Sach Mere Yaar Hain!

March 2010.

Meri Jaan, while I write this blog, I am extremely saddened by the events in Chile ! Do you know that 53 countries on a Tsunami watchlist? Something BIG is coming people, what-n-when, lets keep a close watch.

Moving away from all that uncolorful news, I wish you all a VERY HAPPY HOLI !

May the Colors of this Holi keep you Rangeen and in vibrant spirit of Gulaal, Gubbare, Pichkari and Bhaang !

As we move through this season, whether you are stuck in snow-daggon, snow-zilla, shovelling through the snowi-cane, or simple stuck in traffic; lets give a BIG SALUTE to the im-mortal com-BAT-ting of Sachin's double ton.

Sachin Tendulkar IS THE BEST CRICKETER IN THE WORLD, and any doubts on his recent capabilities, or fitness must have got slashed post his world record innings of 200.

Sachin has changed the face of Indian Cricket since 15th Nov, 1989 - remember that debut against Pakistan? It is not a small feat that Virgin Comics is starting a new comic strip by the name of the one and only superstar of Cricket - Sachin Tendulkar !!

Nothing more can be said except - "Sach (in) mere yaar aye, bas tuhi yaar hain, ek tu hi hain jo hamesha apna saath de - baaki bekaar hain - yaar mere" !!

Looks like India is on a great start this year. Apart from this great start in Cricket, we also saw the Indian movie going audiences becoming smart and smart-er.

They acccepted an offbeat movie like Ishqiya and outrightly rejected a movie by someone, whose Name is Khan :)

Also, while the Winter Olympics witnessed Ice Skating on Bollywood beats, Buckingham palace saw Vedic chants in Sanskrit. India Rocks !!

So folks while I enjoy the Bhaang-ke-pakode, and Gaanjey ki roti with Charas ka saag, you can open your vocals to some Holi ke Raag - Rang Barse or Holi Khele Raghuveera !!!


Meri Jaan, till we meet next, enjoy Holi, stay safe, and satay in Loeve !!!!

- Pankaj

Hola My Valentines !

Feb 2010.

A Very Happy St. Valentines Month to all of you !

Meri Jaan, while you cheer for the New Orleans Saints, feel pain and sorry on the SRK-Sena episode, Laud over Palin's hand notes, Shovel out the snowmaggadon or Love and hate the I-Pad or the upcoming Aperture 3, Do not forget to enjoy this 14th Feb with your love !

Its St. Valentines Month yaar !

People, Its the month of romance and lets all blush into the romance that lies in the petals, the fall, the snow, alps, the khets and the whole mohabbat ka mo-jo.

Whatever you say, you cannot deny the fact that you all fell in love once. Remember - once, at that time. Woh pahli baar jab tum miley, haathon-main haath jab hum chale!

They say that love knows no lakeerien or deewarein and always goes beyond those lines, bricks and walls !! Some people's love gets into those walls and for some, it stays out, but everyone, kabhi-na-kabhi does fall for that FIRE-WALL or the Disease called Loeve-aria!!

So, lets today break all walls and take a peek into I love, u love, we all love Bolly-love movies.

If you ask my favorites, well I grew in the era of Rishi Kapoor, so you name a Chintuji movie and it had ROMANCE written all over most of those movies. Oho! Not the Kumar Gaurav one !

Movies like Khel Khel Main, Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin, Zamane Ko Dikhana Hain, Rafoo Chakkar, Karz, Doosra Aadmi, Sargam, Laila Majnu, Badaltey Rishtey, Yeh Waada Rahaa, Bade Dil Wala, Prem Rog, Kabhi Kabhi and yes the movie that started it all - BOBBY.

Rishi Kapoor's movies were very romantic, and his potrayal of loeve was very youthful. I think movies in Bollywood have changed a lot over the years but Loeve has always been a very Eternal theme.

Whether you go back to days of movies like Rattan, or Street Singer, Awara or Aah, Kashmir Ki Kali or Rajkumar, Guide or Taxi Driver, Devdas or Deedar, Mere Mehboob, Dil Ek Mandir, Mera Naam Joker or Sangam, loeve has been the quintessential note in the movie's script.

I do not need to say that eternal movie loeve-rs always swear by the feather romantic scene between the king of dard and the queen of beauty - Dilip Kumar and Madhubala in the epic movie - Mughal-E-Azam.

As times changed, the backdrop of Classical music, the huge sets, the costumes, the strong dialogues changed into regular life romance and issues.

Rajesh Khanna -Kakaji changed the face of the Indian lover boy in movies like Aradhna, Kati Patang, Do Raaste, Safar, Mehboob Ki Mehandi, Aan Milo Sajna, Daag, Prem Kahani, Anurodh, Anurag, Aap Ki Kasam, Amar Prem and many more such movies.

While 80s was primarily about the angry young man, movies like Chitchor, Baaton Baaton Mein, Gharonda, Rajnigandha, Chashme Badoor, Saath-Saath and many others changed the scene and loeve started flowing into day to day lives.

Over the recent years, with the onset of globalization, things on the loeve front have changed a lot. If Aamir took the Romeo-Juliet approach in QSQT, Salman went the Kabootar route in Maine Pyaar Kiya.

People have also moved a lot for loeve globally. Sometimes from UK to Patiala (DDLJ), UK to Delhi (Cheeni-Kum), India to Pakistan and back (Henna, Veer-Zaara), and even stopped weddings (KKHH, Jaan Tere Naam) or gone beyond weddings for loeve (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam).

I think this later re-trend of Bolly loevy-Doevy movies started from the one and only sarson-ka-khet and that beautiful cow with the bell. Oho- I am not talking about animal-loeve but that khaliyan, the dusky Kajol and the desi cow-beau apna SRK RE in the Come Fall in Love movie - DDLJ!

Aur Baat SRK ki chali hain tou who can deny that he is the King of Mohabbat Meri Jaan. Lets not forget his trio-twist with Mads and Karishma in Dil Tou Pagal Hain, With Rani in Chalte Chalte, Aish in Mohabattein and Preity in Veer Zaara.

Meri Jaan, from Saigal to Dilip Saab, From Dev Anand to Shami Kapoor, From Rajesh Khanna to Rishi Kapoor, the list of Bolly-loeve movies and romantic stars is so long that we can keep visiting each and every romantic movie, but instead, lets just keep humming ...

Tum-mein hum-main kuch tou hain, kuch nahin hain kya?
Aur kuch ho jaaye tou, kuch yakeen hain kya?
Dekh lo yeh dil jahaan tha, woh wahin hain kya?
Arre Re Arre Yeh Kya Hua koi na yeh jaana !
Arre re Arre banta hain tou ban jaaye afsaana !

Kya karein, Meri Jaan - Yeh Pyaar to aisa hi hota hain !!

People, this valentines day, spend time with your loeved ones and please try and spare some time for your someone special.

Remember - Good Times & Bad Times will come and go and our lives will keep moving, but you might not get that moment to say - I Love You !!

Till we meet next time - Stay Safe, Stay Happy and Stay in Loeve !!

- Pankaj