A Quote for a Special Person!

Sometimes the mirror of dreams gets covered with the fog of reality.
Therefore it is very important, from time to time, to wipe away the fog to
remain focussed on your dreams!

This quote is truly amazing. I don't know who said this but it is applicable to anyone caught in the rat-race. Life has become so busy and stressful that we hardly get time to relax and remember our dreams. Very few people realise that dreams start crumbling away if we don't remember and retain them.
Then one day when you clear away the fog, you find the mirror has cracked. Your dreams have crumbled into dust. That is when one gets dis-illusioned and depressed.
It is indeed a bad experience to see your dreams lying dead.

So people remember to keep your dreams alive by keeping them fresh and clear in your mind! Focus on them, take care of them like you would a child or a plant. They will mature and give you so much satisfaction when you realise them!

:)

Om Shanti Om: And the Search for a Story Continues!

When two people, who don't know each other, give you the same advice about a movie, you would be stupid not to listen and take that piece of advice.

When it came to Om Shanti Om, also known as OSO, three people gave me the same advice: "Go with your brain switched off"

Well I did switch off my brain and by GOD did I have a tough time getting it restarted after the movie! I think my brain had a near death experience of its own while I was watching OSO.

Let me first give out the positives:

1) Deepika Padukone: She has a very beautiful face. But I realised one can get bored of it real quick, because in the movie, every second scene has her face in close zoom or you see her dressed up in beautiful sarees and evening dresses. After a bit her face looses its charm.

2) SRK and his abs: One has to admire SRK for the effort he has put into rebuilding his body for this movie especially at his age!

3) The sets and the production quality: While some of the sets were lifted directly from West End stageshows and Broadway musicals the production quality and the feel of the movie is quite professional.

4) Om Shanti Om song: A great touch to bring in all the actors for a romp on the dance floor.

I won't concentrate a lot on the negatives because there are many. Obviously the story is weak, in fact one can say there is no story. It looks like a patchy mix of 3 or 4 different stories; starting with a romantic story, then in between action, then suspense and ending with horror. When are we going to get a movie which combines slick production with a good story?

Then we have the overacting in certain parts of the movie. Finally of course I couldn't help but note the background theme stolen from Constantine in the scene where Arjun Rampal arrives at the burntout studio for the muhurat and SRK exits the car.

All in all, the advice given to me still rings true: "Go with you brain switched off"

But I would like to add a line to that: "Only if you have nothing better to do"

:)

Delhi Gymkhana: The Elite Club of the Indian Raj

The Delhi Gymkhana was known as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club before independence. It was setup for the British officers and officials who were, at that time, ruling over India. After independence the 'Imperial' tag was dropped from the name and 'Indians' took over the running of the club.

I used to enjoy going to the Gymkhana, as it is popularly known, till now. Having a medical disability has given me new insight on things. I realised today how the people there still cling on to the memories of the British Raj and how it has become more of a status symbol for people with the major advantage being the availability of cheap drinks.

Clinging on to old world habits, like a hand bell on each table to attract the waiter's attention, sounds like something right from the days of the Raj.

With the system of 'green cards' where by dependents get access to all the facilities, seems to encourage the idea that you can earn respect just because you are someones son or daughter. With respect to this I really like India Habitat Centre where dependents can only use a limited set of facilities and cannot use any of the Member's Only dining areas on their own. Every member therefore has to prove their worth.

Another thing which I could never understand is why they don't allow the use of cellphones in the bar? I mean it is so funny! People there, as it is, talk SO loudly that you would think you have entered a fish market. Yet you cannot talk on your cellphone. Or maybe they don't trust their members to talk in a normal or low voice when using a cell, which is weird for an elite club! But then again, with all the shouting going on inside, you would hardly be able to talk on the phone isn't it! :)

Abroad, yes I can understand why they have these rules. The people there actually speak in a normal voice instead of shouting at the top of their voice. So yes if someone speaks on a cell and even slightly raises their voice, it can disturb the people sitting nearby.

What we still haven't learned is that money and power does not make a good human being. Being the member or an offspring of a member of an elite club does not automatically make you an elite human being.

In fact if we were to think about it, most of the elite social clubs are nothing but a place where one can go and booze at a cheap price in relatively decent surroundings.

And I wonder what is so elite in that?