Must Love Dogs

St. Mary’s Academy, Batch of ‘99 – A toast to life

The Rastogis, the Sharmas, the Vermas, the Aroras, the Sethis, the Chauhans, the Katiyaans, the Nangias, the Tanejas, the Gargs, the Jains, the Bhalotias, the Kotpals, the Phuls, the Guptas, the Agarwals, the Bibras, the Uniyals, the Kaushiks, the Parashars, the Yadavs, the Sikkas, the Anands, the Dandonas, the Singhs, the Mishras, the Sarins, the Grovers, the Katarias, the Kapoors, the Ranas, the Ahlawats, The Goels, the Ahujas, the Kumars, the Mahajans, the Mittals….

Who are these people, are they still there, what are they doing, do they remember the times the spent together, do they remember how when they came together they were nothing less than an uproar?

We conquered, we won, we fought, we battled, we tried hard, we created history, we took defeat with pride, our fame was beyond the walls, beyond the class rooms, beyond the corridors, we made scores of hearts skip beats, we did break many hearts too, we celebrated, we played on the turf, we played on the court, we withstood the cold winters and the scorching summer afternoons, we were washed in the rain, we crossed all hurdles, all obstacles, we lend a helping hand to the fallen, we cried together, as soon as a girl was on the campus we spread the word like wild fire, we marched in glory, we cracked the toughest examinations, we broke records, we defeated champions, we welcomed the competitors and showed what boys are made of, we made our teachers and parents proud, we sought for answers beyond our reach, we sought for glory that was only dreamt of, we thrived..

We discovered life together, a life worth living for, a life worth dying for…

We have what it takes to make a legend; to each one of us a toast to life.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

A lot happens, if you try and connect the dots you will spoil the movie, don't attempt to anticipate, lot of talent wasted, a good watch on the whole.

American Outlaw

Guns, horses, stunts, courage, honor, valor, men, vices, women, kid girl turns into sexy blonde, capitalists, detecives, suits, big talks, farmers, rescue from the gallows, dcotor, formation of a new band, arson, bank robberies, rise of the fame of Jesse James, Cole Younger's need for space, detective trails, ambush @ Hyperion bank robbery, daring rescue, call to be off the hook, matrimony, final rescue, Legend becomes an Icon.

Truly madly in love with Colin as Jesse James and Ali as his girl.

Park, Rangashankara. 3:30, August 23

Park, Rangashankara, Bangalore, 3:30, August 23

There was enough audience for a lazy Sunday afternoon. I noticed that the streets were quite deserted on my way to Rangashankara. I reached in time, and got myself a comfortable spot.

Justifying the title of the play, the props on the stage had just three benches. The first character to walk on to the stage was someone who didn’t look too comfortable with the stage. The next person looked too shabby to be on stage. I was kind of put off by the appearances of the actors and the initial set-up on stage. The third person was a known face and it was relief to some animation and curiosity being developing...

While this whole play was warming up, I noticed someone, a dainty, erudite girl sitting where I was sitting yesterday, with her hands behind her head, just like I had mine. She was seated next an elderly person, wearing Indian traditional wear. The play by now had some element of humor, background music and satire being infused...At the same time it was intriguing to see the response and effect the play had on the lady. I paid close attention to both to what was happening on stage and the response it evoked...It was quite intriguing.

So this play to the erudite girl, who resembled Arundhati Roy and for making me see beyond the presentation and appearance of the actors...

Six Degrees of Separation

Rangashankara, Bangalore, August 22, Six Degrees of Separation

As one of the characters in the play says - I read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people. Six degrees of separation between us and everyone else on this planet.


For me it was after a long hiatus I saw some of the known faces from the Bangalore Theater circuit. Two years back there were more of these amateur theater groups which did a good show often, then their numbers started dwindling...

During the initial fifteen minutes it looked the actors were lost amongst themselves with no attempt to involve the audience, and whatever pretext they did their monologue with the audience, it sounded quite phony. But by the time 'Paul' talks about catcher in the rye and being phony, the characters built their rapport with the audience or at least me from the audience.

Paul in one of the scenes says, I was happy and added sex to it. Is that wrong?
I noticed there was a 'firang' couple well past their youth, and the lady looked into the eyes of the man. She then shyly put her head on his shoulder. I lost two minutes of what happened on stage, but those are rare moments you get to see...

A funny incident happened post the play, I had ordered for an omelet toast, and had gone to answer the missed calls on my phone. The toast was ready, and the guy had been calling out for last five minutes I was too embarrassed to answer his call from the other end of the cafe. By the time I walked to the counter one of the actors from the play, was handed over the toast. That's when the guy spotted me, took the toast and gave it to me, and gave me the look 'why sir'? I was too embarrassed by the whole scene, the other actors who had gathered to have a bite, laughed out loud on the plight of their fellow mate. I just mumbled 'sorry for the disappointment' and walked by....

Playlist vs. Online Show

I like listening to music when I am getting dressed; while I am cooking, while I am dozing off to sleep and many other such occasions. I have tried all possible ways to listen to music – on TV, on my laptop, from an iPod and other ways. If listen to the playlist on my laptop/iPod – I know which are the songs which I am going to listen. I can at best use a shuffle and do not know which would be the next song it would play. But my play list is never exhaustive, all the songs are which I would have heard before. There is no novelty, there is no surprise…

Now suppose I am listening to an online radio, or a music channel on TV…at least I do not know which songs are they going to play. I do not know when would they take commercial break, I do not know if they are going to play the same playlist which they played last week. There is novelty, there is surprise but it comes with a cost. You could be a witness to stupidity right in the morning. The channel could play a song which you have no inclination whatsoever to listen. They could play a song which drives you nuts over and over again. They could play a song, they could be yapping to glory, they cold be taking a commercial break..they could be doing anything – in short you are at their mercy.

The same thing happens when you go to a club/disco, you need to be content with what the DJ wants to play for you.

I am still searching a means where I can listen to music I wish to and be surprised with the collection and not put off…

My first Invention

I must be small; do not remember how old, I do not remember which grade. Those were the times when the really affluent families could afford a car. It was a matter for great pride to get dropped at school in a car, or picked up after school. Most of the other kids came by school bus, cycle rickshaws, bicycles… I used to walk down to school. One day, I thought of a car which would be made of wood which even average families could buy. It could accommodate four people and would have the shape exactly that of a car. It would also have a steering and chairs to sit inside. Instead of a machine, the car would be pedaled. So all of the travelers would pedal the vehicle and it would save them getting wet or scorched in the sun. I thought I had made an invention, I decided to share my idea with my parents and my brother.

My parents told me that the wood would rot in the rain. I was quite dejected on not having thought about this aspect. Then it suddenly occurred to me that the boats are also made of wood and they are used in water. I told them about the boats. They just hummed, nodded and said yeah may be that’s right. I kind of toyed with that idea some more time, and then I forgot about.

Now when I think of it, should my parents have asked to really go ahead and design it, or asked me to get a model made to see how it works. I still do not know what should have been the ideal response, or how would I react if some kid were to tell me something like that now. What would you have done?

Snow Angels

This movie was a random pick. I dedicate this movie to Kate Beckinsale. I rarely noticed her as an actress before this movie. Not only I discovered her to be extremely beautiful, but also equally talented. I remember her from Laurel Canyon. This was an out an out package deal for me, all that I could have wanted for, from a drama.

A perfect World

Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, Laura Dern, directed by Clint Eastwood…

Gripping, good build up, great performances, moving and smart. The ability of the cinema to show people in different shades from behind the lens in a way that we tend forget out prejudices and morality on some issues. I had 100% sympathy for Kevin, but in real life would I patronize a outlaw, may be not.

Rangashankara - August 14-16

Legitimate Hooey

A Pune based theatre group hosted a Theatre Festival, at Rangashankara, Bangalore from August 14 – 16. ‘Legitimate Hooey’, an adapted play had two characters – Nilu and ……Most of the action happens on a bed kept in the middle of the stage and it spans across fifteen in the lives of an urban Indian couple. I liked the use of contemporary language and its nuances; the typical and stereo type men n women differences and the chemistry which the actors created on stage. The ease and comfort with their bodies, the subtle expressions and the relevance to current life style, made it really appealing.

My friend received some emergency calls during course of the play; and she found it uncomfortable to walk out. Luckily when she had packed up to leave, the play too concluded. However it turned out not to be an emergency call. I just realized how we had lost our mental peace with those calls and the anxiety it created till we could exit the theater. We should be really careful while alerting others for an emergency and not misuse it.


‘Bed Ke Neeche Rahne Waali’

This was staged on Sunday afternoon at 3:30. I and my school friend who is medical doctor pursuing his specialization went for the play. He has been involved with stage and theater during his UG days and was keen to get a peek into the theater scene in Bangalore. We had our lunch at around three and all made up our mind to catch up the play. Thanks to being a Sunday, we managed to reach on time, collect tickets and I got my dose of ‘special tea/chai’ too.

The play was for kids above 10, but it was really well delivered. The best part was amidst the silent adult crowd in audience, the miffed laughter, comments and questions. It is great to see kids w/o any inhibitions perform on stage and equally great was to see kids react and respond to it from the audience.

'Daaku' - The Dacoit

Daaku, the dacoit or bandit was the hero of my life as a child. A lot of Hindi movies while I was quite young were released which were based on the lives of brave and daring ‘daakus’. They influenced me so much that when there was a fancy dress competition at my kindergarten, all that I wanted to be was dressed as a ‘daaku’. My mom and dad had all that was required to make me a Santa Claus; but you should have seen the disappointment I felt when I was dressed as the Santa Claus.
In fact for me and my brother the things which were on our list of things to buy where high heeled boots, gun with fake bullets and stuff like that. We used to wear my father’s socks on top of our trousers and make it look like high heeled boots the ones which the cowboys wear. A lot of my father’s friends tried to convince that high heeled boots are quite awkward and worn by sweepers on the streets. No matter what they told us for me and my brother ‘daaku’ was a hero. A real hero…