Life with Serendipity & Eternal Sunshine

For some unknown reason, these two have been my favorite films. Maybe its the idea of an unknown and non-designated journey of romance that gripped my heart like any romantic fools would (which I don't consider myself to be, sorry!). And at the same time wouldn't one like the option of simply getting rid of bad memories...just ask some heartbroken person and you get your answer!

Watching the film, Serendipity, has always always always moved me. Maybe, for a change, giving up controls of your life in the hands of destiny, fate, kismet (or whatever you would want to call it) and letting it ride you, is an exhilarating thought. A movie is, although, a controlled environment, where kismet cannot play havoc as it often does in real life. It can be a place where flowers bloom and never wither, a place where lover's meet but never part, where things go right irrelevant to the fact that you made a wrong turn.

But at the same time, a film can also be a place where it can be chaotic, raining shell-shocks rather than petals, with people parting ways without knowing the whys. Such a film, that gave me solace at one time, is the Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (ESSM). The film is based on the idea that the memories of a love turned sour can be erased allowing you to seek love anew and afresh. What an experiment on life...simply marvelous!

I find both these films opposite to each other and yet so similar. In Serendipity, one gives up controlling one's love-life....only to find it with its memories winding back to them. ESSM takes the cake with trying to do the opposite, to control and erase the memory and the experiment failing with re-uniting the lovers and they in turn take a chance on love...again!

I find Life to be an anti-thesis with intricate layers of decisions. Decisions that run the course of our life and yet we are led to believe that despite everything life is decided. In my years lived, I have been playing a constant tug-of-war (or tug-of-love, however you would like to see) with life with me trying to go the opposite at every turn of my life. One thing I have begun to understand is that life makes the allowances, which we believe to be our effort, to make our own path. Or maybe we are walking along with life to build the path for both of us to walk together. Neither of us know it just yet.

First Home - A 5-part series on our experience as a first-time home buyer

PART 5

Although with no dearth of information, in this 5-part series on being a first-time home buyer, I share my thoughts and experiences of buying my first house. Click on the links to check out  the earlier posts in this series.

Know Your Objectives

Setting Budget

Do Your Research
Bank Home Loan

 

Paperwork

Most important facet is the legal documentation. Having a trusted and good agent goes a long way. The original agreement is taken over by the loan providing bank. Therefore, as proof, always have a notarised copy with you along with an acknowledgement from the bank of receiving the original agreement with them. Also, do keep xerox acknowledgements of all the cheques and receipts for anything and everything. We had spent more than a couple of thousands only in getting the documents prepared.

But in all honesty, after all this hard work, we fell in love with a place out of the blue and one we had barely seen. We went for a walk, good ambience in a society, a simple enquiry, good eye of our agent, all came together in a sequence of event and we said yes within a day's time at the seller's price (It was a steal any which ways). After a week, we saw the actual place and fell in love all over again. That's fate, I guess. Happy Hunting and a very Happy New Year :-)  

First Home - A 5-part series of our experience as a first-time home buyer

PART 4

Although with no dearth of information, in this 5-part series on being a first-time home buyer, I share my thoughts and experiences of buying my first house. Click on the links to check out  the earlier posts in this series.

Know Your Objectives

Setting Budget

Do Your Research

Bank Home Loan

This is one of those most important and deal-breaker facts. We later realised that a although we may be paying interest for no reason, a pre - approved bank loan tended to speed up the process and was a good bargaining chip for the builders. The experts are right! But as we were yet to approve the loans based on the house, that was a little speed-bump on the road.  We finally decided to go through SBI or PNB. However, the process was lengthy with no guarantee of availing a loan and PNB did not provide the amount we required. So we opted for ICICI and though we are paying a premium, it was a guaranteed loan sanction at this late stage. We would have lost a good deal for want of a loan sanction. 

I strongly recommend that, if you are opting for ANY nationalised bank, you should start the bank process for a PRE-APPROVED LOAN rather than wait for after you have finalised the place, saves you heartaches at a later stage. But if a pre-approved loan is not a possibility, it is a good idea to check if particular banks have provided loans earlier in that building. This is of tremendous help as the properties are verified by those banks, the process is speedy and positive. Another aspect to understand is that in re-sale properties, often the seller may also have taken a loan. It is also a good idea to enquire with that bank for a loan which allows easy transfer for the bank and helps reduce a lot of stress for you. However, take into account the interest rates and compare with your previous researches.

Last Post - Paperwork

First Home - A 5-part series of our experience as a first-time home buyer

PART 3
 
Although with no dearth of information, in this 5-part series on being a first-time home buyer, I share my thoughts and experiences of buying my first house. Click on the links to check out  the earlier posts in this series.

Know Your Objectives
Setting Budget








Do Your Research


Nothing beats research and all the research in the world can fall short. You can go in with all the knowledge and understanding and yet be blind to the shortcomings. 

Before we went hunting for our home, first we researched to understand a little bit the functioning of the real estate industry as well the locations that we would like to stay in. The price band for every location. We even researched our resources and sources and the options available within our budget. Once we had finalised on the location, we researched the inside out of the place. We physically went to the locations several times and in different time zones of the day and said no to many good properties as it there was security problem at night time.  All this gave us the satisfaction of knowing that we are in for a good deal before we finalised everything on paper.

This is also a good time to research regarding bank loans if you are availing any. We had enquired with almost all the leading banks for their interest rates, availability of the loan amount, time for sanction and release of loan and terms and conditions. However, we did not anticipate a few things which would talk about in the next post.


Next Post - Bank Home Loans

First Home - A 5-part series on our experience as first-time home buyer

PART 2

Although with no dearth of information, in this 5-part series on being a first-time home buyer, I share my thoughts and experiences of buying my first house. This is my second post on the same  You can check out the first part on Know your Objective.

Setting Your Budget 

Once you understand your objectives clearly, you should go about setting your budget. Every post and article out there will tell you that while determining your budget, the proximity of the location to the various everyday needs of our daily lives comes into play. Take time to understand how near or far do you need your property to be from the station, bus-stop, convenient stores, malls, cinema houses, gardens, local stores, etc. as per your requirements. These will help to put the upper cap in your budget.

We were clear that we wanted to stay soon in the house with proximity to local conveniences at an arms length. Proximity locations are high-priced and to receive the best best deal we had to stretch ourselves then our means. As per that we had gone about doing our research about the locations. But although they go hand-in-hand, more about research in the next post.

But, in all honesty, we fell short, because although aware about it, while calculating our minds were constantly ONLY on the cost of the house and we did not take into account the costs of registration, agreement, transfer, etc. REMEMBER your budget should be set as per the amount you are willing to spend while buying the property which includes cost of the house, registration amount, agreement, transfers, xeroxing, notarising the agreement, etc. The smaller amounts of xeroxing, notarising , etc add up to a whole more than a few thousands, making a bigger hole in your pocket than you imagined.

While determining budget for invest-to-rent homes, although proximities are to be considered but it can be flexible as per availability. And for pure investment purpose locations, budget becomes a secondary consideration. However, do account for the periphery costs post the cost of the house.

Next Post - Do Your Research

First Home - A 5-part series on our experience as first-time home buyer

PART 1

2010 - A real memorable year for me in so many ways and more importantly for taking the first step towards settling in life now. We bought our first house! :)

Let me tell though, it has been a daunting task. The first time experience of looking, checking, choosing and then make the final decision is exhausting. I have been running in all directions from a year now doing just that. But when we finalised on our little place, it was an exhilarating feeling. And so the thought for this post came about. I want to share my thoughts and experiences in this 5-part series on how a first timer could go about settling for their first home. Check it out!

Know your Objective

The purpose of buying the house does play a major role in the follow-up events. Know why you want to buy a house – is it to live in it or purely for investment. Would be giving it on rent post investment? Once you understand your objective, it will help to know understand the kind of environment you would want surrounding the property and targeting the property locations will become a little easier. And thus it will also help to determine the budget, the loan amount, your ability to pay the loan back, the proximity of other locations,etc.  

We had to allocate a higher budget because we planned to live in it soon. So proximity to the market place, nearest station, nearest mall, transport, etc. all the jhingbang mattered. It was not easy to have the cake and eat it too. It proved to be the most difficult task to ensure that the property would be calm and peaceful andyet provide access to the outside world.

For a pure investment purposes, however, location, etc. will have minimum effect for the long-term perspective. However, investments done with a view to rent it out, proximities need to be considered.

Next Post - Setting Your Budget

Love Bites

You are hurting me

With your insensitivity

Don’t, I am not a thing to be locked in

I have done no sin

I have wings and want to fly

They are strong but I ain't sly

Come, I want to take you with me

Together in this world we will be

See through my eyes

And you will hear no cries

Know, Happiness will be your start

If you don’t close your heart

Don’t bind me so much

You just gotta show some trust

Baby, I am here with you

And I love you too.

That Thing Called Love

What is Love?

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two." -St. Augustine, 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin'

Warm sunny afternoons and the lazy evenings. Lying side by side on the green grass or a muddy patch or in own homes, beautiful music floating your way, heard by none but you. A scenario right out of the heavens and acted by only ethereal beings. Beings who are in Love.

But before we meet 'the' right one, we always bump into a few wrong ones. They are the ones who trample upon your self esteem in the name of caring and a few who do not show enough caring in the name of giving you space. Then there are those who shatter your heart because they cannot handle it delicately and the ones who never understand and find you either too complicated or simply too boring. We have all been one of these characters at one point of our lives. Maybe with the same person or with various others. Both the tormented and the tormentor.

Making a few wrong choices along the way, however, gives you a new perspective for the right one. And let me add, a whole new level of respect for yourself. Not because you made the 'right' choice but because you had the courage to make 'another' choice everytime you met failure. Because failure isn't important, but the capacity to Love is more important than it. It takes a while before you recognise, accept and slug your life ahead. But when you are ready for the cupid to hit you again, flowers bloom, music flows and you are back floating on pink candy floss.

I have met one of those few rare gems who is a big part of my life and has made me a bigger part of his, not because but despite of me. There are times I love the insane cuddly reactions I receive and other times I am battling it to be more calmer. Love, goes all the way down leaving me warmed on cold winter hours and then goes up chilling me in my mind bringing me unattainable peace. It doesn't mind being lost with me when I need time out from reality and gladly holds my hand to lead when I feel lost. Its this warm fuzzy feeling that I am learning to live and to survive all at the same time. Being in this paradise, I have learnt that sometimes Love is tainted Red filled with infatuation and passion, and intimate moments. And at times it has a soft Pink hue of chocolates and candies, and simply holding hands. Love, my world, my rock.

Ode to Self

The tears fall of my cheeks,
red as wine.
Is it just me or am I bleeding.
Would it hurt, would i scream,
Thoughts; endless.
What do i do now? I ask.
I hear laughter
crackling glasses, threatening thunders.
Noises; within and beyond.
Then, the sweetness of honeycombed fruits.
Is it done already? I ask.

I wake up to a new night,
bright as the moon.
White paleness surround me.
Light; so soothing.
Am I ready for tomorrow? They ask.
I howl
swishing winds, dripping trees
Silence; muted and deafening
Then, the gentle caress of a new world.
Are you ready for me? I ask.

The Avalanche of Time

The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us, and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone, said George Eliot, the English novelist and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era.

Time simply gushes in seldom giving an inch to be anything else but what is to be. For us to just breathe. We live at the mercy of Time. Heartaches and Happiness', joys and tragedies are entangled with the process of the journey and all the emotions appear and leave with the permission of Lady Time. I call her a Lady because it has always been the prerogative of the female of the species to not know where they are rushing and yet find it extremely important. But then our Lady here is not so vain; she knows where she is traveling. She spreads her wings and sometimes flies with her flow trailing behind her. Will she take us by her side and fly? Will she tell us her stories? No. What she does is puts us on the canvass that is her trailing flow for us to see her voyage making us a part of it forever.

Lady Time gives us a glimpse of her world through the momentous experiences in ours. She goes on forever taking us along with her to some unknown, some dark and dangerous, and some delightfully colourful places. Sometimes I wish for her to stop and let me savour this moment and not be the Rabbit of Alice in Wonderland. And just sometimes she listens and quietly smiles to leave behind 'my' piece of Time. I take a vacation from everything in life to find solace within. She loves to be embraced, to be romanced with and paid attention to. She would harbor you, fan your dreams never letting the worms of doubt be your friends. She will give you the wisdom to find your purpose and choose your friends. She will not yield until you give your best and will coax you in believing your potential when you are in doubt. She is known to be a hard task master imparting harsher lessons and yet is gentle like a mother's loving gaze.

Greg Hickman remarked that 'It is time to break through the barriers that have held you back and held you down for such a long time. It is time to reach out and indelibly etch your place in history'. Only a woman like her will allow you to break her boundaries and move beyond your own shallowness. Will you deny her that exciting finish? Or will you doubt her and yourself? She loathes such obstacles in her way, because her way is your way and you are not building the bridge to go over them or seeking a way around but stopping to admire the tiny crackes that it brings when you go ramming yourself into it. Time wants you to move on and grow to prosper and not sit with your back to her. She will not tolerate such insolence and leave you behind to be forgotten in that stopped lifeless picture. Because where Time moves is where you will see the ripples of activity and life.

With all the wondrous of the world, Time is then God and if God made man in his image...then really it would be 'her' image. Call me a feminist but it is the woman of the house who wears her heart on the sleeve, she takes the cuts and bruises and turns them into wonderful war stories. It is her that bothers when none will and it is her that gives a house its own warm fuzzy feeling. With her permission, I salute and respect Time for all the lessons she has imparted and the many more yet to come. And with that I realise that Life will follow the Time that is 'ours' and she will take us to places we never knew. We just need to look around, enjoy and live the moment to move on to another one. Time stops for none.

Demon

The bench is filled with us

Will you please talk to me? I ask of you.

I feel you turn your face towards me with empty eyes

No one at home to call my own.

Suddenly the eyes fill

With a stranger

My demon or yours?

I extend my arms towards you

Shall we connect again? I ask of you.

I feel you constricting within self

Crinching at the thought of it

In a ball of fury

My demon or yours.

I am stranded and need a line from you.

Will you throw it to me? I ask of you.

I feel you turn away from me with sagging shoulders

A wall I cannot break

Suddenly your hands lift

To fly away

My demon or yours?

Films: Reflecting the Mirror

A lazy Sunday afternoon, watching Mithun Chakrobarty dance to the tune of Bhappi Lahri in the cult-movie Disco Dancer, is perfect food for fodder. The old rich-pouncing-on-the-poor ploy always seems to work in our Indian film industry. And it was an after-movie discussion sorts responsible for this after-thought - Indian films should definitely be considered as a reflection of the changing Indian economy. And I don't mean only in terms of the business Hindi films generates and the amount spent but am referring to the depiction of the Hindi film family or characters – their affluence and of course their lifestyle.

The larger-then-life aura of films is unmistakable. Indians could very well identify themselves as epic-tellers with no story being short of all the requisite masala. After all, Indian culture is rich with the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. With unlimited potential, Bollywood is showcasing India in all its glory and its grit. Infact, India is seen through all its years with the characters represent the common man climbing the ladder step by step. Looking at films through the years, it is much easier to understand our growth and visually more appealing. The policies and various causes of the government are truly reflected by the diaspora of subjects undertaken to be filmed, be it the cause female infanticide or the rights of homosexuals or the evolving definition of love.

India in one word is truly diverse and it is more evident through our films. It all may be a number game but it is also about history, culture and creativity. Today the stories are different and they are also told in a different manner. It is no longer lost-and – found formula but the stories too have changed. On one side we have Jodha Akbar taking us back to the quientessential grandeur of the forts and palaces and on the other hand we have the animated Roadside Romeo depiciting a simple love story. And with new heights in technology, we see the future being written on the silver screen with the antics and daredevilry of Krish and the futuristic 2050: A Love Story. No longer does the scripts carry a face of poor India but is painted on the canvass of the richer than rich businessmen. Infact, even the classic Devdas got a facelift to the suit the urban palate.

Glamour goes hand-in-hand with the hardcore businessman within each actor and the soaring packages are a testimony of the industry's rising. Not only on-screen but also off-screen the actors and behind-the-scene technicians live the glory life with hard-earned moolah. Their lifestyle in real life and the changing fashion scenario is evident of the evolving economy of India. The change is moreso demonstrated with the way films are marketed mixing the conventional and technological advantage. The affection the artists' receive can be matched to that given to our Prime Minister who is a charsimatic figure in his own rights.

Experts, or in this case, critics always cite that Bollywood is imitating real life. But can we say that it is an art-imitating-life-imitating-art cult. Would there be a village somewhere sometime in the near furture with no women as infanticide is on the rise? Would we understand the 'Kala Bandar' within each of us to realise that it is our own fears that is dividing us and not any outside force? Would there be a reporter courageous to question a minister and take his seat for a day transforming the entire definition of governance? Would dreams come true of seeing ourselves from being the underdog to stand on the pinnacle of success in sports other than cricket? Questions which can only be answered by the real people living everyday life, the reel stories appearing every Friday, keeping a watch on the changing poster space at the nearby cinema halls.

Chug Along

A friend of mine recently remarked, 'Do you write a blog? I think I saw your pseudo name, Eternal Sunhine.' With a pregnant pause, I replied, "Yes & No. Yes, I write and No, I havn't spared any words for the blog in a long time." He was surprised since he thought my words had depth. Gracias. Then another friend remarked 'I should write' after reading something I came up with in 5 minutes, those words just jumped at me out of nowhere. Just enough to prompt me to finally stop pulling my hair and start putting my mind to writing for my train of thoughts. Been a while that I moved this train, added a few more coaches, chugging along as per my moods, whims, fancies and a lot more...the hope still lives. So a little something by Rudyard Kipling, which I have liked ever since I laid my eyes on it, dedicated to all those who have always shown faith. And to myself.

IF

- By Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise.

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: Hold on;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Broken Promises of the Sky

The evening sky beckons; I want to touch it.

It is inviting and yet intimidating.

Its vastness carry many secrets; good and bad.

I want to experience the promises whispered.

A beautiful day smiles and I extend my hand.

Suddenly it darkens; the light-headedness becomes heavy.
And then it showers with wet caresses and sweet smells.

The sight becomes undone; leaves me exasperated.

I am here and you are there.

No in betweens; no outbounds.

Beneath The Clock

A floral dress with a straw hat
Unlikely scene.
A foot tapping thought;
Dance or disaster.
A little walk, a little jig;
And then come back.

A flick of the hat
Fluttering heart.
And then a frown;
Anger’s abound.
A little walk, a little jig;
Patience’s been seeked.

Suddenly a sign
The watch is over,
And so is the wait.
A breath-taking smile
A little walk, a little jig;
And now no more miles.

Dashed

it clouds my mind;
these obsessive thoughts of mine.
random and abstract; making me experience the truths, the ups and downs.
i see pathos here;
for me to dissolve this abstraction
and for him to reach out further.

i laugh with him and cry for him;
emotions for reason unknown.
hovering and hyperactive; like a butterfly, ready to take off when it suits them.
i see a longing here;
for me to soar higher in the sky
and for him of a never ending hope.

Licence

Staring at the paper in my hand, I couldn't believe myself to be standing there. Although it still feels like a dream to me, the banner scrolling overhead made it a reality. Suddenly, the thought pops in my head - I have been cornered by well-meaning people in my life. Aarti, my best friend and colleague, couldn't stop smiling and was grinning like a besotted fool and Dipti had her head in the clouds probably imagining my life thereon. And me, I was still staring at that lemony yellow coloured sheet of paper.

Everyone I know has them and all I see on their faces is a satisfied smile. Initially I had been indifferent; then knowledge had filled me with envy. But as headstrong I was, I decided to ignore those satisfied smiles and live my life as I always have been. Besides, I wasn't alone, I had my comarades, Aarti and Dipti, walking by me. Or so I thought. The last blow of this fantasy existence was blasted when Aarti too had ditched me and joined the other side. The two of us go as far back as I can remember. How could she do this to me?!

Thinking of all this my mind wanders to random thought worlds. Looking back, I think of the worlds before this. Now we are nothing but light bulbs. We have become addicts looking for our next shot, the next dose of that pulsating energy. All our senses have become akin to air-waves, be it virtual or physical. Every fibre of this world is coated with the codes that run our daily lives. Technology, in all its granduer and over-riding our senses, is now involved with us in our relationships as well.

I am thinking these and many more mundane thoughts, envisioning my future life. Pestered by well-meaning friends and family, I have given in to their advice. Their happy faces filled more life into me then any gadget could. Filling up the details, their excitement is contagious and I too am engrossed in the name, the colour, et al; they come in different sizes, grey matter and skins. But then am I ready for such a heavy responsibility? Although we are given unlimited replacements I am unsure about the outcome. The million dollar question is : How would life change with this new toy?

Unexpectedly I hear someone yelling, jerking me back from my stupor, and I look back. It was an eager 30-something jostling people to move forward. And the toughts run again, as if an inch would make any difference. Then again maybe it would. To her. Maybe it could add the much-needed zing back in her life or just maybe she really needs the support this thingamajig can provide. I shrug. Clutching that crumpling paper, I move forward in the queue.

The thoughts continue to make the rounds in my head. Overhead, the banner still scrolls the same message. And I still stand. Queued up, I am here for the licence of a new Artificially Intelligent Husband.

Bheja Fry - A Laugh Riot

With a delightfully simple plot, ‘Bheja Fry’ does anything but fry your brains. And I am aware that am more than a little late, but would like to mention this movie, if for nothing else than a 2-hour memory of good friendly fun and laughter. Although Bheja Fry is the remake of the French film Le Diner De Cons (The Dinner Game), it is a pleasurable movie and an absolute laughter riot when watching with friends.

Directed by first-timer Sagar Ballary, the story revolves around an evening and five characters. In the name of harmless fun, a group of friends are known to invite complete fools for dinner every week in the name of showcasing their talents and laughing at the fool’s expense. Ranjeet Malhotra (Rajat Kapur) is the man looking at being the next host for showcasing a remarkable new talent and meets Bharat Bhushan (Vinay Pathak), the Income tax officer with a self taught talent of singing. But Mr. Malhotra’s life is forever changed when his wife Sheetal Thadani (Sarika) suddenly leaves him and then a sequence of pure humorous events unfolds, and in this case also repeatedly folds. The cameo by real life good friend Ranvir Shorey is a bit overboard but all for a good time and Milind Soman’s presence being oh so mild has just the right touch for the story. Bhawana Somani as a mildly pschotic girlfriend is very convincing and Rajat Kapur, of course, comes across similarly sincere reprising the role of the music director. All said and done, this movie undoubtedly belongs to Vinay Pathak. Surpassing his own personal charisma, Vinay Pathak totally belongs to his character, Bharat Bhushan, the income tax officer cum singer.

With a theatre-toned star-cast as such, the movie is more refreshing than any Khan or Bachhan starrer and does a tremendously good job of entertaining to the fullest. The movie, so simply and beautifully executed, definitely belongs in my ‘cult-movie’ genre amongst the likes of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Amol Palekar starrer Golmaal and Chhoti Si Baat. I recommend ‘Bheja Fry’ to any movie buff wanting a formula-sans paisa vasool entertainment that is refreshing and passionately made. May this tribe see the light of day forever!

Venture

I venture into the unknown,
Thought it would be an adventure,
With a conviction of an amazing experience
Wanted to make the vision a reality
Rather than just a mental image of a result.

I venture into the wilderness,
Thought it would be exciting,
With a lust to tame this for a sanctuary
Wanted to make it mine alone
Rather than share to destroy the soul within.

I venture into the depths of the emotion,
Thought it would be a vibrant new world,
With the door ajar to an open heart
Wanted to make it deliriously happy
Rather than leave it open for someone to bleed it.