From the Time Traveller's Desk

Time flies! It's already the last date of the fifth month of 2013 and as I look back, I couldn't hold on time unlike The Time Traveller's as the clock of Time walked past my nose. In the nick of time, so many things happened as I couldn't sit back and mull over things..well, 1st January is the thing of the past and sometimes back I was a journalist as I left two jobs back-to-back.
As I sit down, trying to jot this post, I am reminded by Megs that today is World No Smoking Day as I try to live and breath free without smoking. Let's see for how long I can survive for smoking and will try to minimize fags if I can't survive for long. Right now, lying on the couch, chatting with a friend and blogging, I've been having lotsa cuppa coffee and tea since I am lazing at home, minus a job and blogging extensive as I keep hopping from wordpress.com to blogspot.com. Writing is an activity that gives me fulfilment and where any form of tiredness I may face is miraculously cured. I wonder whether I will be able to do another job devoid of writing. As they say, once a writer always a writer.
Lotsa things been happening this month as I decided to break free from Facebook which was such a bane in my life. I felt that I am being imprisoned by the social networking site that offers nothing new and one day I woke up, saying, okie no Facebook for a month and de-activated my account. I may be back after a month and enjoying every moment of being free of this social networking site. I feel at peace and full of life, minus the activities of people and their status updates. Honestly, it's a relief being out of touch for a while. I am enjoying the solitary life I have confined myself to.
At times, one need the solitary confinement free of people's status updates, their relationship status an what they are up-to with pictures of pets and all. I am toying with the idea of penning an e-book of poem, in addition to my rom-com that I am writing since the e-book hardly cost a dime, except for the design and lay out on the cover. Hopefully, I should be able to pen the 80 to 100 pages books in three months at least. Will try to write a nice poem, aaj as the starting point.
It's been days since I haven't watched a movie on DvD and think today, will catch some movie plus reading a book. I took almost two months to wrap up Vikram Seth's family history 2 Lives. I got another book BPO Sutra on life in a call centre to finish, will read some feature and lifestyle articles plus work out on my novel. Guess, this is how Friday will end and hope things will culminate on a beautiful note.
Till then, take care, ciao and we will meet in June only.
With Lotsa Love and Hugs.

MTV Splitsvilla 6 soars up temperature, oodles of hotness

It is the season of love, break-up, emotional downpour, lust, sexiness in the tinsel town. You wanna get in, yeah you are most welcome but at your own risk. Your lust for Sherlyn Chopra will soar the temperature this season while the girls long for Ranvijay. You guess it right, get inside the sizzling hot Villa and get ready to fall in love, scale your hotness quotient, fall for the hot & sexy legs, ditch her and go for the kill..the hot and soaring baby. The water in the pool has never got so hot and red. Yeah, you guessed it right, MTV Splitsvilla 6 is back. So what are you waiting, babes and dudes, get in, remove your inhibition, feel sexy, dance naked, love your body, get intimate, smooch and get physical. The song by Hard Kaur aptly describe the show, This is Splitsvilla, Don't mess with the girls and I so loove this song. It's sexy, sensual and aptly describe the show.
I have a confession to make: I am watching Splitsvilla after four years and last time, I was hooked was way back in 2008 which means that it was the first outing. I can't fucking tell how I survived without my hot favorite show which is way ahead other reality shows to the likes of Big Boss or even MTV Roadies. Splitsvilla is spicy, smoking hot like Pizza and they serve it hot, right? I slinked on the couch on Saturday and I've been dying to watch the show. Verdict: I will give Splitsvilla 6 four out of five and if you've missed Splitsvilla, log on MTV at Indian Time 7 p.m and take the cue from me, you will not be disappointed. You will be addicted and asking for more &more.
The participants will let their darkest secrets out and they will not get it easy as contenders are ever ready to scrag each other. You are invited to the mindless tattle as the cat is out of the bag. The secret diary as no longer out as the one-night stands, sex escapades, crushes are no longer suppressed. It is a girls' thing but the guys are not left far behind as they indulge in silly bickering, lingering from personal attack, vindication and physical fights that are averted in a timely fashion. It is the vision of the creative director that strike a right chord with gen x who is glued to MTV channel.
The first episode was totally awesome coupled with the close-up shots of the dude, sexy babes in bikinis that is the perfect recipe for success. The ex or hotness quotient is totally awesome. I have always been a huge and de-hard fan of Splitsvilla as it makes me dream of the 'Villa' world with lotsa ecstasy, human emotions and drooling over the babes. It is our lives lived and experienced on the small screen and I wonder how would I react if I was one of the 'Splitsvilla' inmates. Well, I will be myself despite the fact that some contenders have the tendency to go over the top to attract TRP for the channel.
MTV Splitsvilla is the in-thing and glad it is back coz our boring days will gradually wane out. It is a show for its coolness quotient and Sherlyn Chopra as the host is only too happy to up the hotness quotient. It will provoke a rush in hu (man) adrenaline. MTV India's Splitsvilla represents the youth, cool and urbane Indian middle class coupled with the growth of the economy.
As the show hurtles forward, I will come up with new posts and relish on ma favorite moments and chicks, hit at the 'not-so-cool' ones and stuff that deserves flak. Enjoy! Splitsvilla is here.
With Love

It's the s 

A Life Worth Living

adopt your own virtual pet!

A day to remember!
Cherish the aha moments of life,
coz they far outweighs the disappointment in Life.
It is what we make our life that truly matters.
Be good to people, life will be good to you.
Act in an evil manner, the whole world is such a bad place to live.
A wish tonight.
Let's make our life and the world,
an affair to remember.
Spread Love and Good Vibes.
With Love
Vishal 

Things To Do as an Unemployed Bugger

You find yourself suddenly out of job all of a sudden? What do you to fill up your time as boredom is bound to seep up and if you are like me, an unemployed sort of guy-cum-bugger by choice who just resigned from two jobs back-to-back and who was an extreme work-alcoholic. Nopes, no need to despair and hit your head on the wall, thinking, how you will fucking spend your time. There are quite a few things that you can do to make your life meaningful and render yourself useful coz once you join a new office, you may not have the time to indulge yourself in pleasure activities.

1. Write blogs
This is what I have been doing since two months. It's quite a hurculean task to manage or put in that way, be the creative head of two blogs as you toggle with comments and posts. I've been posting stuffs on a regular basis for two months and there are so much to do.

2. Write a book
I sleep at 3 to 4 a.m in the morning as I hop from blogging to work on my rom-com novel. Being a lazy bum, I regularly skip the manuscript to watch TV news channel, MTV and watch movies. But, I was able to pen something and even if you have nothing to say, just open the page and try to pour out something.

3. Read and read
Reading can be such a blessing and I've been devouring not only books but newspaper websites such as The Guardian, Times of India and Khaleej Times. I have developed a fetiche of sort for magazines, lifestyle and feature articles. Being a journalist whose passion for the profession is deeply ingrained, I cannot do without newspapers and magazines. I've been reading Two Books at the same time and gotta finish with Vikram Seth Two Lives and jump to the final version of Amish trilogy, Oath of Vyaputras and Patrick French's India which I am so gung-ho about.

4. Do some Freelancing
Freelancing for magazines and content-based websites help you fulfil your creative urge and passion as you will earn some extra bucks as well to pay up stuffs. With online content mushrooming, you can sit in India and write for mags in Dubai, London or US. The concept of journalism has evolved four-fold and gone global permitting the shift from journalism to citizen journalism.

5. Sit in the coffee house
I always make it a weekly ritual to sit in the coffee house, spill the capuccino down my throat, jot on the diary and contemplate on stuffs. Trust me, ideas can flow and always carry a notepad if the laptop doesn't come handy and you can get the next big idea that will make you the next Chetan Bhagat or Marc Zuckerberg. It happened me quite a few times.

6. Write poems
I have been regularly posting poems on both blogs and you can check out my other blog, www.vishalbheeroo.wordpress.com to read my poems. Poems translate the state of mind and gives me an opportunity to convey my inner thoughts, though I need lots of improvements. I am planning to make an e-book of poems that I can circulate for free if it doesn't cost much. Which better way to sell myself?

7. Potato couch
Being unemployed is a phase and I've turned into a potato kinda couch, sitting with lappie on the knees and surfing various TV channels. I am totally hooked on news channels such as NDTV and Headlines Today that I find so fucking helpful as a journalist. I am already nurturing the dreams of becoming a TV reporter and anchor or host, why not?

Initially, I was wary of sitting at home but it turned out that my life is full of bang-on and activities. Honestly speaking, I find 24 hours in a day so less and how I wish the designer of our life had the knack to make it 36-hours a day. There are so much to do and so little time..novel, TV, reading and blogging..how do I forget Twitter where I have become quite active. To let the cat out of the bag, I have de-activated my Facebook account for a while and will be back after a month. It was a conscious decision coz I needed a break for the time-wasting activity and I find FB so fucking boring and lacks meaning.
With Love and hope you all had a super duper weekend.

It's Saturday, make it sinful

adopt your own virtual pet! 

It's Saturday.
The Shining moors seeps through the early  morning.  
Deriving pleasure in my Yoga ritual.
Sipping my capuccino and Cup cake.
Indulging in Reading pleasure and Capuccino.
I am not yet put to bed,
yet gotta wake up to Saturday ritual.
Good Morning.
Make Saturday sinful.

With Love
Vishal  

Dil Se

Do I have a story to tell on the blog? I'm alive and kicking and right now, I've been turned into a potato couch with lappie on ma knees and fidgeting with the remote..actually, I've turned and shifted base on the couch for quite some time now, what with fidgeting with the remote watching news channels like NDTV and Headlines Today and in the wee hours of the morning, I'm glued to Zoom and MTV India.
Strange happens to an unemployed kinda ex-journo like and I seriously feel that my room is haunted and there is some strange, evil power hell-bent on driving me out of the room. First, the lap-tap was not charging for a month or so and I survived by plugging in 24 by 7 and the power was diminished by one fucking per cent in a day. I got a Dell charger for a day and charged the lappie at maxi 100 per cent. Then, one fucking day, the light went off and shifted lappie to the hall where I had the luxury to watch TV till late night. The day, I turned into a fat, potato couch and shifting lappie in the hall, sleeping on the couch. The books, diary, magazines and note pad plus pen found a new location and I felt like a hippie surviving in the hall. It reminds me so much of college days. Na! It was not a bane but boon coz the lappie miraculously started charging in the power in the hall. Guess, something was wrong with the power structure in the room. Ahem! Ahem! I am experiencing some power in the body as I lay care-free on the couch and working on the lap-tap.
I just got some new books, got Patrick French travel on India and Amish last outing, 'Oath of Vyaputra' which I am dying to start. But, gotta wrap up with Vikram Seth's Two Lives and a take on call centres, BPO-Sutra that I just started. Trust, the Sutra is a fun read as one get to know what really happens in India's call center..what with customer calls an agent almost everyday coz the guy is sympathetic and wanna fix his daughter with the poor call center guy and condoms that freaked the call center cab-driver..no! seriously! What a good life these BPO guys have. Hence, rightly called, BPO-Sutra. I went quite a few times for some call center interviews and the exact number is three. But, it's another thing that I didn't take the job. Regrets! err no...
What a guy without a job normally do? Well! It's fun in the start with sleeping beyond 1 or 2 p.m, reading and writing blogs..trying to pen short stories and attempt to write a novel. Life izz even without the steady flow of income and like somebody told me, make the most of it coz when you'll be back to new job, time will be such a bit. Agree! The story of the day is that I de-activated my FB account and coping very well with four days without facebooking. It's good for a change as all sorts of social networking sites were getting to my head and wasn't getting nething new. A time waste. I know I'll be back and giving myself a one-month break from Facebook. It's a bane being on the social networking site and I'm happy to be out. I am not missing FB at all despite that I was a hardcore addict.
I did watch some old movies on Star Gold..caught up with SRK 90s starrer, Ram Jaane and Bobby-Preity starrer Soldier that was such a fun movie. I soo love the punjabi song, Tera Rang Balle Balle. Good fun and it's nice to be back to the 90s mode. How cinema has changed now with the rom-com, thrillers and meaningful cinema. Such a contrast like our lives which keep changing at the toss of a coin.
Time now, to say ta-ta and this post was written from the heart..no thinking process or planning..ek dum dil se...

Sensual love, soulful pleasure and craving of human instinct

Her naked body rolled and unfurled on the bed.
The translucent white bed sheet unfurled on the bed.
I sat half-naked on the bed, watching her beautiful body.
I caressed her face, as my finger ran gently on the upper part of the body and I moved downward with passion.
I pulled the white bed sheet that covers her beautiful body.
She smiles passionately and bites a red apple.
I sprinkle cold water all over her body.
She seems to tell me, let's be free and engulf in unequivocal passion.
I hold and embrace her in my arms.
We engulf in a long, passionate kiss as she bites my ears.
I kiss her on the neck as we our body gradually melt.
It's a gentle shower of passionate love as intimacy soars to new height.
I feel the fragrance of her body and our submission.
It is the submission of my body to her's.
I am the controlled lover as she subjects me to her passion.
She holds the remote as I sway to her burning desire and her craving for the innate human pleasure, sensuality and desire of the instinct.
We both experience an emotional and mental ejaculation.
She enjoys each and every moment of my masturbation that she provokes.
We found peace, solace and the yearning of desire reach a dead end as we enter each other.

Say I love bread with pictures

Picture 1: I love the pic with a mermaid surrounded by bread and sea shells.

It's a lazy Sunday. A day I lazed around and no pressure to read stuffs or blog my way, I sat in the hall, watching Race 2 on DvD and right now, watching Barkha Dutt's show on the food bill. Well, it's Sunday and I ain't not bore you with debating on the issue.
Yesterday, I clicked some pictures and I feel it's goes perfectly well with Sunday, matlab fun day. There was show bread festival going on yesterday on my way to the shopping center where I go for my coffee and read stuffs. On my way, I clicked some pics and enjoy the breads on display. Above: Read picture one, Breads on display coupled with flour, shells and the mermaid is made our flour. It's such a beautiful and creative work that is pleasure to the eyes.

picture 2:Bakery at work with bread on display and nature showcased with miniature forest and human beings beautifully portrayed.

 

 Personally, I love picture number two (above), with ready made bread at the extreme right and small miniature bakery as the factory. One can also see a well-built man which can be certainly be interpreted as physique can be built by eating bread. I also love the setting of the bakery designed in the forest frequented by man and and animals.

Picture 3: Bread the world

Picture 3 (above): Bread the world. One can see the French ginger bread which I love eating and small miniature breads that was on display. Normally, it is very rarely that I eat bread except sandwiches, cake or Indian snacks for breakfast or afternoon. I prefer the ginger bread since I find it tasty and spicy.
Enjoy this post

 PS: I hope you enjoy the picture features that find its way on Sunday.

Night owl awakes the genius within

Night owl is back after early sleep trial.
The mind works best during the early morning.
Sleep is a thing of the past.
The best work is churned out when normal people sleep.
Lying awake at a time when the birds has stopped chirping, dogs stopped barking and parents dreaming.
The genius in me flap its wing and writing bug start manifesting itself.
Working at night is soulful.
The blarring music makes me feel like a king,
As the ideas flow freely and in a creative manner.
Enjoy the silent mood, keep the ideas fresh and be ready to unfurl your creative side.
It's a boon the boisterous kid is sleeping.

Happy Week end
Vishal

Love and intimacy for all seasons

The rough wind is shaking the leaves and tree branches.
It's winterland approaching.
As caress your face, running my hand down your body, you smile in an erotic fashion.
Love has not diminished between us,
as the season changes its colors.
The color of love and passion may have changed but added more depth to our existence.
As we lay on the bed, engulfed in passionate kiss and intimate love-making,
Our existence gains more signficance.
Love has a purpose and meaning.
Our intimacy has reached a high-voltage as we declare vows to each other.
Winter makes us fall in love all over, again and again.
As we wake up near each other in the morning, we stay silently mute.
We don't need to make declaring of love to each other.
The winter is testimony to our love.
A love that transgresses season and its natural change.
Till a new season seeps through, we vow to make each other's life beautiful.
There is never a dull moment in our love,
like the beautiful and romantic weather.
 

Kya Cool Hain Hum

Kya Cool Hai Hum! Kya Cool Hai Hum! Tushar and Riteish D gyrated to the song of the namesake to find the former a hot girl friend? What makes our generation cool and do we need to set a benchmark for cool quotient in today's massive consumption society and mall culture?
Does indulging in drugs, two-timing, 'friends with benefits' read a busy sex life with multiple partners, partying or what one term, 'call centre' culture makes us cool?
The cool dude, sporting the biceps, chaperoned by a babe on a swanky bike and driving his way on hot wheels and speeding at the Andheri highway. Would that be termed cool? The super rich girl driving a swanky BMW or Rolls Royce in the affluent Punjab much to the envy of girls and guys will surely grab eye balls. Well, what do I feel is cool? It's not about displaying wealth indecently or wearing expensive Dolce and Gabbana but rather as being comfortable in what one's wear or drive. I feel that cool is linked to happiness and the former is a state of mind and being. For instance, when I got myself my brand new HTC One X handset or I-Pad it was not to flash these assets and show how cool I am. One may say that hey, you got a laptop, why the need for the IPad? Baby! For the nature of work, I keep traveling and hoping from one place to another and I find it difficult to carry the laptop all the way. Last time, when I traveled to Delhi/Gurgaon for work purpose, it was quite a burden to be armed with the travel bag, luggage and lappie bag and I mulled over the IPad which I can easily slink in the bag. It's not about showing or raising the stock of my cool quotient. The same goes for my clothing and I am not going to deny that I love wearing my branded denims and attire. I am very comfy in my Levis Jeans, formal trousers that I pick at West Side or shoes at Woodlands. It's not trying to be desperately cool but being comfortable in what I wear. For me, it's Wear Your Attitude. Period!

Today, the buzz word, 'Cool' is an invention or a concept popularized by the glamorous or new media where young guns are encouraged to flaunt what they possess. It's not about that or putting your pictures with three hottest babes in a party on Facebook? Certainly, the young people who are swayed to this particular definition of what's cool are under spell and losing their individuality as human being. I am cool since I know that I will not lose my true-self or identity as a person and they day I start emulating others, I cannot call myself a cool dude. A cool dude or gal for me is one whose temper is not flayed at the very provocation and try to be someone else. Hey! Hold on! Angry young man tag hold good on Amitabh Bachchan on screen but not off screen. Why do you need to be someone you are not? Being confident, composed and speaking or acting in a dignified manner is cool. Doing your own stuffs and having the courage to go against the crowd without the fear of being judged for me defines coolness.
There is no such thing as 'cool' being an exclusive domain reserved only to a niche of people composed of film stars, pop stars, business tycoons or icons. Just be yourself. Just because somebody is indulging in free sex, partying like an animal, you don't need to do that just for the fucking sake of emulating them. That's not cool. Fine, if that's your life that's cool for you and you will be comfy in doing that. If it's not your stuff, then why do it? There is no such thing as morally good or bad, right or wrong but rather being comfy in your skin.

El Perfecto, breezy weather

Windy weather, cool breeze seeping through the temperature.
Lighting a smoke in the cold, the cold weather sent a tizzy down my body.
Enjoying the sudden change in temperature, I stand outside the house.
It's such a beautiful weather that cools one's heel.
I feel no state of hyperness despite the storm in my life.

Nowdays, I am feeling so relaxed and chilled out. It's a feeling of spacing out that I am experiencing after slogging out my ass for nearly three years and this extended holiday,lazing around is something to die for. I'm out of working but I don't feel out of place anymore. Outside, the sudden change in temperature and breeze makes things so beautiful and winter seeping in is a delight that sounds like mint chocolate. 
I have been able to do lotsa things, blogging on both forums, reading two books simultaneously and working on my novel. Life is beautiful and I never enjoyed the lazing off so much. El Perfecto! As they say, the past is behind me and sift through lotsa enjoyable stuffs. The weather brings out the good vibe and positive energy, thus, enough reason to believe good things and pleasant surprises coming my way.
There are some job application letters that I need to shoot to some communication and media agencies. Guess, I'll do that in the evening as I droll over the blog and the free flow of words dropping like sharp arrow and cool cream. I eye the corners of the room only to realize that junk been lying on the tables that needs to be arranged in a neat manner. The room is always messy like the life is.
Shit! It's so cold nowadays and sitting in the room gives me lazy pang. Winter is always the season where I become fucking lazy and the only thing to do is to hit the sack, morning or evening. The rest doesn't matter. What do I do in these laid-back and free moments of life? For one, I didn't go out today and I opened the eyes at almost noon, checked some news websites, watched the headlines on the TV channels and yeah, watched MTV after aeons. One thing that eluded me so  far is penning my thoughts in the diary and guess, this what I gonna do after reading a lil bit of the books. Guess, when night come, I shall sip a whisky or two. Did I tell you guys that I have developed crushes on Barkha Dutt and Pooja Bedi, they are totally awesome women who are making a difference to their respective lives and that of the people around.
Chal, I shall switch off the button and I know, it's a pretty lame post. I promise to come with a better blog post morrow, something on the coolness quotient:)

Casually yours or suit it up at workplace?

You are reminded that you are no longer in college as your office rules state that you should dress up smartly, read wearing corporate shirt, trousers and black shoes while reporting in the morning at work. Hey, we've heard it somewhere that offices are now flexible nowadays since jeans and tee are allowed, isn't it? After all, what matters is not what we wear but how the work is done and I firmly believe that competence, skills, dedication to one's work ethic and professionalism has got nothing to with wearing formal attire coupled with a tie.
There are many companies who insist that employees should dress formally in office to maintain decorum. While this may hold true for bank or corporate employees, this may not necessarily hold true in liberal professions such as film-making, advertising or journalism. Honestly speaking, I feel that what we offer in terms of performance, working round to clock to meet deadline and bring results and dedication to one's craft is more important. What's the point of dressing formally, if one employee is not result oriented. What matters at the end of the day is not how you dress up in office but bring results that raises the stock of the company. There many people who wear corporate suits or sarees and carry a huge brief case in office but fail to perform in the work place. Certainly, I would prefer someone wearing jeans and a tee but perform efficiently than a show-off person wearing suit and end up doing nothing in office.
Personally, I abhor wearing a tie and whenever I wear a tie, I feel like a dog with a collar round my neck. It smears of colonial hang-out when companies forces their employees to dress formally in office. During my career as a reporter, I appeared in cocktail, wearing my blue denim and shirt and some friends told me, dude you should have dressed formally for the occasion. I simple quipped, hello! I am here to cover the event and it's not that I have been invited as a VIP guest. I find the idea of wearing suit as a very repressive mindset where the aim is to exploit employees.
Ok, let's get straight at things: If one has to attend a formal event, then yes, the person should dress formally in trousers and shirts. But, I feel that on a normal day one should be allowed to dress casually in jeans and tee. This creates a conducive and chilled out environment where the staff do not feel oppressed and work in a very relaxed mode. One does not feel the pressure and it can lead to better efficiency and productivity.
Whenever, I have formal events to attend, I carry a formal shirt in my bag and when I leave for the event, I change into the formal shirt tucked into the pair of jeans. In fact, wearing a formal shirt over jeans look quite corporate and smart, I feel and there are so many corporate guys who have sacrificed the traditional trousers for jeans. 
Today, everybody is speaking of an increasingly changing global work environment and I feel that it makes perfect sense to change our traditional and conservative outlook when it comes to dressing up at the work place. Sure, it's a generation gap problem that need to be addressed by employers who need to change their outlook since the majority of employees are in their 20s and late 30s. You are dealing with a young work force who has a fresh perspective towards life and work. Therefore, how does it affect work whether the employee is dressed casually or formally. What stand important is the potential, knowledge and ability to deliver the goods on the part of the prospective candidate and not what he or she wears in office.
For those who came late, Yahoo CEO Marissa Ann Mayer tickled the bones of young employees when she said either wear formal or quit. I feel this is something which is the least needed in a social media organization like Yahoo. Perhaps, Mayer should grow up and be more in sync with today's changing reality at the work place.

Happy Mother's Day

A small wish in my heart to U, Maa.
I have always been scared to tell you, How Much I Love You.
I am grateful for how you sacrificed your life for me.
You constantly chide me, you shout at me.
Yet! You love me a lot
Happy Mother's Day.

Today, is Mother's Day, a day where we declare our love to our mom. Mother's Day, some argue, has been hijacked by big retail shops to make a killing on the market. Though it is not an entirely dubious argument, the fact remains that it is a day to shower our love to our mother. I have always believed that one do not need a Mother's Day to shower our love and affection to the one who gave us birth and sacrificed her life so that we are able to stand our feet.
My Mom& Me: Though I am an adult, mom constantly nag me and treat me like a kid. I know that it can be irritating at times but the fact is that there is so much love when my mom shout and press on me to do things. Before, I was born mom was  working women but she decided to sacrifice her career so that I get the best of both world. She has sacrificed a lot so that I am not deprived of anything in life and has always encouraged me to study so that I become somebody in life. Today, as I look back, I realize how mom loves me. I remember when Dad passed away, I was studying at Mumbai university and she stood rock solid to take the place of Dad to make me realize I'm not alone in this world.
There so many mothers like Mom who toil hard and cut their stomach so that their children do not sleep hungry at night. They work double shifts in order to ensure that their sons and daughters get a good education. On this occasion of Mother's Day, my thought goes to the mom of Nirbhaya and so many rape victims, gudiya and the six-year old girl who died. If, there was something called poetic justice!
On the occasion of Mother's Day, I pay tribute to Maa who ensured that I am not deprived of anything in life and I pledge not to say anything that will hurt her feeling. Tomorrow, I may relocate to some other country but that does not mean that I do not love mom and leaving her. In life, we need to move on for various reasons, career or things that make us happy but mom will understand coz they know that the happiness of their kids are important. I promise Maa that once I am settled in my life, I will take you with me.
Maa, I know..I am trying to cut smoking and you constantly shout at me, telling how dangerous it is for health. I promise that this time I will try harder and yes, you are right. I should cut smoking and eventually put an end to ir.
Love you, Maa and you need to chill.
With Love
Vishal

Tuesday's 100 words post and beyond

Sitting inside the cubicle, I wonder what goes outside the glass tinted windows I spend eight hours of my life. I never looked beyond my glass cubicle. Someone is preparing tea to sell so that he meets both end of his family and they are assured of a square meal. The tiny lil' girl begging at Marine Drive does so much against her wishes. Dismayed she is with the life being led and she is beaten to death if she fails to meet the quota. She is hungry and angry with life. Travelling faraway to Kamatipura, the prostitute sell her body to men like us against her wishes. How can she be happy to be in a business pleasing man throughout the day yet she work honestly unlike us who manipulate information, businessmen who cut a murky deal or the corrupt politician. Yet, we look at the 'lesser' human beings with contempt. We call ourselves, 'civilised.' We are the ones who lead a double existence.

100 years of celebration, entertainment and joy of movie-making

100 years in a history of the silver screen is a long time to hark back upon! On May 3, the Hindi film industry celebrated a century of entertaining zillions of views and as we retrospect on the stars we love and the movies we cherish, there is no doubt that Hindi cinema has come a long way and today, there are new talents zooming their way ahead and film-makers are ready to experiment and explore with new talents and subjects. Certainly, the best time to be in the film-industry where 100-crores plus movies dominate but at the same time, small and meaningful cinema exist side by side.
The 1950s and 1960s saw a host of memorable actors to the likes of Raj Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and so many who shine through the film industry and I feel that this era has produced many classics such as Mother India, Shree 420, My Name is Joker, Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam, Madhumati, Guide, Kashmir Ki Kali, Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zameen and of course, the cinema of Guru Dutta where he churned out master pieces like Pyaasa. At that time, movies were made in Black and White and many believed that the 50s and 60s was the best time in the history of Hindi cinema where movies were subject centric. The best and memorable songs were composed during that time. We were also exposed to movies like Pakeezah that saw the birth of a performer like Meena Kumari and Manoj Kumar's patriotic movies.
Dilip Kumar was the tragedy king and it is nearly impossible to forget memorable roles in movies like Devdas, Madhumati, Leader, Shakti and Vidhaata, among others. He is an institution of acting that is considered unparaled and gave tragedy a new definition. Certainly, one of the greatest actors of all time who is still a model to the young generation.
The late 60s and 70s saw the birth of the first superstar in the history of cinema, Rajesh Khanna and the epithet was coined for him. Rajesh Khanna was a phenomena and it was said that young girls married to his picture and slept with his image under their pillow. As we celebrate 100 years of cinema, it makes sense to pay a tribute to Rajesh Khanna who passed away last year. It was the death of a man who spread havoc among the crowd and Kaka, as he was known, contributed immensely to sensitive cinema such as Anand, Safar, Namak Haram, Aradhna and Amar Prem, just to name a few. Rajesh Khanna was a phenomena that got bigger and bigger. He made romance soft and love endearing. This is a phase in the history of Hindi cinema that cannot be obliterated.
Come the 70s, the angry young man, Amitabh Bachchan was born in Zanjeer and after facing rejection where 15 of his movies flops, a new star was born. The success of Zanjeer at the box office gave Amitabh Bachchan, the name 'angry young man' who went to rule the silver roost for more than 30 years and beyond. Bachchan was the star, the companion and the actor may dreamed to be and he was a dream to so many of us. He gave us memorable movies like Sholay that is considered to be the biggest success in the history of cinema, Deewar, superhit entertainments like Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb, Don, Muqquadar Ka Sikandar, Shahenshah, Agneepath and Hum, among others. Bachchan turned the way in which we looked at TV with the game show, Kaun Banega Crorepathi that sent waves of ripples across the country. Today, we no longer look at TV with contempt and it won't be unfair to say that actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Govinda, Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit took to TV but nobody came an inch to the Bachchan persona and charisma. Bachchan is the only actor to star in four superhits movies in a year in the 1970s and it is a feat that he managed to repeat in 2005 with movies like Black, Sarkar, Waqt, Bunty aur Babli. He is also the only factor whose career graphs has much more hits and flops and trade pundits, says that even today his movies that doesn't to well at the box office manage to get an initial opening that ensures that distributors doesn't lose their money. 
In the 1990s, Bachchan took a five-year break from the film industry and it was the time when new heroes such as Shahrukh, Amir and Salman saw successed in romantic movies. The 1990s were the era where action movies took a back seat and romance was the flavor of the season. Actors like Ajay Devgan, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor and Sunny Deol also thrives during the era where India opened its economy to the world and India became rich through globalization. The face of cinema changed.
But, legends are legends. Bachchan came back and met with failure which was a reminder that he cannot remain a cliche of his own image and re-invented himself with movies like AKS, Sarkar, Ek Rishta, Ankhen and Kaante and of course, Kaun Banega Crorepati. This paid off big time as he not only paid back debts from the failure of his corporate company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited but ruled the roost again. There was only one Amitabh Bachchan who even today donning the father's role to young stars is seeing young producers and directors making a beeline at his doorsteps and where roles are being written for him. One has the impression that his young co-stars are being rendered insignificant and despite being the hero of the film, the latter is seen as secondary to Bachchan. That is the power he wields among the audience. This is why I feel that the history of cinema cannot be written, re-written or scripted without Amitabh Bachchan. I often wonder what will happen if Bachchan didn't take the five-years long break and perhaps the Khans, had to wait for another ten years to make it big.
The year 2000s saw a host of new talents such as Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Irfan Khan, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan, Kariena, Sonam and Deepika Padukone as well as actors like Ranvir Shorey, Rahul Bose, Ayushmann Khuranna, Parineeti Chopra, Rajat Kapur, Konkona Sen-Sharma who made a fortune in the small budget movies.
The future of Hindi cinema is brilliant where new subjects are being explored and there is whole lot of possibilities with new age directors such as Abhinav Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Sujoy Gosh and many more. It is the best time for the film industry as one doesn't need to crores to make a movie but a good subject is needed and a small budget will do. Good cinema shall always prevail. The perfect example of a good film for me is Bheja Fry that was shot in one apartment on a medium budget. Similar, subjects exploring relationships will always have a medium, so will rom-com and out and out commercial movies.
On the occasion of 100 years of Hindi cinema, one do not have the right not to mention Dadasaheb Phalke, the pioneer of the Hindi film industry, who made a dream come true. One should always chase their dreams.
Long Live the Silver Screen.

What To Do On A Friday

We all look to Friday, isn't it? Thank God It's Not Monday and Thank God It's Friday, that's the stark contrast between the first and painful day of the week and the last working day where we could dance our way to office.

1. Make sure you wrap up everything in office the earliest and do not stay till late which could well play the spoiler among friends, girl friend/boyfriend or husband/wife. On Thursday, keep all your stuffs in place and as you reach office in time, who knows your boss may release you much early, say 2.30 or 3 p.m

2. Drink lotsa and lotsa water coz you know the next stop will be pub where you will drink like a fish till the wee hours in the morning. You know you can sleep late on Saturday, and, therefore, you shall not hold yourself in partying like an animal.

3. Save money for Friday and spend the strict minimum from Monday to Thursday if you don't wanna play dutch and sit at home, watching MTV on Friday. You know you gotta splurge on Friday and you gotta make sure that you resist all sinful temptation before Friday comes.

4. Spice up your sex life on Friday and make it the most memorable sex you ever experienced. Go with the free flow of energy and make your partner wanted and desirable. First, you gotta remove all negativity to attain bliss in sex and make Friday sex a special moment that both of you look forward to experience.

5. Fake an illness on Friday. There can't be a better day in the week when you report sick and stay at home, lazing around and waking up late. Trust me, it's bliss not having to wake up and rush to office on Friday and it is an absolutely awesome moment. But, do it at your own risk.

6. Catch the latest release in theatre next to you. This week you can look forward to Shoot Out at Wadala starring Anil Kapoor, John Abraham and yes!!!! Sunny Leone. It's awesome to watch a movie on the release day and there can't be a better feeling than watching a movie till 11 p.m and become a party animal after that. Come on, unleash the demon within.

Have Fun
V

Dreams are dreams, tale of a straggling life

I feel that I am lacking behind in life. I feel that my college pals have moved far ahead in life while I am lagging behind. Gosh! Why do I feel like that? I have seen my college mates starting their own PR or advertising companies and rising in the corporate world, raking the moolah.
The thing is that I wanna move ahead in life but there are days when I feel that I am stuck somewhere in a rut. It's not like I am not enjoying what I am doing and in fact, I am passionate about my work. I have worked in the print media for almost three years and this is something I enjoyed to the hilt. The problem is that nowadays, I am growing hyper and consistently worried about my career and worrying with the, What Ifs? What if I don't make it? What if, I am not able to pursue my dreams and move to a place where I am comfortable and happier in my life? There are lotsa apprehensions in life. I keep wondering whether I will be able to make it and I constantly compare my life to that of my friends who are flourishing.
Their bank balances are flourishing, they have bought high end cars and flats and me..Still a struggler and fighting to prove myself in today's competitive world and better, don't speak about my bank balance. I am literally broke. Savings is very less, if not almost zero, have some EMI and a huge loan chunk. It's not that I will not be able to make it and I am pretty confident that I will make it happen in the city of dreams and the land I truly belong to. At the end of the day, I am tempted to ask, is it really worth all the pains in the world.
But, dreams are dreams as they say, if you don't have the courage to pursue your dreams, don't go after them. I still vividly remember this dialogue from Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai and these are the words told by Jackie Shroff to Abhishek Bachchan.
Should I really compare myself to people and friends who have moved ahead in life? Or, should I go with the flow? I sometimes ask myself whether I should be calm, composed and patient as things will happen with time. I am hopeful and let's see, how things move on. But, but, such thoughts keep lingering, they have made it, you haven't..yet we started at the same time in life.
Good Night
V

Should Facebook be banned for Minors?

Former Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) ideologue, Govind Acharya move to ban Facebook for minors under 16 smacks of ludicrous understanding of social network and mirrors the image of conservative mindsets to curb freedom of expression. I nearly fell off the chair when I saw the idea of ban being vehemently supported by lawyer and social activist, Vivek Gupta on Headlines Today this week.
The internet nanny garb espoused by both Acharya and Gupta shows a one-way thinking spearheaded by not only a conservative mindset but an abject stubbornness which is absolutely ridiculous. There is no doubt that Gupta is eloquant and knows the law on the tip of his fingers. But, both man ignores reality and the silly attempt to ban both Facebook and Google + will only drive kids to the wall. There is no doubt that today's kids know more about the internet than our generation did. I have a two-year-old nephew who knows how to operate his I-pad and jumps on You Tube to watch kids videos. So does Amitabh Bachchan two-year-old grand-daughter, Aradhya.
Both Gupta and Acharya are basing themselves on the terms and conditions of FB that mentions that the social network platform should not be used by people below 16. First, how do we ensure that a 16-year old doesn't use Facebook? We are not opening a pandora box when we say that there are lakhs and lakhs of teenagers all over the globe surfing on social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus. Haan, it is another thing that parents' must use their discretion in order to ensure that children do not misuse internet platform, are not exposed to porn or fall easy prey to pervert individuals hunting kids for sex.
The move that the likes of Gupta and Acharya asked the court in India to implement law to prevent usage of Facebook is an attempt in India to not only curtail freedom of expression but turn us into a Taliban-type of state control. We are not idiots and internet is a medium that ignites the spark within the human mind. It is an added bonus to children so that they are able to question the status quo at the tip of their fingers and news update has never been made so smooth fluid with the advent of social media. We are living in a globalized world and for fuck sake, India is a democracy and social network websites targets young turks. It is the segment that constitute the proliferation of net. One need to log on to Twitter and Facebook to see that the millions of followers commanded by the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Tharoor, Karan Johar and Narendra Modi are mostly young people.
What do they want the law to achieve? In this age of information highway, we cannot treat bright and young minds in front of the law as criminals in the same vein as rapists, terorists and push them towards becoming anti-social beings. It is simply not done and the move by Acharya and Gupta reeks of a ludicrous stand and an abject attempt to cull on freedom and right of expression.
My main contention on the issue is how can the banning of new media help in curbing crimes against children. Firstly, by banning something, it will only acerbate the problem where children will try every trick in the book to gain access to the tool. We are dealing with young and inquisitive minds who will resort to any possible means, albeit, illegal ones to gain access. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google + are spread out and it is an almost impossible to curb its usage among the youth. Information cannot be restricted and both gentlemen seem to live in a fancy world that does not exist. In fact, it is a very dangerous thing to  do since we shunting our children from the world. True, we live in our own country but there is an external world outside our country or geographical region and by advocating the banning of social network, we are pushing young minds towards a ghetto.
As far as the law is concerned in India or any other  country in the  world which speaks of banning Facebook or  Google  Plus or for that matter, restrict access to those under 16, it is an archaic  law that is in dire need of being re-visited. We need to move ahead with times and certainly, we cannot follow the route adopted by countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan or the Panchayat India whose vision is blurred by extreme religious and deep-rooted beliefs. Such obsolete laws need to be changed and it is not out of place to draw a parallel with a judgement of the Supreme Court in India that called for  same rights for live-in couples.
Lawyer Gupta went on record to tell TV anchor, Rahul Kanwal on Headlines Today and the guests present on the show, 'Centre-stage' that he trust his kids so much that they don't access social networking sites such as Facebook. One can only laugh at such sheer stupidity of a father whose vision is blurred. It's like saying that my son or daughter doesn't watch porn or smoke or for that matter get laid coz he told me so!!! Hell, in which world does this lawyer-father lives in?! I mean, will the child tell his or her parents that such things are part of their lives. Is Gupta surveying all the moves undertaken by his children? How much do we know about our own children?
As far as children being prey to pervert minds, it is not banning Facebook or Google+ that the problem will be curbed. Banning FB or Twitter to under 16 is not a solution and it has no relation to child trafficking, sex with minors or forced sex. Let's not pass the buck to the new media that has a power to spread awareness on social issues and all respected newspapers. magazines or even news agency targeting young minds regularly post updates on FB and Twitter. We are not willing to attack the roots of the problem of rape against gullible minds when we speak of banning something. It is not the solution and what is need is strong laws to prevent such crimes. Perhaps, a certain control is needed for kids surfing the net and it is the parents' responsibility to educate their young sons and daughters on the internet threat.
The same goes when some people, hungry for publicity, goes on national TV to cry hoarse that porn should be banned. Let's see the reality in front of us: Porn do not necessarily lead to rape and what is needed is proper legislation to deter rape and other crimes against women, young adults and toddlers. As it is, it is up to a person whether he or she wants to watch porn movies and somebody who is not willing cannot impose its views on others. The same goes to young adults and kids whose parents want to give them the best of both worlds by opening a Gmail or FB account and some moron cannot decide what is the best way of internet parenting. Certainly, a single person cannot impose its views on others in a democratic and secular society.
Today, what India or other global nations need is not some internet nanny who will decide what is good or bad and morally right or wrong. We are not living in the stone age and depriving a generation that has the 'windows to the world' at the tip of its fingers is an indecent attempt to deter the flourishing of information and killing a generation hungry for knowledge and learning tools for personal growth. We aim to become a super economic power and it is a tragedy that every time, a crime takes place we shamelessly uses it to push for our stone age ideals and hypocrite mentality.

Perfect Dream and Life

Wrapping the blanket on the body, I curled on the cosy bed.
The room is cold and I put the lights off.
Putting the best seller novel aside, I close my eyes.
In the flick of time, I am transported in dreams.
A magic spell cast its shadow as I am brought in the chamber of secrets that unfurl itself.
I am delighted with my mouth and eyes wide open.
It's wonderland smeared by magic.
I am living a fantasy life.
There is so much love around me, cupid strikes and everything is made of gold.
I love the shining stones that is thrust open me.
Men and women are good and selfless.
The angels hold me tenderly.
All of a sudden, my head is jerked upward.
I open my eyes and the magic has waned out.
I am surrounded by fellow passenger, deep in slumber, in the plane.
Fuck! Why I need to be woken up and thrust to grim realities of life.
If Life was a perfect dream!