that wait gets over soon!!!!!!!! Amen!

Remembering Kishore...................

बंद करो हे हिप - हॉप , बंद करो ये वेस्टर्न म्यूजिक का
शोर
क्यूँ पागल बने फिरते हो मडोना ,ब्रिटनी और शकीरा के पीछे जब हमारे पास हैं the evergreen किशोर

4 August का दिन था जब ये फनकार इस दुनिया में आया
और अपनी मधुर गायकी और लाजवाब एक्टिंग से सबका दिल भाया

किशोर दा का दीवाना आज भी है हर बच्चा बूढा और जवान
किशोर कुमार जैसा फनकार है हमारी मान और शान

lets take a bow to the legendary artist of Indian cinema-- किशोर

जिसकी सिंगिंग और एक्टिंग को देख कर दिल यही कहता है --- ये दिल मांगे मोर

Good Job, keep it up!

The habit of Appreciating Others..............
“Accha likhte ho(you write well)………….keep it up”……………..This is the comment I got from Anurag Bhaiya on my blog for one of the posts I had written. I can’t tell how delighted I was after I read that. That remark may come across to you as a routine remark. You might be thinking what was so big in that it prompted me to write a piece on that one. Those 6 words mean a world to me. Not necessarily because of the person who has written this but what he has written about me. It’s a reward of my hard work, creativity and writing skills. It’s a testimony that I’m on the right path and my work is worthy of being appreciated. It has encouraged me to keep the blog-writing work going. It wasn’t that I would have stopped writing if someone had written any bad remarks or wouldn’t have written anything about my blogs. I would have continued unfazed even in that case because I’ve started writing that blog not to impress anybody but to express myself. The purpose behind starting that blog is to share my life, my world with you. It’s not only Anurag Bhaiya but one Rahul Bhaiya also who’s been always encouraging me to push the envelope and carry on with my passion for writing. Having said that, I apologize to those people whose name I’ve not taken here but have been instrumental in my life. I owe a lot to each and all of them. Be it my friends, family, relatives, critics, rediffiland friends ( the blog where I’ve been blogging since 2006)..everyone. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FEEDBACK AND INTEREST IN MY WRITE-Ups.
How wonderful the term 'appreciation' is, isn’t it? Sometimes I wonder that how just a simple complement like “Well done” or “Good job” can do wonders to one’s self confidence. Today, while going through some of the back editions of the Times of India, I came across this interview excerpt of guess who???? CHETAN BHAGAT. It seems that I can’t have enough of CHETAN BHAGAT these days as the last few days saw too much of CHETAN BHAGAT featuring in my life. After going through “THE 3 MISTAKES OF MY LIFE” on the lines of a start-to-finish schedule for 4 days, I thought I have had enough of Mr. BHAGAT---the latest pin-up person in the Indian writing world. But today again Mr. Bhagat was there in my hands in an interview avatar. In an interview to the English daily, he had talked about his writing and message to the budding writers. He urged the budding writers or for that matter anybody who wants to make his/her a life a success story to keep the spark within oneself burning. “DO NOT LET THE SPARK FADE OFF”. Do not let rejections, disappointments get the better of you and your desires. One’s Chances of succeeding in one’s endeavour can be measured by one’s belief in oneself and one’s dreams.

POINT NOTED Mr. BHAGAT!!!!!!!!!!
I will surely try to inculcate those habits in my life and writing which is my life.

Happy Birthday To SONU NIGAM................

O Mere Sonu Re…………

May all ur wishes see the light of the day

This is Chandan wishing India's no.1 singer Sonu Nigam a very happy birth day.

My heartiest wishes 2 him on his birthday
“Tum jiyo hazaroo saal”, is what the heart of every Indian say.

I’m penning this poem on So-new Nigam
No mater how much I praise U, it will always be kum.

In ur early days, u stood the test of time with hard work,patience n perseverance
4 a determined person like U, chances of defeat were always dense.

Slowly but steadily, U got the name n fame u deserved
It was a testimony of ur exceptional work that u served.

During my childhood, I heard of only1 singer everywhere n that was U
Versatile n exceptional singer like U, in this industry r very few.

Besides singing, U r equally good at mimicry n adakaari(acting)
I’m sure 1 day as an actor also, accept karegi tumhe audience saari.

We are always by your side through thick and thin
God will punish all those who take undue advantage of U and indulge in activities of sin.

A Voice that has been silenced

As I sit in front of my PC to write my blog, a sad news has shocked the music lovers in particular and the big-dreamers in general. 2007 STAR VOICE of India’s winner (a singing talent hunt show) Ishmit Singh has met with an untimely death. Ishmit, who rose to fame and stardom after winning the crown in November last year, was seen as one of the best things to have happened to the music industry in India. With his versatile singing and sober nature, he had won several hearts and was going places before this tragedy struck him and his friends and family. He got drowned in a swimming pool and died before he could be taken to the hospital. He was in Maldiv for a show. Music legends of India like Lata Mangeskar, who gave the winning title to Ishmit in the grand finale of the competition last year has expressed great shock and grief over the death of this potential singer. One of VOICE of India’s judges, singer Abhijeet expressed shock over this news and couldn’t control his emotions. Well, no one who knew Ishmit could come to terms with the sad news of his demise as he has bowled over many with his honesty, innocence and impeccable talent. May God give strength to his friends and family to bear this tragedy. May his soul rest in peace………………………We’ll miss u Ishmit……………

U like Apple?? Must be a quick decison maker......Try These Personality tests

FRUITS REVEAL YOUR PERSONALITY
Some two years ago, when I first met CHAPTER, I didn’t know her well (Even today I haven’t understood her fully and it looks it will remain so for the rest of my life). Anyways, time is the best tool to know somebody inside out. But there are some quick-fix that can help you understand and know the other person better and quickly. Have you ever wondered that ur choice of fruits reveal a lot about you. How? Here goes the list of the fruits that stand for the following features: ----

Apple: Extra-vigilant, quick decision maker
Banana: Soft nature and self confident
Cherry: Sweet nature and social
Coconut: serious, thoughtful
Mango: Impressive, enjoys doing challenging tasks
Orange: Patient, determined and strong will power
Papaya: Fearless, Practical
Pineapple: Honest, a little impatient
Black Grapes: Good taste of style especially dress sense, energetic and friendly

So, which fruits are your favourite?
On my favourite ‘phal’(fruit)----- I like mehnat ka ‘phal’( fruit of hard work)


How good is Your Self-esteem?
While going through one of the leading English dailies of Patna, I came across this column on self-development and life skills that I would to share with you. The column contained a quiz which claimed to help one see where does one stand on that ingredient of life without which the recipe of success can’t me made. I also took the test and I scored…………..forget it!!!!!! Take this test by answering YES or NO to the following statements:--
1) I expect to succeed in performing important tasks.
2) I would change many things about myself.
3) It’s difficult to express my feelings.
4) It’s difficult to meet new people.
5) I often take the initiative.
6) I often spend free time in the company of others
7) I’m as nice looking as most.
8) I’m usually tense of anxious.
9) I’, more sensitive than most.
10) I enjoy receiving compliments.
11) People generally like my ideas
12) I don’t really know what values are important

SCORING
If U have answered YES for STATEMENTS 1,5,6,710,11 then allot urself 1 point for each.

If U have answered NO for STATEMENTS 2,3,48,9,12 then give yourself 1 point for each.

INTERPRETATION
· 0-4= Below average range. You need to work on being able to increase ur self regard and respect for urself. High time u change ur attitude.
· 5-8= Average range. This indicates that you respect urself fairly and feel that you are moderately capable, important and worthy.
· 9-12= Ur big scores indicates that you respect urself and feel that u r a capable, important and worthy urself.

DEAL YA NO DEAL?

“ Taarekh pe taareekh………… Taarekh pe taareekh, mili toh sirf taareekh, insaaf nahi milaa”, said Sunny Doel as I finished my 2nd packet of a popular potato-chip company( sorry I can’t the name as I’m in talks with another potato-chip manufacturer who might sponser my blog and naming its rival would surely not please my would-be sponser. Anyways, I love the other potato-chip brand as well but it wasn’t available in the market the time I went to buy the potato chips.)
Now the movie business thing. Sometimes, I get a feeling that my life is very ‘filmy’. The reason behind this is that many a times I find things turning out to be in the form a typical bollywood movie would progress--- full of twist,turns and melodrama. But finally ends on a happy note. But the KISMAT KONNECTION of the reel-life with my real-life differed on just the last front. There isn’t any happy ending in sight as far as my real life was concerned. As I admired reel-life’s BASANTI’s real-life son SUNNY DEOL in his lawyer avatar in the movie DAMINI, little did I know that SOMEONE WAS LOOKING for a good lawyer to sue me. What a timing to know of that thing,isn’t it? “Ulta Chor Kotwaal ko daate” is all I want to say. I mean…………I’m suffering because of others and others are threatening to sue me!!! I won’t mention her name here as slowly I’m learning the protocols of blog writing. Anyways, “Samajhdaar ke liye isaara kaafi hota hai”. But I would like to say just one thing to that person---- Sir, U suggest me the name of some other GOOD ‘CHAPTER’ and I’ll SUGGEST YOU THE NAME OF A GOOD LAWYER What do u say? DEAL YA NO DEAL?

DAY 2 : Jaane Tu...........Yaa Jaane Naa and My Dream run continues.........

Day 2
It seems that someone up is listening to my pending wishes. After getting to read Chetan Bhagat’s The 3 Mistakes of My Life, today I got to watch Jaane Tu………..Jaane Naa……… which I was longing to watch. I’m not going to give a review of the movie whether I liked it or not. I fail to understand why everything needs to be either good or bad. Can we just let things they way they are, going through them and stop being too judgemental? It’s quarter to 3 right now. I’m enjoying my Sunday afternoon. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate myself because it’s almost 24 hours now by the last time I logged in and haven’t felt the urge to check my mails or ORKUT account. It may come across as a trivial thing for u but for me to stop the temptation to surf the internet for 24 hours is sort of achievement for me. Anyways, I’ve finished my lunch and going back to my novel writing task with Kaal Dhamaal playing on Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM. The mood is quite upbeat and refreshing. Before ending this piece, I would like to say sorry to CHAPTER for calling her at an awkward hour last time and asking her to go through my blog. Not a good time to call anybody, let alone a girl. But the excitement was such that I couldn’t stop myself taking that risk. I’ll get back to u guys at night…………have a nice weekend………….

Day 1: One of the most intriguing 'CHAPTER' of my life

Finally I got to catch hold of Chetan Bhagat’s latest novel The Three Mistakes of My Life. Nothing that I was too desperate to read that tome from probably the most loved and admired author by the youth today.I say ‘probably’ because someday I too want to see a young, talented and ambitious youth using the words “probably the most loved and admired author by the youth today” for me. Wait a minute! That person would do well if he doesn’t use the word ‘probably’ before the words mentioned above in quotation marks. I, too, am trying my hands at writing a novel. Well, no aspirations to be the next Chetan Bhagat . I just want to express myself and tell my story to the world. I wanted to see how the author has gone about his business of narrating the story and churning out plots to take the story forward holding the readers’ intensity and interest and ensuring there isn't a dip in the intensity and/or the interest. Mind you, no intention of copying the author’s style or plots from my side. I used the novel as a reference so that I could pick up a few tips from the latest pin-up boy(or rather should I use the word ‘man’ instead of ‘man’?). Of course, a good publisher, a little money or may be more than a little money in the form of royalties and a little fame in the process would surely not hurt. Anyway, let’s go down to the main business of writing this blog piece ,i.e. recapitulating the day that just bode goodbye to me.
I must say that piece(the novel) surely helped. It had to since it came from a person who’s a master at his art. I must thank Beauty, a distant relative of mine who gave me this novel knowing very well that the chances of getting it back on Sautuday,the 26th July(as promised by me) was as less as India’s chances of saving the 1st test match against Sri Lanka. Sadly, both the cases held true. Sri Lanka routed India and Beauty had to shot off a few angry and ‘once bitten twice shy’ sounding mails to me stating how I spoiled her weekends that she had planned to devote to this latest Chetan Bhagat product. A BIG SORRY & THANK U 2 Beauty.
The morning, which begins at 10 AM since 15th July thanks to RJ Shristi who has just joined Radio Mirchi and hosts the last show of the day ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ from 11 PM to 1 AM every Monday to Friday. Any need to say that I’m a big fan of hers? But RJ Shristi wasn’t the only reason behind my ‘jagraata’ on Friday Night. I had taken part in a story hunt contest by Mirchi Movies and the last date for submission was fast approaching and I still had half the story ready. ---That too in my mind. Not on the paper. I had to courier the typed story by Saturday, the 26th or else regret all my life for not checking the company’s website for latest updates on the story hunt even once in a month against my 15 visits a day to ORKUT. Most of the day went in going through the 258-page literary delight called The 3 Mistakes of my life. Yes, every now and then I took my ‘orkut’ breaks and see if there were any new developments on my as well as CHAPTER’s scrapbook. Well, in case you don’t know who this CHAPTER is, U don’t need to know her. Aaj tak main usse nahi jaan sakaa toh aap kya jaanogay? I had almost finished half the book when Manish, a friend of mine came with his list of mp3 songs he wanted to upload in his cellphone from my computer. I reluctantly decided to oblige him as he’s one of my closest friends and we are like-minded person. Little did I know that this like-mindedness would foray into my ‘half-friendship-quarter l**e and another quarter of undecided mess’ relationship with CHAPTER.
Before his lists of songs, he did not forget to mention the content of the latest scraps sent to him by CHAPTER. I wish you were there to see the delighted face of his whenever he mentioned an adjective written for him by CHAPTER. I wasn’t jealous! But I fail to understand why girls need to so be so nice and sweet to people like Manish and Anurag Bhaiya (yes! Another AUTHOR in my CHAPTER’s life who in fact did this ‘name karan’ task of hers and threatening to make my CHAPTER a full-fledged SYLLABUS as many more ‘AUTHORS’ like these two nice gentlemen seemed interested (or rather it was the other way around) in studying and contributing to my ‘CHAPTER’( I hope I can say ‘my CHAPTER’!!). Let me make it clear that both these people are very sweet and held in high regards by me. But the problem is that CHAPTER thinks on the same lines too. Maybe a bit more than I do.
Soon Manish was busy checking if all the songs had been uploaded to his cell. I must admit that whole CHAPTER issue was getting out of my grip. Like a true devotee, I paid another visit to my ORKUT account and straightaway visited CHAPTER’s scrapbook. No wonder I saw Anurag Bhaiya’s scrap in her scrapbook which had totalled to 440-odd scraps in double quick the time taken by the Sri Lankan team to rout India in the 1st test match of the ongoing series. In case u r not a cricket buff, let me put it this way--- Patna might not have experienced rains on a day in the last month or so, but none of the day passed without these two people(CHAPTER and Anurag Bhaiya) sending messages/scraps to each other. It didn’t matter who among the two took the initiative. For me the fact that it was happening was a matter of big concern for me. More than what AJANTA MENDIS was to the INDIAN cricket team players and team management. Add to it, the other ‘authors’ who were giving me enough reasons to send sleepless nights…….err……..I mean sleepless afternoons as I’ve become a night-bird for the last few days.
I couldn’t bear any more. I logged out and shut down the PC. Manish left soon after going through one of my poems. He did pass a compliment before leaving. But it appeared to be sarcasm more than a compliment. It was back to the novel reading exercise. Meanwhile, I shot off an e-mail to RJ Akansha asking her the e-mail ID of RJ Shrsiti………………..This is 2:16 AM by my wrist watch at this moment……….I think I should put brakes on this blog write-up of mine. No offence intended to anyone throughout this write, I repeat! Nor do I intend to throw them in poor light. They all are special to me and I know that too are just pulling my leg on the CHAPTER front. Well, I hope that’s the case!!!!!!!
Anyways, I promise that the forthcoming blogs recapitulating my day’s proceeding would be shorter. Bye folks………………………..see u tomorrow……..oops it’s already 2:21AM now……….so see u tonight…………….take care……….

My version of Jaan-E-Mann

Jaan-E-Mann
Humko maloom hai ishq masoom hai
Dil se ho jaati hain galtiyan
Saber se ishq mehroom hai…….

This humming number 4rm the movie Jaan-E-Mann sums up the theme of this article right at the outset. Sounds or rather looks a bit unusual, isn’t it? Well that’s how the love lives of Gen X teenagers have been. In Munnabhai’s words, “Mammu iski toh suruaat se pehle hi waat lag gayi”
Finding it difficult 2 gauze what I have been trying 2 say? Read on……..
Love is probably the most cherished 4-letter word for the teenage group(sorry 4 taking all the uncles n anties, dadas n daddies 4 granted n not including them in the list of admirers of this word). One thing I would like 2 be crystal clear is that here I’m not taking about the love that we have 4 our parents, relatives etc……. my point is centred around the CRUSHES that seem 2 be a natural phenomenon in almost every teenager’s life. It’s an altogether different matter that some of these CRUSHES gt transformed into CRASHES and the end result is a new Devdas on the block.
Love is a matter of the heart and since the mechanism of the heart is involuntary,i.e., not in our control, likewise pyaar kiya nahin jata ho jata hai.
But here the million dollar question arises----is that person THE ONE you were looking for so desperately ever since you were bitten by that 4-letter word? On a filmy note------
Tu poochta hai tu sochtha hai
Jiski kami thi kya ye wohi hai?....
If yes then you are indeed very fortunate. Or else be prepared to face a Fida or a Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna in your life. It’s a pity that true love has become what is Perfect Competition in Economics, i.e., a myth. It may sound pretty harsh but let us accept this fact that true love these days is a once-in-a-billlion case. It is confined to movies of likes of Veer-Zaara only otherwise “AAJ POOJA TOH KAL KOI DOOJA”
In the present scenario
If rupaiya hai na dollar hai pound
(your) meter down, down , down……..
As far as your love life is concerned
The long and short of my article is that b4 uttering “Jaan-E-Mann” to anyone, remember------
Pyaar mein Sau(100) uljhanay hain pyaar mat karma………..
-----------A victim of LOVE KE SIDE EFFECTS

Meet Me

First impressions are said to be the last
Chandan is full of determination, passion
So with me, rest assured of having a blast.

. I thrive on challenges and challenge myself with various difficult task
Creativity,good sense of humour and hard work are my forte, if you ask.

ACID Briefing(A-academics, C-Character, I-Interests, D-desire
A- Academics
1. B.A.(3rd year) Functional English from BN College,Patna University
2. 10+2(Science) from St. Michael’s High School,Patna
3. Matriculation from St. Michael’s High School, Patna
C & I- Character and Interests
Whatever I do, I do it passionately & with utmost dedication
I’ve a penchant for doing things creatively
I’m not afraid of trying out new things when it comes to my work and then face the consequences by taking things,good or bad, in my stride
I’m inclined to things that offer me something new and exciting where I can use my creativity and writing skills
D- Desire
v I want to be an entertainer
v I want to write a novel
v I want to direct and write the screenplay of a movie one day

Its human nature to desire for name and fame
And accepting this is no shame.

To be a force to reckon with in the field of RADIO/ ADVERTISING/JOURNALISM (copywriter/writer/correspondent/reporter) is my dream
But in 10+2, I opted for a not so glamourous science stream

The no. of ad concepts I have with me is 10 more than 19
And it’ll be a damage beyond repair if on T.V., they are not seen.

I want 2 get a lot of name and fame
but it pains me when my classmates n teachers tell me,
"Sorry, we forgot your name"

My name will be a household name from Patna to London
I am the one n only Chandan.

They say that I have a sense of humour like Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan
And its needless 2 say that I’ll always b Patna Ki Shaan.(Pride)

I was the editor of my school magazine SCAN
After reading this poem, you might become my die-hard fan.

Presently, 4rm B.N. College, Patna I’m doing Graduation (2nd year) in Functional English
Working with such an esteemed firm like yours will bring me recognition and bliss.

I got 83% marks in class 10 CBSE examination
My ad concepts cover every product ranging 4rm a 4-wheeler to a radio station.

Then after this KAHO NAA PYAAR HAI, I experienced a MUJHSE DOSTI KAROGAY
As in my 10+2, I was told ki tum class 12 pass nahin hogay.(you’ll not pass the class 12 exams)

But with 60% marks I passed and defied all odd
This so-called “1 Exam Wonder” attribute this 2 the almighty God.

Thankfully, now I’m doing what I like most
Please go to creativeboy18.rediffiland.com to read my post.

Others think that I’m creative but a fellow bit shy
Seeing me, the 1st word coming out of one’s mouth is BYE………..


Rest assured, my articles won’t bore you to death
You’ll enjoy my articles a lot, I bet.

My articles publish in the Times of India every now and then
N they are liked by 1 & all whether it’s children, women or men

I’m 20 years old and Patna is the place where I reside
Do I fit in your scheme of things, it’s 4 u to decide.