hopscotch

Watched English Vinglish the other day on TV. As with everyone else (mothers and daughters in particular), I was reminded of couple of incidents from my childhood, when I didn't accord my mother any particular importance. I thought her to be very dowdy, very controlling, very intrusive, never letting me "grow up". It was only after her outburst, which did us both good, did I realise that okay, Mataji isn't some limbu-timbu. I can't remember what triggered it, but I had made some disparaging remark over her education and grades. Never one to take audacity lying down, least of all, her half-baked daughter's, Mataji brought out carefully rolled sheets of her degree and convocation. "When I appeared for MA exam, your elder sister was sitting in the corridor, of the college, waiting for me to finish my paper and come out. A sweepress was taking care of my girl...your elder brother was at home, with your father....." Hearing all that I was chastened a

Okay. Have to scribble something as there are too many voices in my brain, clamouring and drowning out the din of the outside world. So those sitting around me, will find me in hermit-like mood; remote and fidgety. Remote, as in, others cannot approach me. Fidgety because too many things happening in my brain. I can actually imagine the thought wires criss-crossing, and becoming one messy tangle. What am I supposed to untangle and relax? Here are my usual solutions: watch a movie. With no one for company. In my moods like this, I prefer to sit and watch the film alone. No popcorn either. And, which movies would make it to my companion list? Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (no), Jodhaa Akbar (no), Yuva....(some bits, yes), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (maybe yes), Andaz Apna Apna (uhhh) Swades (YESSSSSSS). I don't know why, but when I am down and out, and need to calm myself, I invariably reach out for Swades, which in some people's opinion is a perfect recipe for sad documentary. I don

Spotted this monument on Chaul-Sarai road, in Raigad district. It's a protected monument, says the ASI  board. Sadly, no other information was available. Locals term it as ruins from Shivaji Maharaj's rule. Chaul-Revdanda were strategically important, so one can spot lots of ruins. Some of the loose stones have been used to build present day houses. So much for history! These caves were again spotted on Chaul-Revdanda road. We couldn't climb up there, so  this  was clicked from  across the road Locals say there are about 365 temples, big and small, and equal number of  ponds and  temple tanks. This one's a favourite because I had been here with friends after writing second year exams. Or was it first year? Rameshwar Temple in Chaul, in need of repairs. You come away  feeling  happy and lighter in mind.

I loved A Pack of Lies - one of the most important reason being that I relished the "old gluttony" feeling I had not experienced in some years. I began reading it one afternoon and I found myself gulping words and sentences. I didn't want the torrent of sharp, brutal, heart-wrenching words to end, but there I was gulping down the words. I hated keeping aside the book to cook, then dine and also go for a movie (Pan Singh Tomar). I did all of that, and then I returned home to finish the remaining 100 odd pages left. A brilliant debut by Urmilla Deshpande (Gauri Deshpande's daughter), A Pack of Lies is very powerful. And, yes very voyeuristic too. One can't help but wonder if Ginny's mother was based on her or if she really was the "other" Gauri Deshpande, whom one didn't know earlier. I know...I was a little shocked at the different  picture of Gauri Deshpande staring at me from the pages of the book. -- On days when I wanted to reach out for &

Well, this post follows a reverse procedure. Instead of being posted here first and then being uploaded either on FB or twitter, this was first written as my status/wall post on FB and as an afterthought is being uploaded here. Afterthought because what prompted me to write were the several smileys and cute li'l posters of two friends wishing "Happy Friendship Day." To be frank, I thought they were nauseating bit; cute, sugary mssgs put me off. Really. That explains my forever frowning face. Bu then I remembered the mssg that a friend had texted me (got only two friendship day mssgs) yesterday. I was surprised because he wasn't a "believer" in Friendship Day. I wondered if he had become a "convert" and asked him. His reply was that he got a mssg from someone and he fwded me because I used to be quite "senti" about this day when we were in college and for him Friendship Day meant me. I cringed on reading that. Yes, I was quite "sen

Alright..I admit the title of the post is a bit presumptuous. But, how else should I describe that fleeting moment when I witnessed 'The Phenomenon?" Two years ago I was at the inauguration of Pune International Film Festival. While all other celebrities trooped in, the programme wouldn't begin. Rajesh Khanna was yet to come. I was silently chaffing and cursing when a flurry of movement near the entry door caught my attention. Rajesh Khanna walked in, attired in white kurta-pyjama and a shawl draped around his shoulders. Before sitting, he did "Namaste" to the crowd and smiled. The thunderous applause which greeted him gave me goosebumps and his smile made my heart somersault. That one moment told me why my mother and all the assorted aunties her age went gaga over him. I had seen his movies, sure. Several times. I loved the songs he lip synced to. But, I never could imagine that the girls got married to his photograph, or his car was covered with lipstick

...Because I was stunned when a friend's call woke me up at mid-night. I mumbled into the mouthpiece and didn't know when it fell besides my pillow. (A few years earlier, I would have settled at the window sill and talked and laughed till the wee hours of morning.) ...Because I wasn't unable to concentrate thanks to the music blaring from the radio (A few years earlier, I slept with my walkman switched on, the volume turned at “high”) ...Because I kept the 'highly readable book' aside and yawned a few times. I turned over and went off to sleep. (A few years earlier, I would have adjusted my pillow a bit and continued with the reading. I would have kept the book down only after reading it from cover to cover.) …Because I dismissed the idea of ordering pizzas and ice cream and preferred a second helping of aamti-bhat . (A few years earlier, I practically lived on pizzas and double scoops of ice cream) ...Because I can now suffer fools gladly. (A f