December 27, 2009

My favourite movie quotes - Part 2

This is my second post containing my favourite dialogues/quotes from different Hindi and English movies. The link to the first post is here, and here is the link to my third post on the same.

['When we stop hunching, all excitement fizzes out. You don't want that to happen to us. Do you?'] - 'But, at what cost?' - Fire

'Pearl, har field me achchhe log hote hai bure log hote hai. Ek bura insaan mil gaya to kya sari industry kharab ho gayi? Aur yeh to ek individual ke upar depend karta hai ki woh compromise karke aage badhna chahta hai ya hard work se.' [- 'Baat achchhe aur boore ki nahi hai. It's business. Give, and take.'] (Translation: Pearl, in each field, there are good people and bad people. If one came across a bad one, does it mean that the whole industry is bad? And, it's up to an individual if they want to go ahead by compromising or by hard work' [- It's not about good and bad. It's business. Give, and take.']) - Page 3

'Yeh kitaab hain beete hue kal aur aanewale kalke beech faile hue sannateke baareme' (Translation: This book is about the silence prevailing between the past and the future) - Baghban

'To talk about the truth is easy but to live by it is not.' - Water

'Isn't it amazing? We're so bound by customs and rituals. Somebody just has to press my button, this button marked Tradition, and I start responding like a trained monkey.' - Fire

['Pata nahi journalism ko kya ho gaya hain?' ] - 'Aapko kisne kaha ki aap journalist hain? Page-3 ke columnme yahi likhti hain na aap ki kiski partyme kaun gaya... kiske saath gaya... kiske saath lauta... kisne kya khaya kya piya kya pehna... kya nahi pehna... Miss Madhvi Sharma, ise entertainment kehte hain, naa ki journalism' (Translation: ['I don't know what has happened to journalism.'] - 'Who told you that you are a journalist? This is what you write in the page 3 column, isn't it?... Who went in whose party, with whom who went... And with whom who returned... What one ate and drank what, what one wore and what one didn't wear. Miss Madhavi Sharma, this is called entertainment, not journalism.') - Page 3

'Love means never having to say you're sorry.' - Love Story

'You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.' - The Pursuit of Happyness

November 28, 2009

Shant zarookhe - a poem translated

I've tried to translate a very beautiful Gujarati ghazal into Hindi. You can find the original ghazal sung by Manhar Udhas in a YouTube video here. The original poem was written by Saif Palanpuri.

Shant chilman pe

Shant chilman pe raah dekhti
Roop ki rani dekhi thi
Maine ek shaahzadi dekhi thi

Uske hath ki mehandi hansti thi
Uski aankhon ka kaajal hansta tha
Ek chhota sa upvan jaise
Mausam dekhke khilta tha

Uski muskaan me sau sau geet the
Uska choop rehna jaise sangeet tha
Use parchhai ki thi lagan
Use pagrav ke sath preet thi

Woh maujosi uchhalti thi
Aur pawan ki tarah lehraati thi
Koi muskurake saamne aaye to
Bahut pyarbhara sharmati thi

Use yauvan ki duayein thi
Uski sab musibatein door thi
Uska pyar paane ke liye
Khud kudrat bhi aatur thi

Saalon baad aaj firse wahi chilman dekhta hoon
Wahan geet nahi, sangeet nahi hain
Wahan pagrav ke sath preet nahi hai
Wahan sapno ka mahal nahi
Aur bhaavnaon ka khel nahi hai

Bahut suna suna lagta hai
Bahut dard bhara lagta hai

Woh na thi meri premika aur
na hi thi meri mangetar
Maine to sirf shant chilman pe
raah dekhte dekha tha
Kaun thi woh naam tha kya
Wo bhi main kaha janta hoon

Firbhi dil ko aaj
Dard jaisa lagta hai
Bahut soona soona lagta hai


Note #1: Shivani and Neerav have helped me in choosing appropriate words in this poem. I'm thankful to both of them for the help.

Note #2: Pagrav = the sound of a walk; Chilman = balcony;

November 15, 2009

My favourite movie quotes

I have consolidated the list of my favourite quotes from different Hindi and English movies. Some of them are not-so-famous but are my favourite. The list is not comprehensive. I'll make another list and post it when I come across good quotes in future.


'Khubsoorat kuch nahi rehta. Sab kuch khokhla ho jaata hai.' (Translation: Nothing remains beautiful. Everything goes hollow.) - Guru

['Did she leave you or did you leave her?'] 'Love left us.' - Life in a Metro

'... I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.' - Notting Hill

'... Haan mujhe lajja aati hai...' (Translation: Yes I feel ashamed...) - Lajja

'I'm not a smart man... but I know what love is.' - Forrest Gump

'When it comes to love, we are all in the dark.' - Kinsey

'Would you stop thinking about what everyone wants? Stop thinking about what I want, what he wants, what your parents want. What do you want? What do you want?' - The Notebook

'Babumoshai, humari mushkil maloom hai kya hai... hum aanewale gum ko kheech-taankar aajki khushipe la dete hai aur us khushime zahar ghol dete hai' (Translation: Do you know what our problem is... we drag tomorrow's worries into today's happiness and poison that happiness.) - Anand

['I am trying to find out why people hate this book so' - 'You told them their grandmothers and their daughters are masturbating, having premarital sex, sex with each other. What did you expect?'] 'Some respect.' - Kinsey

'You make me want to be a better man.' - As Good as it Gets

'I don't want to be 60 years old some day and seemingly happily married to some man that I know is my second choice.' - Dream for an Insomniac

'Get busy living, or get busy dying.' - The Shawshank Redemption

'Haan, paagal ho gai hoon main. Paagal bana diya hai mujhe aapke khokhle aadarshone, aapki jhoothi shan ne, aapki zidd ne' (Translation: Yes, I've gone mad. It's your hollow ideals, your fake reputation, your stubbornness that drives me crazy.) - Hero No. 1

'Everybody's sin is nobody's sin, and everybody's crime is no crime at all.' (sarcastically) - Kinsey

PS: Here are the links to sequels to this post: Part 2, Part 3

November 08, 2009

Social etiquette, or the lack of

There are times when certain kind of behavior in public from other people really pisses me off. I've observed them here in India (I've not been out of India till now anyway ;) ). Still, it's quite possible that some of the below mentioned gestures are true for some country or even universally. And, some of these are mainly 'practised' by people who are not very educated than by those who are rather sophisticated.


(1) Many people still haven't learnt to use words like 'excuse me' or 'sorry', or even 'thank you' for that matter. They won't even say 'sorry' when it's highly expected. Just smiling or even trying to show that you ignore it at the time when you've put your foot on another person's in a bus or train simply isn't enough. I've seen instances where people even don't feel the need of thanking a person who stands up from his seat and offers it to some lady or an older person. These are very fundamental things. You've got to be courteous at least when you're in a public place. Period.

(2) Most of us need to learn basic cellphone etiquette. This is one of the most prevalent and equally irritating gestures from people. I don't think I need to go into much detail here.

One equally irritating and highly unwelcome practice followed by quite a few people (mostly those who're not very 'sophisticated', again sometimes though, I've seen so-called 'sophisticated' people doing this) is playing songs aloud while traveling by a public transport vehicle. I believe I'm quite tolerant and easy-going. But, constant bombarding of music to my ears without my expressed will really pisses me off.

(3) This one is common among people of all class. You won't often see someone throwing wrappers of piper-mint or a pack of biscuits in a dustbin. Okay, accepted that in India, dustbins aren't seen at all the places. But, in such case, you can always carry those wrappers with you and throw in dustbin later. It's not that difficult. I do that.

(4) People are probably at their worst when it comes to using public transport like State Transport buses and the general unreserved coaches of trains. In the race of getting a seat (or sometimes, getting a better seat i.e. near window et al), people simply forget, or rather don't care that it's the people who want to get down should have the first turn. People quite often just rush in and that creates a mess.

I'd like to mention here that people in the local trains in Mumbai almost always follow the rule of allowing the commuters to alight first as far as traveling by local trains is concerned (unless you're slower than expected in getting down at the right time).

(5) I don't understand why some people unnecessarily blow horns even when they are in a serious traffic jam and/or when they know that it is not going to give them a chance to reach their destination earlier. Often the same people complain about rising level of noise pollution.

(6) I've seen this in Mumbai and I guess it mainly applies here only (or to a certain extent in other metros and smaller cities). Pedestrians don't use footpath even when they've an option to. Okay, sometimes the footpath is partially (or even fully) occupied by vendors and shop owners (which is again a big-time nuisance). But, often there is enough space on footpath that they can walk more comfortably than on the road. Why do they add to the traffic on the road?

November 07, 2009

Walking down memory lanes

The following is an improved version of a post which I'd written around two years back in a forum under a topic related to walking down memory lanes and recalling those good old days when we were very young.

Oh... those old golden days...

...when I used to go to school in shorts... with a 25 paise coin to spend during the break time... from which I normally used to buy my favourite honey-flavoured peppermints... 3 peppermints for 25 paise... Sometimes during the break, coming back to home, having some food and then going back to school... entering the room with fear that the teacher would scold for being late... Cleaning the ground and rooms in the school every month or two... Singing prayer in the big hall everyday... Feeling ecstatic on the day when the teacher congratulated me... or when I'd scored well in the exams...

in first standard when I hated going to school, Papa used to take me to school holding my hand... going to school with slate in hand with homework written all over it... (We were not supposed to use pen and notebook till we entered class 5)

after the school finishes, often waiting for some friends till they finish their mid-day meals... I liked it a lot seeing so many of my classmates eating together sitting on the ground... in fact, I used to feel really bad that I was not one of them eating food together in the school since all of them looked so happy having food while talking with one another sitting in a large group...

in my way to school or to my way back home, when a tangewala carrying kids to Aanganwadi (Kindergarten) passed by me, I used to run along with it and beat it in racing in the streets of my village :P In fact, we friends also used to have race among ourselves in our way back home and we used to run along the streets...

going to watch TV in neighbour's house... only two channels : DD-1 and Zee TV... Used to feel very happy watching 'Chitrahaar'... and at the time of watching a 'feature film' on TV, I just used to feel like anything... I was a hardcore TV fan at that time...

playing marbles... playing gilli-danda... playing with top... playing cards was not allowed till we were young yet sometimes playing cards without parents' knowledge... time just used to fly by.

I'm feeling much nostalgic about all those days!

October 22, 2009

Excerpts from the novel 'Seven steps in the sky'

The novel 'Seven steps in the sky' is the English translation of a Gujarati novel named 'Saat pagla aakashma' written by Kundanika Kapadia. It's one of my favourite novels. The novel revolves around the life of the protagonist of the novel Vasudha and a few of her friends and relatives. It talks about the stuff that a woman has to go through being a female in this male-dominated society. This novel has won the Sahitya Akademi award in 1985. It's a wonderful book which actually makes you think. Some things, habits, customs are so much a part of our daily life that we even forget that it's just a piece of injustice being done towards our beloved mother, sisters and wife. After reading it, I felt that I know and understand my mother, sisters, female friends and women in general a little better now.

Anyway, I'm not going to review this book any more (not at least) in this post. The followings are rather the excerpts from the novel. You may like to read them even if you're not a feminist since most of them are of general nature and not related to equality of rights for women or anything like that. (By the way, I still wonder why some people like to proclaim themselves 'anti-feminists'. Yes that's a term! Anyway, let's not digress more ;) )

One more thing: Though I haven't used quotation marks (except in a couple of cases), some of them are spoken by people while the others are just the author's and/or the protagonist's views. They are mainly (leaving a few exceptions) in the order in which they appear in the book. That's it. You can read them now:


The heart should be allowed to reveal itself without being questioned. When it begins to feel trust, it will open of its own accord.

I can't tell what somebody should do. All I can say is what I would do. If I was really sad, I would behave one way, if I wasn't, I'd behave differently. That's being honest - living according to one's own feelings.

... Inner honesty is a different thing. ...

... That all individuals have the right to live as they wish. Society should be organized in such a way that every woman can actualize her potential and enjoy life on an equal basis. No one should have to make sacrifices for others. One sister shouldn't have to forgo her happiness for the sake of another sister. Children shouldn't have to live up to the expectations for the peace of mind of their parents. ...

What kind of a man would you like?
Someone who would let me be whole. There is a song of Tagore which goes 'Come just as you are' ... 'Just as you are' isn't only a matter of kohl in the eyes or ruffled curls. It is about the wholeness of personality. ... I would like a man ... who would be a friend, not master, who would walk with me hand in hand.

You think I am a strong person, don't you? I say these things, but sometimes I feel weak. Some day, out of sheer exhaustion, I think I will say, all right then, just arrange the marriage. ...

It is a crime to ask serious questions. To think differently from the accepted beliefs of centuries, what has been done for generations, that's a crime.

'(Don't you have any) obligation to me as a friend (?)'

He wants me to cling to him day and night, doesn't want to give me any space. That's addiction, not love. ... To admire a woman's looks, or to praise her cooking is like saying, stay beautiful and keep cooking.

Between man and woman is a relationship possible which has all the lightness and freedom of the sky together with the firmness and permanence of the earth having the probability of limitless growth.

Because you are in love with someone, you are vulnerable, and give that person immense power to hurt you.

Everyone should be self-reliant for their basic needs.

Everyone should learn the basic skills they are going to need in life.

When there is trust, there are no conditions.

To say 'If you love me, you should do this or that', is like blackmail(ing).

As soon as you start doing something to show others, that's the beginning of hypocrisy.

(during a discussion about the need of having one's own kids, especially a son)
In the midst of millions of nebulae there is an eternally revolving cluster of stars. On its edge with a solar system with a planet populated by millions of people. Here in the great tide of time, lineages have been created and have perished. Even mighty dynasties have turned into dust. And a man wants to become immortal through his descendents - what vanity! In this universe, life continues in one form or another. What is the meaning of wanting a continuation of one's self?

(The sentences in the following paragraph are actually spoken by more than one person)
'We all need love' ... 'We need creativity' ... 'Together we can find a life in which we are not searching for elusive material things' ... 'We can create an environment where there is true love, which fulfils all the desires of the heart, which heals all the wounds - which does not become purposeless and mechanical, which always remains with us, and does not mind our mistakes, imperfections and faults.' ... 'Love puts a protective armour around us and gives us strength without making us dependent, makes our lives stable and yet full of newness ... '

... I believe that God, or perhaps nature, has created us for joy and love. We waste our lives in insignificant things like money and renown, and perhaps that is why we don't attain love; perhaps we shouldn't be looking for it in others, but should manifest it ourselves.

Even a love marriage may be a mistake. No one can guarantee that I will love this person all my life. Who can be so sure about one's self? Some adjustment is necessary in all relationships, but to 'tolerate' someone in this fashion implies doing your partner a favour, like saying 'You don't make me happy, but I am generous and so I put up with you.' I don't call that love. It's an outrage on yourself and the other person.

... what is called service and sacrifice is in fact fulfilment of joy when there is love behind it.

PS: You can find my another post based on this novel here where I've tried to jot down some of the important aspects the novel tries to draw attention to.

October 13, 2009

Diary bloggified

Finally I decided to put some of the pages from my diary on my blog. Though I've posted them just today, I've set the dates back to the ones they were written on by me. So, they appear in the middle of other posts.

Here is the link to the first article, here is the second and here is the third.

Talking a little more about my habit of writing diary, it's something I started when I was in tenth standard, not in much organized way at that time though. I stopped that after a year and started it again after around fifteen months i.e. in the beginning of my first year of graduation.

I used to write it in Gujarati till then, in fact, till around the end of 2003 as far as I can remember. It's my mother-tongue. Then onwards, I started writing it in English. I still sometimes write, at least some part of a write-up in Gujarati though it's a rare case nowadays. In fact, I've almost stopped maintaining diary in last couple of years. I just update it once in a month or two. And, I really doubt if I'll ever get back to the habit of maintaining it on a daily basis.

Writing is fun. And writing personal diary is even more fun. Try it once if you have never tried so.

April 18, 2009

First meeting - yet another page from my diary

The following is yet another page from my diary which I choose to post here. It's written after and about my first meeting with a crush of mine ;-)

It was half past four in the evening. I was in Landmark in her city, moving from one page to another and one book to another. I started finding it difficult to concentrate in printed content. Then I found it impossible. I was waiting for her. Aah! I was feeling butterflies moving around in my stomach.

I was trying to forget that I was waiting for her and so poked my nose into a book on Raj Kapoor’s life and his work. She saw me, came near me and we started talking. We didn’t find the book she wanted. We went in the parking zone. She’d a moped.

Aahan! She asked me to ride it. Alas! I don’t know it very well. I sat on the backseat and she rode it. It was the beginning of a wonderful experience. She was wonderful. She really is. I wanted to keep my hand around her waist. Then I put a full-stop to my imaginations and wild desires.

We were going to Crossword. She kept on talking. She talks lovely. She in fact looked younger and behaved in a more friendly way than my expectations.

Oh! I’m falling in love. Or am I rising? Isn’t it too early to start expecting so much from life?

We went to Crossword. I found her the best book she can get for MAT. She found what she wanted. We went upstairs to spend some quality time together. But, the CCD was still to start its operations.

I was again on her moped. We were on the way to Goodies. Both of us were talking equally this time. Her hair were moving on my face. They were silky just like her.

We reached Goodies but preferred to go to another food joint nearby. This was the first quality time we were to spend with each other. And it certainly it turned out to be.

She told me about a lot of things: her experience at job, her family, her skid performances, her exams, her other job, and a lot of other things. She talked a lot.

April 08, 2009

Girgaum Chowpatty

I like this pic very much and hence have set it as wallpaper often.

Girgaon Chowpatty, Mumbai
Girgaon Chowpatty Mumbai



It's Girgaum Chowpatty, my favourite hangout here in Mumbai. Actually the pic has been taken from the Chowpatty itself and the few large building that are mainly visible are on the other end of Marine Drive. That area is Nariman Point. Well, the chowpatty is supposedly not as famous (and crowded either) as the Juhu beach, probably because families esp with kids with them don't seem to prefer Girgaun. Anyway, it's the place I probably love the most and will miss very much when I'll leave Mumbai.

I wish to have a digicam some time soon.

PS: The pic isn't taken by me. It's just taken from an email.

April 04, 2009

My interview

So, let me post my interview on my blog too. It was basically taken by one of the members called abhi1max1 at Pagalguy.

For those who're unaware of Pagalguy: Pagalguy.com is a site with a discussion forum mainly for MBA aspirants. The link for discussion forum there is here.


My first public interview:


What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?

I guess there's nothing that satisfies both the criteria, at least as of now.


How do you tackle stress and define stress?

Well, stress for me is the dilemma of choosing between two when I want to leave neither. Stress is also when I've to fight with myself. This happens quite often with me. I just tackle it as it comes by dealing it with the best way I can.


What would be your first question to the people of Antarctica?

"Can I stay here forever?" :D


What is the strangest/funniest experience you've had here at PG?

Had many. Difficult to point out one.


If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?

Haresh - just another person.


What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?

A teacher.


Did a thought ever came in your mind that you missed something in life.. Tell us please..

I no more think that I missed something. I'm satisfied with whatever I am, I have and I had :)


Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?

I couldn't understand what is being asked :?


What was the funniest incident in your college life?

Well, it was the time when I used to sit in computer lab of the college for almost the whole day making projects and at times playing games. Well, I wasn't obviously expected to play games in college labs during this period. Once I was playing a game on a PC (a game similar to AirXonix) and someone put his hand on my shoulder and uttered 'Good'. I said 'Come and sit near me' as I thought the person behind me is my friend. But, voila! He was our HOD. Well, my friends started laughing and I couldn't stop laughing either as we shared good relation with HOD anyway.


Mention some incidents when you laughed yourself out?

Well, there are a couple I can recollect now. Both are during my undergrad days. Asking someone out, and blah blah blah ;)


Do you miss anyone right now?

Yes.


Do you spend a lot, or you define yourself as a saving person..

I'm somewhere between these two extremes, a little closer to the saving side.


Your Dreams for future India.

A country with communal/cultural harmony :)


Ethnic or westrn wear.

Ethnic (I guess Tee and Jeans comes under this category :| )


your favorite puy -male n female

One is too small a number

Male: swagatsinha, vishalv, STALWART
Female: medulla, ishacool, sweetgalshruti


if u r arrested on account of crime ,waat it wud be

Crossing railway tracks at a station.


Your idea of perfect meal and drink.

Ghar ka khana... esp Chapati and tea. It's most-missed meal for me :)


Rate in order of Importance : FAME, MONEY, POWER..

Power, money, fame.


Your first crush was on whom and when?

A girl in my tuition class. At the age of 14 :D


Your definition, MBA

a highly over-rated degree which many of us want to have without knowing what it really is


Most valuable thing to you is..

Character.


Your Retirement dream

Working for and with under-privileged children.


Is there a philosophical side to you?

Yes, very much.


How do you celebrate your happiness..

Well, I share it with friends or just roam around alone celebrating it with myself.



PS: Here's the link to my interview's post on Pagalguy.


February 28, 2009

Life's fantastic

Life is going fantastic now. Am very happy. Have been placed for summers and that too outside Mumbai exactly like what I wanted. Want to write a long post. Will write soon. And yes, thanks for visiting my blog :)