From the streets of NEW YORK!

“Somewhere between living and dreaming… there is New York.” I don’t know why but New York reminded me of New Delhi. May be because I got a similar ‘dream big’ vibe and infectious vibrancy that compels you to dream bigger and better.

There was so much to experience in NYC – great street fashion, enthralling entertainers, amazing architectural wonders, fabulous street food options and so much more.

Also we were in company of great friends and we had done meticulous planning & research before our trip. Comfy shoes, Subway card and Google map aided us to cover every famous spot well within the time frame.

Here are some pictures straight from the maze-like streets of New York! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

View from the top

Subway station in New York

Colorful streets

Empire state from the Rockfeller Centre

MoMA

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (5th Avenue)

The Starry Night at MoMA

Aladdin at Broadway

Big Crowd at the Times Square

Street performers seen from the ‘Ride’ (Bus trip)

Mr Leo at Madame Tussauds

Amitabh Bachchan at the wax museum

View from the Empire State Building

Gupshup Indian restaurant

A Street Artist

‘The’ Statue of Liberty

The Atlantic

The Charging Bull of the Wall Street

Amazing NYC skyline

Benares Indian restaurant

A closer view of Lady Liberty

At the Intrepid Museum

Grand Central

Kal ho Naa Ho at Brooklyn Bridge

Mirrored room at New York City’s Summit One Vanderbilt

The NYC Apartments

From the Summit

And finally my favorite Mr SRK – it was his film Kal Ho Naa Ho that showed New York in a special light and fascinated me.

5 reasons why Bollywood stars must introspect!

As the gods of Bollywood stand in front of disgruntled and disillusioned movie watchers with #boycottbollywood trending every other day on social media, it’s time for them to introspect rather than be defiant.

Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika… they no longer inspire obsession, frenzy, or devotion in the general public, but rather unsettling hashtags, and boycott trends! Interestingly, films from the South like RRR and Pushpa are going on to be smashing across India and abroad.

The transition from extreme devotion to contempt did not happen overnight. And there is a big list of reasons for the dwindling fortune of this industry. I will give you the 5 major ones.

#1 – Nepotism rocks Bollywood – Every famous or new face in the industry is a daughter, son, nephew, niece, grandson, or relative of some bigwig of Bollywood. Agreed, some of them are talented but so are many other outsiders, struggling to find a footing – who might never get a chance. If you are looking for an upcoming generation of nepotistic stars, check out Zoya Akhtar’s upcoming Netflix film ‘The Archies’.

The result of nepotism is mediocre talent and below-average films that do not speak to the audience. Why would intelligent viewers want to spend money looking at lackluster performances when several alternatives are available for free online?

#2 – The pandemic and the rise of OTT platforms – During the lockdowns, the popularity of OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime, and Hotstar grew manifold and viewers’ tastes changed as they found quality content and a different kind of cinema & content, just a click away. The Family Man, Panchayat, Arya, The Fame Game…plus some great movies from around the world entertained everyone.

The covid situation changed our attitude towards Indian film stars and films…perhaps forever. Our eyes learned to look beyond the sheen of glamor and examine the cinematic experiences critically.

#3 – Deglamorization of Bollywood – Once upon a time, film stars exercised enormous influence over us – in matters of thinking, dressing up, styling and glamor. But now, every other person is a star on social media. We are learning from each other on Instagram and YouTube.

We don’t want some film star to advise us when we can do better on our own with the help of google, forums, DIY videos, and chat exchanges. Our next-door influencer has more credibility than stars who sell useless brands and sometimes harmful products. Instead of the public taking a cue from the industry, it is now important for the industry to get inspired by common people to survive.

#4 – Defiant Bollywood – When the sad demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput shook almost every movie watcher and the ugly underbelly of Bollywood was revealed, the industry remained silent.

In 2022, the actors are still stoically silent on several relevant issues related to society or the film industry (Read mafia, drugs, black money etc). When confronted or asked about their opinions on important issues, they shrug, ignore those questions or act defiantly. In every other trade, customers or audiences are treated as God. But something is extremely wrong in our filmdom, where actors do not seem to value viewers. Well, that is the impression they give these days.

#5 – The ever-increasing power of social media – The power of social media is increasing at an amazing (and alarming) rate. People have discovered what a simple tweet or a hashtag could do. It could pull big men down or impact a world-famous brand.

Some netizens, especially on Twitter, could be vicious and are experts in bringing up a past inconsiderate comment by actors or posting a decade-old video to negatively influence the fortunes of a film – no matter the budget, stardom, or publicity! And they have started enjoying wielding their newfound power. The struggle is on and the stars seem to be losing!

It is evident that after the debacle of some of the biggest Bollywood flicks like Aamir’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, Ranbir’s ‘Shamshera’, Akshay’s ‘Prithviraj Chauhan’, Ranveer Singh’s ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’, and Ajay-Amitabh’s ‘Runway 34’ – it’s time for the industry to pause, introspect and overhaul the system. Otherwise, the industry will continue to go downhill! Viewers don’t hate good films and great stories, they just hate the ways of the industry. The onus is on the industry to work it out creatively to woo hostile viewers back.

Images courtesy Google

Who was the first Indian actress to act in an American Film?

Who was the first Indian actress to act in an American Film? No, she was not Persis Khambatta or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan or Freida Pinto. Nah, Merle Oberon or Anna Kashfi (Marlon Brando’s wife) were technically India-born British actresses! Then, who was she?

My search took me to an old newspaper report from India News Bulletin (Issued by the Embassy of India in Washington, Dated January 11, 1950) and I found an unexpected answer. She was Radha Sri Ram, who played an important role in well-known director Jean Renoir’s classical film The River in 1948.

Radha Sri Ram was not some unknown entity, rather a revered one in India. She was the president of the Theosophical Society from 1980 until her death in 2013. But her brief contribution to cinema, had been forgotten.

Early in 1951, Radha Sri Ram married Raymond Burnier, a Swiss photographer, and became Radha Burnier. Raymond had come to India in 1932 to photograph temple art, and met young Radha at BHU in Benares. It seems like Raymond Burnier played a great role in introducing her to cinema and that’s how Jean Renoir discovered her for his film, The River.

“Mrs. Burnier played a major role in the well-known director Jean Renoir’s classical film The River (Le Fleuve), based on Rumer Godden’s novel. The film was made in only five months, and was released in 1951. The producer, Kenneth McEldowney, made four trips to India in a year and a half, trying to cast the role of Melanie, because most Indian women were not permitted by their families to perform in a film, especially in a role that involved a kiss.”

“When he met Radha, he was skeptical until he saw her dance. He said – She was magnificent. She is like a goddess.”

His wife Melvina wrote, “I never knew a goddess could have such a delightful sense of humor, such honest intelligence, such understanding of people and still be so young.” Her family’s broad-minded view of culture permitted Radha to accept the film role.

Shortly after her marriage, the Burniers travelled to Beverly Hills, and then to New York with the Renoirs.

The film was well received and was influential to several Indian and American filmmakers.

During this time she met some famous people such as Charles Chaplin, with whom she shared a meal. Rahdaji was offered to participate in movies produced by Hollywood but declined the offer.”

Wikipedia

Jean Renoir once remarked about her – “Outside of beauty or talent there are unknown reasons which make a man or a woman fit with the camera; I call them “screen animals” and I more and more believe that Radha is a screen animal.”

Unfortunately, Sri Radha’s marriage did not last and her screen career ended as well. Soon, she got involved in many cultural, educational, and spiritual activities and organizations and emerged as a leader in those fields as well.

Well, I have always loved unearthing and researching old newspaper reports to know about old forgotten entities and their stories. And the latest venture has been well worth the effort. I am sure this research will help in setting the records straight about the first Indian actress in the US.

(Images courtesy Google)

How is our virtual life similar to The Great Gatsby’s?

Who can forget the magnetism of Jay Gatsby as he woos Daisy in the 1920s – the post-World War I years, when people were drawn to excesses? Overflowing champagnes, Rolls Royces, alluring beauties, wealth accumulated through fraudulent means, indulgences, and people living in an illusional make-belief world of opulence and extravagance. After a century later, are we back to the age of excesses, albeit in a virtual society?

Just as high-class tea party invites and grand dinner party invitations were alluring for New York party-goers dying to catch a glimpse of Gatsby’s extravagant life in his mansion. Similarly, alerts and notifications from our devices compel us to enter the glamorous virtual world when we should be talking to our children or paying attention to something in the real world.

Gatsby projected a fake persona to dominate the party scene and win over Daisy. Similarly. Aren’t we all a little superficial online, in our carefully crafted personas? And don’t we all get smitten or insecure when others appear to look or do better than us. Social media and networking apps feed on insecurity and competitiveness, to pull us into a rat race where self-worth increases or decreases with every like or comment. Must we need this kind of pat-on-the-back every time?

Gatsby seemingly had many top-class ‘connections’ but none of them turned out to be his real friends. Are the people in our network real ‘friends’ or just connections? Do we know them at a deeper level? Should those ‘connections’ take precedence over our children, family, and close friends?

In The Great Gatsby, the narrator Nick Carraway (incidentally from Minnesota) observes the ever-changing social lives of people around him. It is similar to what we see as the status updates of our acquaintances. People absent from the party scenes were considered ‘common’ then! And now, we feel that the absentees from Facebook or Instagram must be leading such a ‘non-happening’ life. Online presence has become a must for everyone.

Agreed, we need our devices in the digital world – for our jobs, shopping, and to connect. We might miss important news and updates if we go to the other extreme of digital Samyasa. But shouldn’t we be calling the shots? How will our compulsive habit of reaching for the phone every few minutes end? How do we take the balanced approach when the virtual societal construct targets the human psyche and makes us play along (‘The Social Dilemma’ on Netflix was an eye-opener).

The virtual world is overshadowing our real-life and making it look so barren and stark? Where would our endless rush for virtual dopamine take us? Our attention span is decreasing and we are overwhelming our senses. But how are we going to stop? I often tell myself – ” I am simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of digital life.”

I believe the age of excesses won’t last long. It never did in the past. The great depression of 1929 brought the opulence of the 20s to a crashing end. Maybe ours will too. But would there be substantial damage done by then? Will humans become more superficial, insecure, extremist, and preoccupied? Will our kids know the difference between virtual and real?

There is a reason why author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby feels so relevant in today’s world where we have reached a new level of comfort and convenience. It presents human follies and the hopelessness of societal constructs. Gatsby knew he led a flashy and hollow life, but he created it for his love – Daisy. We know it too, but unlike Gatsby, we don’t know why are we nosediving into the hollowness of virtual reality?

How do we get disengaged and disentangled? – This, my dear reader, is a million-dollar question!

Kangana’s crusade against Bollywood and the System!

Kangana Ranaut had come across as a typical frivolous starlet, when I first transcribed her interview for my news channel a decade ago.

In those days, there were a lot of spicy, blind items on her antics and she was termed ‘difficult’ to work with in Bollywood (just like the late Sushant Singh Rajput).

But the Kangana I see now is a revelation! Fearless, rebellious, eloquent, aggressive, angry and ready to take on ‘Bullywood’ and the political system (Shiv Sena) all by herself. She is the new rebel icon of India!

It seems her seething anger against the injustices in Bollywood had begun to built up much before its eruption at Karan Johar’s Koffee show, where she targeted nepotism in Bollywood. And the bad treatment meted out to talented outsiders.

And this year, when a popular actor and talented outsider #SushantSinghRajput died allegedly by suicide, she created a storm after declaring that he was murdered by the nepotists and druggies of Bollywood.

That was the turning point in the Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case.

The public applauded her fearlessness. Seeing the public approval for Kangana, news channels brought up the murder angle. And #justiceforsushant and #cbiforsushant became a global movement. It is still ongoing and everyone wants to know the truth related to Sushant’s death.

Meanwhile, it has been interesting to watch the reactions of social media, media, politicians and Bollywood in relation with Kangana.

Social Media:

Kangana Ranaut’s greatest support comes from the social media (most importantly Twitter) and she has learnt to use it to her advantage. She has dismantled the rosy image of Bollywood and showed their dirty picture.

The fans are no longer servile towards film stars, rather they are judging and critical of them – the film entertainers (no longer stars).

For the first time, social media users have realized their immense power. They can change the system by fighting for any cause (eg, Sushant case)! And they are not going to stop. Move aside politicians, media or celebrities, social media icons have the new power control. And Kangana is one of them.

Media:

The mainstream media, barring a few TV channels, has behaved abnormally during the coverage of Sushant’s death case and the Kangana uprising.

Initially, senior journalists like Rajdeep Sardesai, condemned the obsessive news stories following Sushant’s demise, stating it was a smaller issue compared to bigger problems like the pandemic and economy at hand. But soon, he went on to grab ‘TRP generating’ interview of the accused Rhea Chakraborty, forgetting to ‘walk the talk’.

Kangana has been made the false ‘Queen’ of media as of now because she has the people’s approval. Who knows she might be termed a ‘charlatan’ as soon as the approval ends!

People hardly know whom to trust with journalists losing their integrity and channels changing news angle every moment.

Politicians:

Ironically, Kangana profited from the recent demolition of her office building by BMC at the behest of politicians.

It was clearly an act of vengeance against the actor by powerful politicians in the Maharashtra government because she threatened to reveal the drug nexus, questioned the Mumbai police and condemned the irregularities in relation to Sushant case.

After the incident, #bharatforkangana trended on Twitter and the lady’s approval rate tripled overnight.

Clearly, a very bad PR move by Shiv Sena and cronies who are allegedly a part of the drug syndicate.

Also, Kangana Ranaut might be getting offers to join politics by the opposition. Although, she has expressed disinterest for politics, joining a party might actually be a good safety move for her.

Bollywood:

Now, let’s analyze the powerful land of Bollywood, which was once inhabited by hunk kings and purrfect queens with giant, inflated egos.

They screamed and cried out from every social media tower. And posted sun-kissed pictures in skimpy gowns, dresses and lingeries, ‘ooh-aahing’ over each other’s post, expressing undying fake love for each other. Twitter, Instagram or Facebook – they dominated everywhere blinding commoners with their cheap glitter.

They monetized on social causes and played with public opinion, made films funded by terrorists and mafias while enjoying their debauched lifestyle.

And the public was in trance and so much in love with them. Until Corona and Kangana happened!

Corona hit the financial edifice while Kangana hit their ‘underbelly’ after the unnatural death of Sushant Singh Rajput.

And the loud, chattering, gossiping Bollywood bigwigs went into the silent mode.

They were incredulous that a puny virus and a ‘haramkhor’ woman can do so much damage. But the damage is done and they are facing many uncomfortable questions –

Why are the big actors who were so vocal about everything, suddenly silent?

Why very few from Bollywood spoke on Sushant’s mysterious death case?

Who is behind the unnatural deaths of Sridevi, Sunanda, Jiah Khan and Disha Salian?

Why are Kangana’s questions not being acknowledged or answered?

Who are the druggies in the film industry?

What is the role of the mafia in financing movies?

There are hushed murmurs and a few retorts here and there against Kangana and in favor of Rhea Chakraborty with hashtags like ‘smash the patriarchy’, but nothing upfront and direct.

They know the moment they speak up, they will have to answer very uncomfortable questions. And one wrong answer can cost them their ‘debauched lifestyle’.

The fate of recent flop films like Gunjan Saxena (Jhanvi Kapoor) and Sadak 2 (Alia Bhatt) that suffered due to public outrage, is a warning to the industry. But are they paying attention or just silent till the storm passes?

It’s time for them to do away with old, redundant, debauched ways and adopt new progressive system that integrates outside talents seamlessly.

Already the appeal of the big stars are fading and OTT platforms are on the rise. Bollywood really needs to reinvent itself.

Meanwhile, Kangana Ranaut is not only supported by the public but also by the likes of Arnab Goswami and Subramaniam Swamy.

And she really deserves kudos and applause for taking on and silencing the mighty biggies of Bollywood and the government – a classic repeat of the David vs Goliath tale. And who doesn’t love it when David wins!

What a transformation Kangana, from a conformist to a woman of substance. Way to go!

(Images courtesy Google)

Is the Bollywood Mafia strategically eliminating the talented outsiders?

This post is not about the tragic death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. This is a post about nepotism or bhai-bhatijawaad in the Indian Film Industry. Nepotism was always there in the glam world but the existing ‘Bollywood Mafia’ (as Kangana Ranaut chooses to say) is extremely vicious and we, the viewers need to tackle them.

Why only ageing heroes and half-baked star sons and daughters star in high budget films? Why do we see the same old crafty faces at film award ceremonies? Why does the film industry stink of staleness? Simple! the Bollywood Mafia has been strategically eliminating the outsiders – real talents.

Rajput was an outsider too. There may have been many causes for his suicide, but nepotism was definitely one of them. He was constantly being pushed out of the centerstage, where he belonged. But a group of muscle-flexing, pretty boys and skimpily clad, surgically enhanced, starlets tried to edge him out of sight.

How can real talent survive when they are forced to stay back and remain on the fringe? Let’s think about last year’s Hindi films! Except some of the Ayushmann Khurrana films, what we have been watching are trashy movies. ‘Dabangg 3’, ‘Student of the Year, Housefull 4, Bharat, Kalank… all these films are not worth more than one or two stars. Would you watch any of these again? The below third-rate quality of our films is all due to nepotism.

The industry has been serving concocted success stories of half-baked star sons and daughters. The media is funded by the mafia to carve glorious images for the non-deserving relatives of stars. And they are projected as great actors just after working for one or two films.

Supporters say that nepotism only works for the initial break of the star kid and hard work matters after that. But the point is, despite delivering flops they are privileged to stay around in Bollywood. However, for the talented outsiders, it’s extremely hard to get into the industry and extremely easy to get chucked out.

They have no ‘Godfathers’ to hang on to…and then, there are filmy vultures ready to feed on them. The privileged people of the industry get to stay despite flops after flops. They just refuse to move or make room for talented outsiders.

You and I have seen so many fine and popular actors getting restricted to character roles because they would not be offered main roles. Yes, there are examples of some success stories that survived nepotism…Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Ayushmann Khurrana…they have been extremely lucky.

And as Ram Gopal Verma said, the outsiders do become insiders of the industry in the long run and promote their family, it happens with every industry. But Verma should remember that every industry is not film industry. Here, the public matters the most! AFTER ALL, WE PAY FOR THE TICKETS TO WATCH YOUR FILMS!

So, we, the viewers should get to decide which actor or actress is deserving. Not Bollywood, Not Media, Not the PR people….!

We, as viewers have the right to expect quality films but what we have been getting is trash after trash. Our regional cinema is more artistic, imaginative, creative and supple than mainstream, which seriously suffers from stagnation and draught of ideas. Every other YouTube or TikTok star seems more talented than our film actors. And look at our performance at international level, our films are pathetic as compared to world cinema. The system needs to be overhauled!

We, the viewers should demand for anti-nepotism policies in the film industry…no son, daughter, spouse, friend or relative should be given privileges. Almost, every organization has anti-nepotism clause then why should it not apply to the film industry?

Only talent should matter, only talent should thrive! Very soon, the film industry will suffer from a public backlash, and we the viewers will run the show biz. It is time the Public takes the power back from them. The revolution has begun… we have the social media on our side to begin with.

(Images courtesy Google)

Small Things#23 – Trier is the best!

Have you heard of the word Trier? Probably not! The word Trier is rarely used in conversations. Why? Because we are so obsessed with tags like ‘Winner’ or ‘Loser’ that ‘Trier’ has been pushed out into irrelevance.

The word got new perspective after watching the latest Hindi film ‘Chhichhore’ with family. The older one watched with interest while the little one cosily slept on papa’s lap.

‘Chhichhore’ like Aamir Khan’s ‘3 Idiots’ presents all shades of college life. It juxtaposes past and present of the main characters (team of losers in a hostel) to underscore the importance of trying. It is an emotional, fun film with a message that ‘Trying is more important than winning or losing’.

The older one got excited about the film and created a way to express the message (check the image above). And appreciation from his teacher was icing on the cake.

And it got me thinking – why is winning so important that trying does not count? What is wrong in losing? Losing is important for learning, right? And for experiencing life? Why do we push our kids harder and harder that life becomes nothing but a competition? Why don’t we simply say to our kids – Be A Trier instead of Be A Winner?

So many kids as well as adults would not take drastic steps like committing suicide or getting into drugs, if obsession with winning ends.

Not only kids, ‘being triers’ work for us too. It kind of reminds me of the powerful concept of Nishkama Karmayoga ie desire-less action!

I guess we should try working on ‘being a trier’ and then probably the word will find its way back to relevance and conversation.

Masala Dialogues of Hindi Films!

Mere paas ma hai! This morning, #Twitter is abuzz with ‘bhari bharkam’ cliched, melodramatic dialogues of Bollywood that were once created to inspire intense emotion, nostalgia and ardent admiration. But these days the audience get tickled and chuckle at the excesses! Replying to Tara Deshpande’s Tweet about sharing favorite Bollywood dialogues, #Twitterati reacted with enthusiasm. Sharing some of my all time favorites!

 

Those iconic dialogues are tadka of our masala films. Whistle, whistle and more whistles for these!!! Which is yours? (To read, what Twitterati has to say – go to @Tara_Deshpande

(Images courtesy Google)

Who cares for superstars when masses are celebs!

Who cares for Katrina Kaif’s rosy pout when the girl next door looks like a goddess in her digitally enhanced sun-kissed selfie? What is great about Arijit Singh’s renditions when the paanwala seems to sing better than him on StarMaker?

There is nothing exotic about filmy naach-gaana anymore when Indian marriage functions on YouTube present world class song and dance performances. Move away, Bachchans, Khans and Kapoors, for the glamour power is now in the hands of the masses! The public is rising again, this time, dismantling the carefully manicured images of film stars and seeing them as human beings rather than ruling gods.

Post independence, after the end of royalty in India, film stars slowly gained popularity and came to be worshipped owing to the heroics and glamour surrounding them. Their impenetrable, glittery and unapproachable aura made them rule hearts.

But today, surfeit of information about their life has stripped them of the glory. Every other person can abuse them on Twitter, judge their style sense on Instagram and form an opinion on their films and arts in a blog. They have become approachable and thus, very, very vulnerable! A popular saying in English holds so true here – ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’. The celebrities are so approachable and so deliciously dissect-able by anyone who wishes to do so.

And real stardom has been ceased by the masses – your crooning teenager or the dancing street urchin or the neighborhood shopkeeper or the average homemaker… everybody holds the power to stardom… all thanks to the revolution called – INTERNET.

The general public has apps that can make them beautiful and present their dancing, singing, acting, directing, creating… any talent on the world stage. Bloggers like us, who would have been secluded diary writers a few decades back, are now self published authors! It is a very curious age we are living in!

As of now, the masses are copying the celebrities but very soon originality will take over.

But the question I am interested in is – when each one of us becomes superstar, who would be the fan? Who would we look up-to? Who would be the new class of rulers? Seems like a riddle but for now, we are living a dream – where anyone from anywhere could be a star!

(Images courtesy Google)

Indian Beauties in Soap Ads

Soap advertisements (especially Lux) have showcased Indian beauties of all times in the most glamorous light. Here are a few of my favorite ones, who is your favourite Soap Beauty?

Ebullient Madhubala!

Elegant Waheeda Rehman

Stunning Suraiya

Charming Asha Parekh

Gorgeous Hema Malini

Sensuous Helen

Striking Saira Banu

Cute Tanuja

Mysterious Rekha

Beautiful Sridevi

Radiant Aishwarya

Charismatic Katrina

And of course, Desi Girl Priyanka Chopra!

(Images courtesy Google)

Listening to Sonu Nigam at Minneapolis concert!

Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin – when Sonu Nigam crooned this song at a concert in Minnesota, the crowd went still. The singer’s voice had an amazing melody and depth that soothed the over enthusiastic, frenzied crowd and made them listen, intently. Before the singer’s entry, the concert was average, where upcoming singers mostly performed on the latest, peppy Bollywood remixes, but he transformed it into something special. When he sang, it was clear, he did not need additional accompaniments, suggestive dance moves and props to spice up his performance, his voice had it all!

Even when not singing, his voice, carried the same melody. And he did miracles with his song – lifting, lowering, extending, shortening, pausing – unpredictable twists that made the audience respond with thunderous applause. At one point of time, during the concert, the audience went so overboard that they blocked the fire exit, the singer had to make a request to restore order. The security had a tough time containing the crowd who had come to listen to one of the most well loved singers in Bollywood.

Sonu Nigam and Neha Kakkar, the two biggies of Indian Music Industry, are currently performing in a number of cities in the US and Canada. And we had the good fortune of attending one of those concerts in Minneapolis on Saturday, with our lovely family friends. It was a night to remember in amazing company!

Now talking about remix queen Neha Kakkar –  she definitely had the crowd eating out of her hand, as she wriggled and danced akin to Shakira, but was not melodious. She had a shrill and powerful voice, that entertained, but did not really touch the heart. It was her latkas and jhatkas that entertained more!

Coming back to Sonu Nigam, his dedication to music seemed real, palpable and fame seems to be just one part of it. Small wonder then that he has held his own for decades despite a crowd of eager, fresh singers striving in Bollywood and changes in music style. Plus the guy doesn’t seem to age at all! To my great joy, someone in the audience requested to sing ‘Bijuriya’, and he sang with an amazing alacrity, giving it a perfect end with the famous ‘Moonwalk’ step!

If you ask for my personal favourite from his bunch of songs that included – Suraj Hua Madham and Hans Mat Pagli, I would say the song mentioned in the opening line of this post – Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin. That song was sublime!

As I watched the singer’s performance, one thing seemed sure. He did not belong to that rising group of people, who do passable work for instant fame. Unfortunately, the ‘chalu’ type of work has invaded all arts across the world. Integrity, dedication and hard work increasingly replaced by quick something for social media fame. Thankfully, the singer seems to belong to a select, small group of people, who practice art for sake of art!

I have been listening to Sonu Nigam’s songs right from my teenage years and have always liked him. But it was a different experience to hear him live. In between the songs, the singer paused and remarked – ‘when I’ll die, this song will be played for sure.’ And he sang – Har Ghadi Badal Rahi Hai Roop Zindagi from ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’. Well, none of us would like that to happen, ever. May he continue to enthrall us all with his soulful singing!

(First Two Images courtesy Google)

My Meetings with Film Actors

During my stint as a journalist, I had the pleasure to meet many bigwigs of Indian Film Industry. It was always fun to observe and analyze them in person. At that time, I had thought of putting all that in writing. Today, I have managed to write about some of those meetings. Read on!

Amitabh Bachchan ( Book Launch event) – He was charismatic, humble but closed. I saw Amitabh Bachchan, the hugely successful actor rather than Amitabh Bachchan, the person. It was difficult to see beyond his carefully polished demeanor – typical Libran trait! What was really nice about him was his gallant, charming manners. Considering his family background…it’s expected from him! But the most outstanding thing was the awe he inspired and the connect he had with crowd. Also, it appeared that he did not take success for granted. He seemed truly grateful for the overwhelming attention. Or was it all just an act?

Aamir Khan – He was the first celebrity we interviewed at our office. He had come to promote one of his films. And I was on cloud nine for the opportunity to interview him. Unlike Amitabh Bachchan, his personality was not amazing. He looked small and approachable. But what was really wonderful about him was intelligence. Nothing escaped his eyes as he scanned the studio and studied everything in detail. Some of our questions took him by surprise, but he maintained his composure. His focus was to promote his film and that was it. He smiled politely, talked gently and looked far younger than he was but…one got the feeling that he was a real tough guy. His brain was working overtime exploring opportunities while he exchanged pleasantries.

Kareena Kapoor – I met her during an event promoting a cosmetic brand. And what an event it was! She looked better in person than she looks onscreen. The first feeling I had on seeing her was that she really believed that she was a queen, destined to rule hearts. A wave here, a flutter there, reveling in adulation and admiration, but hungry for more. But one rude question from one of the journalists, rubbed her the wrong way. Her rouge stained red cheeks, colored even deeper, eyes flared and hair got tossed even more. She gave her piece of mind there and then. The best thing about her – She is always Kareena Kapoor no matter what! The event came to an end soon after as she left fuming.

Katrina Kaif – Well, when she entered the office for a film promotion, there was complete chaos. I saw gentlemen behaving like gully boys to catch a glimpse of the diva, who wore a business suit to perfection. She was beautiful undoubtedly and oh so, professional. The masque of professionalism never left her face. She hardly smiled and answered in a matter of fact way. Attention stayed on her looks and people had no interest in knowing the person.

Sanjay Dutt – What was striking about Sanjay Dutt was he had no pretenses about him. He was friendly and easy going. I really wondered why this non complicated looking person lived such a tumultuous life. Probably the upcoming biopic (Sanju, Ranbir Kapoor as Sanjay Dutt) would unravel some of the mysterious about him.

Vidya Balan – I did not met her directly but transcribed her uncut interview. She appeared wise, witty and intelligent. In those days, she was dealing with criticism over her figure and dress sense. And she still had to prove her acumen as an actress. Now that I see her, I think she has finally accepted her body type and developed her own dress style.

Kangana Ranaut – Again I did not meet her in person. But her uncut interview did make me think about her being quite flighty. Her answers were immature and vague. But now when I see her on TV, it is a huge transformation. Somewhere along her career, she has found her confidence and the courage to speak her mind.

I also met a lot many actors but not as famous as the above mentioned. And then there were quirky, fascinating authors too. Someday, I’ll write about them. Meanwhile, if you enjoyed reading kindly share the post.

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