I love Bombay in the monsoons. I don’t mean the traditional eating-corn-in-marine-drive aspect of it. Has anyone noticed how the city’s noise and confusion disappear in the thudding of raindrops? Dull trees spring to life. Duller buildings look pleasantly old instead of dilapidated. The story of ‘Life in a Metro’ unfolds on one such rainy morning. This is perhaps why I gave it my approval even before the cast made its way to the screen. But a good beginning is half the battle won as this movie proves.
Shilpa Shetty, a housewife and mother dodges puddles to go through the set routine of her unexciting life. Her sister, Konkona Sen is checking out yet another matrimonial prospect from Shaadi.com to see if he is loving, caring, likes to travel and loves books. Irffan Khan, meeting her, is everything a financially stable, approaching thirty, urban single woman would despise – slightly lecherous, far from cultured and thinks that the irresistible qualification for an eligible groom would be to be a non-drinker and non-smoker. Sharman Joshi, an ambitious BPO employee still grappling with his value system, finds yet another way to grab a two-minute conversation with his unrequited ladylove Kangana Ranaut. As the movie progresses their stories unfold. Caught in the bustle of Mumbai’s daily grind, they learn lessons about life and love and eventually make choices about both.
The movie is clearly inspired from myriad sources. However, despite the lack of originality director Anurag Basu needs to be given full credit for tackling two key challenges well. The first one is to have woven his web of characters in a wonderful and credible manner. Given the large selection of characters he has picked up – a couple with a dissolving marriage, an ambitious youngster, a looking-for-love single woman, a slimy boss, a self destructive girl, two old people racing against time, a failing theatre actor – he could have easily degenerated into portraying caricatures. Fortunately he largely manages not to do so and gives each character a voice that speaks not so much as the stereotype that they represent but as a living and thinking individual. The second one is to keep your interest going even though you can guess how each story-stream would end. Perhaps the fact that you have already started getting under each character’s skin by the first thirty minutes keeps you hooked.
The music is yet another glorious aspect of the movie. Fitted into the correct sequences, it captures the mood of the moment aptly. The composer trio appearing on screen and actually shown singing was a trifle shocking initially and a trifle annoying later on. Notwithstanding, you were happy to set the story aside for a while, sit and listen at these interludes.
Irffan simply rocks as the frustrated, aging singleton who is desperate to embrace the love and lust he can get in a marriage. Kay Kay Menon turns in a good performance as an insensitive, two-timing husband and manipulative boss. The rest are pretty decent. Give me Shilpa Shetty any day over Ash Rai to be premiering movies in the UK. While having her as India’s cultural ambassador may not be my first choice, it cannot be denied that she can at least be made to act. Konkana and Kangana are both expectedly accurate in their portrayals.
The one thread that did not make much sense to me was the romance of yester year’s hero, Dharmendra, with Nafisa Ali. The idea of finding love at that age seemed sweet and realistic but do old people really act and talk like that ?
The movie is by no means perfect and falters here and there. It will however rank as one of the best efforts at capturing the challenges of urbanites in the current generation.
By,
Anita B.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
I Protest
I feel that I have become too much of a conformist and stopped rebelling, am feeling quite nostalgic about my younger, angrier self. To reassure myself that my senses have not been totally dulled by age, have decided to e-protest against things that irritate me – some mundane, some silly, some important.
This just goes to show how old I am – instead of fighting with people, I am compiling lists of things I would like to fight about. Sigh !
- I protest against people who insist that conforming to other people’s norms is the way to live
- I protest against TV channels that sensationalise news and blow stories out of proportion. I especially protest against the crassness of a ticker on a news channel that while describing an incident of alleged marital rape said something like ‘uske pati ne mitron ke saamne usko parosaa’. ‘parosaa’ !!! ‘Rape’ or ‘baladhkaar’ would have sounded far better – in this case, the euphemism sounded much more disgusting than the actual word
- I protest against the low salaries paid to police officers and the defence force. If these people are to save my life (and yours), I want them to be paid better
- I protest against calories, think they should be declared illegal and exterminated. Forever and ever
- I protest against those who submit false rent receipts (or any false receipts) to save tax. I hate paying 30% tax too, but cheating on it brings one down to the level of the politician / bureaucrat who makes money on the sly
- I protest against those who think that everything Indian is bad and everything Amreekan is good
- I protest against those who think that being thin gives them a right to tell fat people what to eat. It’s my life, I will eat what I want, it is nobody’s business but mine
- I protest against people who are anal about ways of writing stuff or ways of doing things. If you want it written / done exactly ‘that’ way, then roll up your sleeves and get to it yourself
- I protest against those who are casual about details and accuracy, and think form is more important than content
- I protest against farters, hypocrites, arrogant people and unkind people
- I protest against those who think they know everything and want to pass on their gyaan to me
- I protest against ungrateful wretches
- I protest against the continued Chinese invasion of Tibet
- I protest against scientists and technologists who can put a man on the moon but can’t make a male uterus (so that men can have babies)
- I protest against the Olympics being held in Beijing – don’t think there has been much reform in China in any domain but economic
- I protest against Abhishek marrying Aishwarya
- I protest against the movie ‘Bheja Fry’ – think it was unkind to make fun of stupid people in that manner
- I protest against townies who make fun of Bandra
- I protest against those who recognised themselves in one of these points and won’t do anything to change the way they are
- I protest against high-heeled shoes and make-up
- I protest against those who are proud of their lack of knowledge of Indian history
- I protest against those who think that not singing ‘Jana Gana Mana’ is cool; also against those who make no effort to remember the lyrics
- I protest against people who point out that ‘protest’ is a verb and ‘I protest against’ is grammatically incorrect
Aah ! I feel so much better now. Think I should do this more often.
List compiled by,
Zenobia.
p.s. Anyone who wants to add stuff to the list, please feel free to add a comment. If there are enough additions, will post a second list.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Review of '13 Tzameti'
One of the most interesting movies I have seen in recent times.
Best described as a ‘suspense’ movie, ‘13 Tzameti’ had me on the edge of my seat in quite a few scenes, nervously wondering what was going to happen next. A movie with an unusual theme that is very well executed (pun intended). Words used to describe it in other reviews that I read were ‘taut’, ‘gripping’, ‘perverse’, ‘wicked’ – all of which are equally true. The central story of the film is twisted and evil, but in a fascinating way.
‘13 Tzameti’ is a French movie, and has English sub-titles - having to read the sub-titles in no way detracts from the enjoyment of the movie – dialogue is quite unnecessary to understand this movie. It is shot entirely in black-and-white, and that somehow heightens the edgy mood of the movie.
The movie begins with a slow half-hour and then slowly ratchets up the tension. The hero Sebastian is a poor construction worker. When his employer dies without paying him, he decides to take the employer’s place in a job which promised a lot of money. He blindly follows instructions and ends up a part of a vicious game of Russian roulette.
Telling you more would detract from the movie, so I will end by urging everyone to watch the movie.
By,
Zenobia D. Driver
Best described as a ‘suspense’ movie, ‘13 Tzameti’ had me on the edge of my seat in quite a few scenes, nervously wondering what was going to happen next. A movie with an unusual theme that is very well executed (pun intended). Words used to describe it in other reviews that I read were ‘taut’, ‘gripping’, ‘perverse’, ‘wicked’ – all of which are equally true. The central story of the film is twisted and evil, but in a fascinating way.
‘13 Tzameti’ is a French movie, and has English sub-titles - having to read the sub-titles in no way detracts from the enjoyment of the movie – dialogue is quite unnecessary to understand this movie. It is shot entirely in black-and-white, and that somehow heightens the edgy mood of the movie.
The movie begins with a slow half-hour and then slowly ratchets up the tension. The hero Sebastian is a poor construction worker. When his employer dies without paying him, he decides to take the employer’s place in a job which promised a lot of money. He blindly follows instructions and ends up a part of a vicious game of Russian roulette.
Telling you more would detract from the movie, so I will end by urging everyone to watch the movie.
By,
Zenobia D. Driver
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Does this worry you too ?
This post consists of a bunch of news article (ctrl c - ctrl v ki jai !). I thought these were a matter of concern, so I decided to string them together and run them on the blog.
From whatever I have read about the run-up to the 1962 India - China war, it seems that the Indian government was given multiple warnings about Chinese army incursions into Indian territory but it chose to ignore the same. So I wonder what the truth is this time.
Are the news agencies creating a hullaballoo for the sake of readership / viewership ? Or is the government turning a blind eye to something it should treat as top priority ?
Zen.
From DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1095181)
China makes new inroads in Arunachal
Rajesh Sinha
Monday, May 07, 2007 09:47 IST
NEW DELHI: As India and China move to resolve their differences over borders, there is one aspect both countries have carefully refrained from talking about: that China has moved up to 20 km into India and grabbed a portion of the 90,000 sq km area of the Northeast that it claims as its own.
Though India has consistently denied that China has occupied its territory, the MP from West Arunachal, Kiren Rijiju of the BJP, said he has received written replies from the ministries of external affairs and defence, indicating that they were aware of the inroads made by the Chinese.
“I have their replies, admitting that there are problems and the government is trying to sort them out,” Rijiju told DNA.
Earlier, the Centre had sought a report from the state on the matter, which resulted in a detailed note being sent to the Union home ministry in 2005 by the state police. The document said the Chinese had started their foray into Tawang district in 2004, covering an unspecified huge area that includes several villages.
According to Rijiju, the areas under foreign occupation include the Sumdorong Chu valley, the Asapila and Lungar camps, large portions of grazing lands used by villagers, and some strategic points. A helipad in Sumdorong Chu has also been under Chinese control for two years, he said.
Repeated attempts by DNA to obtain comments from the Chinese embassy were turned down by its officials.
According to an officer from military intelligence, certain flat stretches in the region have been cleared and levelled for use as helipads. The border is unmarked, which sometimes opens these makeshift helipads for use by both the Chinese as well as the Indian Army.
According to Lokam Tassar, independent MLA from the Koloriang reserved tribal seat, “The Chinese are now 20km inside Taksin and have taken over several camps belonging to the Indian Army.”
In 2006, Chinese Ambassador Sun Yuxi’s statement reiterating Beijing’s claim to a major portion of Arunachal Pradesh had created a flutter in diplomatic circles, but both sides played it down. It now seems, however, that China has done more than simply make verbal claims.
Security agencies say that the recent incursion began in the winter of 2003 and was noticed when an Indian Army patrol found the Chinese occupying what had been an Indian outpost. In the absence of any action from the Indians, the Chinese stayed on and moved in further.
Extent of transgression
Though India has denied that China has occupied territory, West Arunachal MP Kiren Rijiju has said he received word from the ministries of external affairs and defence that they were aware of China’s inroads.
Rijiju said the areas under foreign occupation include the Sumdorong Chu valley, the Asapila and Lungar camps, large portions of grazing lands and other strategic points. A helipad in Sumdorong Chu is also under Chinese control.
According to local MLA Lokam Tassar, the Chinese are now 20km inside Taksin and have taken over several camps belonging to the Indian Army.
The Indian Express : May 08, 2007
Arunachal denies China entry report
Itanagar : The Arunachal government on Monday dismissed as ‘baseless’ a media report that the Chinese army had entered 20 km inside Indian territory at Sanchong-Chu in Tawang. Spokesman Tako Dabi described the news as ‘baseless and unfortunate’.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/08china.htm
No incursion by Chinese: Arunachal CM
May 08, 2007 19:01 IST
Close on the heels of the defence ministry's denial of a Chinese incursion into Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu has said that there was no report that Chinese forces had entered 20 km inside Indian territory at Sumdorong-Chu in Tawang district.
Referring to a statement in this regard made by independent legislator Lokam Tassar and quoted by a television news channel on Monday, Khandu said the comments were 'irresponsible, most unfortunate and unsubstantiated utterances.'
Khandu told media persons in Guwahati while on his way to New Delhi on Monday that the Chinese have been claiming Arunachal Pradesh as their territory but there have not been any incursions.
Chinese forces had crossed the Line of Actual Control and occupied Sumdorong-Chu Valley and Asapila and Lunger areas in Tawang district in 1986.
In the absence of a properly delineated LAC, troops from both sides wandered into each other's territory, Khandu said.Khandu reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and people of the state would never give up their territorial rights.
Just before the visit of the Chinese president to India last year, Chinese envoy Sun Yuxi had claimed that the whole of Arunachal Pradesh was Chinese territory.
Nearly 180 opposition BJP members of both houses of Parliament on Tuesday decided to demand for constitution of a joint parliamentary group to visit the border in Arunachal Pradesh.
Kiren Rijiju, a BJP lawmaker from the state, alleged the Chinese, taking advantage of poor infrastructure on the Indian side, had been 'continuously encroaching' into Arunachal Pradesh at many places along the over 1,000-km-long border.
From whatever I have read about the run-up to the 1962 India - China war, it seems that the Indian government was given multiple warnings about Chinese army incursions into Indian territory but it chose to ignore the same. So I wonder what the truth is this time.
Are the news agencies creating a hullaballoo for the sake of readership / viewership ? Or is the government turning a blind eye to something it should treat as top priority ?
Zen.
From DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1095181)
China makes new inroads in Arunachal
Rajesh Sinha
Monday, May 07, 2007 09:47 IST
NEW DELHI: As India and China move to resolve their differences over borders, there is one aspect both countries have carefully refrained from talking about: that China has moved up to 20 km into India and grabbed a portion of the 90,000 sq km area of the Northeast that it claims as its own.
Though India has consistently denied that China has occupied its territory, the MP from West Arunachal, Kiren Rijiju of the BJP, said he has received written replies from the ministries of external affairs and defence, indicating that they were aware of the inroads made by the Chinese.
“I have their replies, admitting that there are problems and the government is trying to sort them out,” Rijiju told DNA.
Earlier, the Centre had sought a report from the state on the matter, which resulted in a detailed note being sent to the Union home ministry in 2005 by the state police. The document said the Chinese had started their foray into Tawang district in 2004, covering an unspecified huge area that includes several villages.
According to Rijiju, the areas under foreign occupation include the Sumdorong Chu valley, the Asapila and Lungar camps, large portions of grazing lands used by villagers, and some strategic points. A helipad in Sumdorong Chu has also been under Chinese control for two years, he said.
Repeated attempts by DNA to obtain comments from the Chinese embassy were turned down by its officials.
According to an officer from military intelligence, certain flat stretches in the region have been cleared and levelled for use as helipads. The border is unmarked, which sometimes opens these makeshift helipads for use by both the Chinese as well as the Indian Army.
According to Lokam Tassar, independent MLA from the Koloriang reserved tribal seat, “The Chinese are now 20km inside Taksin and have taken over several camps belonging to the Indian Army.”
In 2006, Chinese Ambassador Sun Yuxi’s statement reiterating Beijing’s claim to a major portion of Arunachal Pradesh had created a flutter in diplomatic circles, but both sides played it down. It now seems, however, that China has done more than simply make verbal claims.
Security agencies say that the recent incursion began in the winter of 2003 and was noticed when an Indian Army patrol found the Chinese occupying what had been an Indian outpost. In the absence of any action from the Indians, the Chinese stayed on and moved in further.
Extent of transgression
Though India has denied that China has occupied territory, West Arunachal MP Kiren Rijiju has said he received word from the ministries of external affairs and defence that they were aware of China’s inroads.
Rijiju said the areas under foreign occupation include the Sumdorong Chu valley, the Asapila and Lungar camps, large portions of grazing lands and other strategic points. A helipad in Sumdorong Chu is also under Chinese control.
According to local MLA Lokam Tassar, the Chinese are now 20km inside Taksin and have taken over several camps belonging to the Indian Army.
The Indian Express : May 08, 2007
Arunachal denies China entry report
Itanagar : The Arunachal government on Monday dismissed as ‘baseless’ a media report that the Chinese army had entered 20 km inside Indian territory at Sanchong-Chu in Tawang. Spokesman Tako Dabi described the news as ‘baseless and unfortunate’.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/08china.htm
No incursion by Chinese: Arunachal CM
May 08, 2007 19:01 IST
Close on the heels of the defence ministry's denial of a Chinese incursion into Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu has said that there was no report that Chinese forces had entered 20 km inside Indian territory at Sumdorong-Chu in Tawang district.
Referring to a statement in this regard made by independent legislator Lokam Tassar and quoted by a television news channel on Monday, Khandu said the comments were 'irresponsible, most unfortunate and unsubstantiated utterances.'
Khandu told media persons in Guwahati while on his way to New Delhi on Monday that the Chinese have been claiming Arunachal Pradesh as their territory but there have not been any incursions.
Chinese forces had crossed the Line of Actual Control and occupied Sumdorong-Chu Valley and Asapila and Lunger areas in Tawang district in 1986.
In the absence of a properly delineated LAC, troops from both sides wandered into each other's territory, Khandu said.Khandu reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and people of the state would never give up their territorial rights.
Just before the visit of the Chinese president to India last year, Chinese envoy Sun Yuxi had claimed that the whole of Arunachal Pradesh was Chinese territory.
Nearly 180 opposition BJP members of both houses of Parliament on Tuesday decided to demand for constitution of a joint parliamentary group to visit the border in Arunachal Pradesh.
Kiren Rijiju, a BJP lawmaker from the state, alleged the Chinese, taking advantage of poor infrastructure on the Indian side, had been 'continuously encroaching' into Arunachal Pradesh at many places along the over 1,000-km-long border.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Tap - Tap - Tapori
I know this blog is beginning to resemble a refuge for nostalgic old fogeys, but I don’t care as long as I have fun and not too many people crib !
This post is a retrospective of ridiculous tapori songs that were popular when most of us were in college or had just started working; most of these songs had either Salman Khan or Govinda as the male lead and Karishma Kapoor or Raveena Tandon as the female lead; they were also noteworthy for a marked lack of melody and an overabundance of random dance steps (often bordering on the vulgar, esp song no.9 and 27 ).
1. Tan-tana-tan-tan-tan-taaraa, chalti hai kya nau se baaraah ? shaam ke show ki do ticktein hain, khol ke purse batlaaoon; samajh na mujhko aisa-waisa, mere batue mein hai paisa………
One of the nicest tapori songs, never fails to make me laugh, it’s just too funny.
2. Jungle hai aadhi raat hai, lagne laga hai dar………………………….darne waali kya baat hai, jab saath mein ho dilbar, aajaa meri baahon mein, soja rakhke sar
More a cute song than a tapori one, included it because it starred the King and Queen of taporigiri, Salman and Karisma
3. Neeche paan ki dukan, oopar gori ka makaan
Does this sound familiar to someone on the blog ?
I thought this was a part of a Salman Khan song, but one of my colleagues just informed me that this is part of an old Shashi Kapoor song
4. Maine paidal se jaa raha tha, tune saikal (cycle) se jaa rahi thi, kiya tring tring ka ishaaraa, mujhe badnaam kiya re
A song that my brother loved, for the way it murdered grammar and the way the hero cribbed about the heroine ruining his reputation (quite an unbelievable role reversal that – could anyone ruin Govinda’s reputation ?)
5. Tu mera, tu mera, tu mera, tu mera, tu mera Hero no. 1
I remember the camera focussing on Karisma’s shapely rear end as it swayed like a pendulum in time to the music
6. Ladki kamaal ki yeh akhiyon se goli mare
Hilarious number – totally arbit dance steps; Govinda and Raveena
7. Gore gore mukhde pe kaalaa kaalaa chashma, tauba khuda khair kare, khoob hai karishma
And the song starred Raveena if I remember correctly
8. Tu cheez badi hai mast mast
Hate this song. It sounds awful, and is quite cheap. And at the time it was released (’94), they played it over and over again in the gym where i used to exercise and i associate it with sweat and aching muscles. Other songs I hate because they are irritating and I associate them with the gym are the songs from 'Murder' and hence they shall not be given the status of a separate entry on this list
9. A – aa – eee, u – ooo – o
The most vulgar song possible. With Govinda and Shakti Kapoor
10. Lae gayi, lae gayi, lae gayi, lae gayi, mera dil lai gayi, dekho meri chhamiya mera dil le gayi
Salman and Karishma again
11. Ladki dekhi – moonh se seeti baji haath se taali, ailaa ailaa fuma aiga pori aali aali
(unusual for being picturised on Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar and not on the usual suspects)
12. oye makhna
from ‘Bade Miya, Chhotte Miya’ – a totally awful song that wasted the awesome Madhuri Dixit and Amitabh Bachhan too
13. eek do teen ...
Madhuri in ‘Tezaab’ – the first lady to really shake her booty. Remember this song being a huge hit and lots of people calling it really cheap, yet when I compare it to some of the current songs I wonder what the fuss was about !
14. and the previous song reminded me of….
‘Dil dhak dhak karne laga’
Madhuri again in a song which was described by one of my friends as ‘the one where Madhuri forgets she has arms and uses other appendages to move while dancing’
15. and while on those appendages, who can forget ‘Choli ke peechhe kya hai’ ?
A song n dance number replete with double entendres, Ila Arun’s voice, Neena Gupta, Madhuri Dixit and a lecherous Sanjay Dutt; a well choreographed colourful number from “Khalnayak’
16. And then there is Sushmita dancing to ‘Chunari Chunari’, a foot-tapping, energetic number that always makes me want to get up and dance; the song also appeared in the movie ‘Monsoon Wedding’
17. Aati kya khandala
Though picturised on a tapori (Aamir Khan), the song was actually more cute than tapori
18. Aaee shivani...
Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar
19. Apun bola tu meri laila..
Ash and Shah Rukh – another more-cute-than-tapori song; a petulant Shahrukh complaining to his sister Aishwarya about his failure to win over his ladylove
20. Main to raste se jaa raha tha………..tujhe mirchi lagi tho main kya karoon
Govinda and Karishma dancing to a song that almost became an anthem for some time
21. Ishq hai diwana roop ka khazana aaj hai lootana
The Badshah of Taporiness Govinda and his able consort Karishma. Can’t stand this song, isn’t this the one where she is in a hideous golden outfit with a weird hairdo – in her pre-Manish Malhotra make-over phase
22. Main aaye hoon UP Bihar lootne
Shilpa Shetty ??
23. Kya ada kya jalwe tere paro, dil ke tukde ho gaye huzaaron; jaayegi ab jaan bhi meri, aankh naa maaro
Sunil Shetty and Anjali Jathar, good fun song
I remember all of us in our hostel randomly irritating all our friends called Paro - every Priyanka, Paromita etc
24. Chamma Chamma baaje re meri painjaniya
Urmila Matondkar and many lecherous old men
25. Shehar ki ladki.....
Raveena and Sunil Shetty....this is one of my fave songs.. Ravs looks like a million bucks in this song (p.s. The comment on Raveena’s looks is not by me – Zen)
26. Koi tujhse acchi milegi nahin, koi tujhse kum bhi chalegi nahin, aa meri life banaade, aa meri life banaade
Hilarious song, picturised on Raveena and Salman
27. Sarkailiyo khatiya jaada lage...
One of the songs that started off the totally tapori trend. Starred Govinda and Karishma, was totally vulgar
28. Meri pant bhi sexy, meri shirt bhi sexy……………..yeh rumaal bhi sexy hai
Quite a cute song starring Karishma, the word ‘sexy’ created quite a furore back then
29. Gore gore mukhde pe kaalaa kaalaa chashma
Nagma and Govinda - and Govinda with a beard if I remember right
30. Mujh se shaadi karogi....
Salman, Priyanka and Akshay
31. Dekha jo tujhe yaar man mein baji guitar...
Koena Mitra and Ritesh Deshkmukh
32. Bidi jalayle jigar se piya
Bips, Saif and Vivek; awesome song, very catchy, great lyrics by Gulzar – however does he manage to be so classy And so tapori !
33. Kajrare
Aishwarya, Abhishek and Amitabh – everyone knows this song
(p.s. Let me make it clear that I know all these songs because I watch a lot of MTV and Channel V – not because I actually watch Salman and Govinda movies. I don’t, honest. - Zen)
Before I end this post, let me mention that most of the information here has been reproduced from memory – so please feel free to add a comment if you wish to add more info or songs to the list, or to correct lyrics etc.
Also how about voting for the favourite tapori song. My vote goes to ‘koi tujhse acchhi milegi nahin’
Compiled By,
Zenobia
with help from
Anita
Sachin & Co.
This post is a retrospective of ridiculous tapori songs that were popular when most of us were in college or had just started working; most of these songs had either Salman Khan or Govinda as the male lead and Karishma Kapoor or Raveena Tandon as the female lead; they were also noteworthy for a marked lack of melody and an overabundance of random dance steps (often bordering on the vulgar, esp song no.9 and 27 ).
1. Tan-tana-tan-tan-tan-taaraa, chalti hai kya nau se baaraah ? shaam ke show ki do ticktein hain, khol ke purse batlaaoon; samajh na mujhko aisa-waisa, mere batue mein hai paisa………
One of the nicest tapori songs, never fails to make me laugh, it’s just too funny.
2. Jungle hai aadhi raat hai, lagne laga hai dar………………………….darne waali kya baat hai, jab saath mein ho dilbar, aajaa meri baahon mein, soja rakhke sar
More a cute song than a tapori one, included it because it starred the King and Queen of taporigiri, Salman and Karisma
3. Neeche paan ki dukan, oopar gori ka makaan
Does this sound familiar to someone on the blog ?
I thought this was a part of a Salman Khan song, but one of my colleagues just informed me that this is part of an old Shashi Kapoor song
4. Maine paidal se jaa raha tha, tune saikal (cycle) se jaa rahi thi, kiya tring tring ka ishaaraa, mujhe badnaam kiya re
A song that my brother loved, for the way it murdered grammar and the way the hero cribbed about the heroine ruining his reputation (quite an unbelievable role reversal that – could anyone ruin Govinda’s reputation ?)
5. Tu mera, tu mera, tu mera, tu mera, tu mera Hero no. 1
I remember the camera focussing on Karisma’s shapely rear end as it swayed like a pendulum in time to the music
6. Ladki kamaal ki yeh akhiyon se goli mare
Hilarious number – totally arbit dance steps; Govinda and Raveena
7. Gore gore mukhde pe kaalaa kaalaa chashma, tauba khuda khair kare, khoob hai karishma
And the song starred Raveena if I remember correctly
8. Tu cheez badi hai mast mast
Hate this song. It sounds awful, and is quite cheap. And at the time it was released (’94), they played it over and over again in the gym where i used to exercise and i associate it with sweat and aching muscles. Other songs I hate because they are irritating and I associate them with the gym are the songs from 'Murder' and hence they shall not be given the status of a separate entry on this list
9. A – aa – eee, u – ooo – o
The most vulgar song possible. With Govinda and Shakti Kapoor
10. Lae gayi, lae gayi, lae gayi, lae gayi, mera dil lai gayi, dekho meri chhamiya mera dil le gayi
Salman and Karishma again
11. Ladki dekhi – moonh se seeti baji haath se taali, ailaa ailaa fuma aiga pori aali aali
(unusual for being picturised on Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar and not on the usual suspects)
12. oye makhna
from ‘Bade Miya, Chhotte Miya’ – a totally awful song that wasted the awesome Madhuri Dixit and Amitabh Bachhan too
13. eek do teen ...
Madhuri in ‘Tezaab’ – the first lady to really shake her booty. Remember this song being a huge hit and lots of people calling it really cheap, yet when I compare it to some of the current songs I wonder what the fuss was about !
14. and the previous song reminded me of….
‘Dil dhak dhak karne laga’
Madhuri again in a song which was described by one of my friends as ‘the one where Madhuri forgets she has arms and uses other appendages to move while dancing’
15. and while on those appendages, who can forget ‘Choli ke peechhe kya hai’ ?
A song n dance number replete with double entendres, Ila Arun’s voice, Neena Gupta, Madhuri Dixit and a lecherous Sanjay Dutt; a well choreographed colourful number from “Khalnayak’
16. And then there is Sushmita dancing to ‘Chunari Chunari’, a foot-tapping, energetic number that always makes me want to get up and dance; the song also appeared in the movie ‘Monsoon Wedding’
17. Aati kya khandala
Though picturised on a tapori (Aamir Khan), the song was actually more cute than tapori
18. Aaee shivani...
Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar
19. Apun bola tu meri laila..
Ash and Shah Rukh – another more-cute-than-tapori song; a petulant Shahrukh complaining to his sister Aishwarya about his failure to win over his ladylove
20. Main to raste se jaa raha tha………..tujhe mirchi lagi tho main kya karoon
Govinda and Karishma dancing to a song that almost became an anthem for some time
21. Ishq hai diwana roop ka khazana aaj hai lootana
The Badshah of Taporiness Govinda and his able consort Karishma. Can’t stand this song, isn’t this the one where she is in a hideous golden outfit with a weird hairdo – in her pre-Manish Malhotra make-over phase
22. Main aaye hoon UP Bihar lootne
Shilpa Shetty ??
23. Kya ada kya jalwe tere paro, dil ke tukde ho gaye huzaaron; jaayegi ab jaan bhi meri, aankh naa maaro
Sunil Shetty and Anjali Jathar, good fun song
I remember all of us in our hostel randomly irritating all our friends called Paro - every Priyanka, Paromita etc
24. Chamma Chamma baaje re meri painjaniya
Urmila Matondkar and many lecherous old men
25. Shehar ki ladki.....
Raveena and Sunil Shetty....this is one of my fave songs.. Ravs looks like a million bucks in this song (p.s. The comment on Raveena’s looks is not by me – Zen)
26. Koi tujhse acchi milegi nahin, koi tujhse kum bhi chalegi nahin, aa meri life banaade, aa meri life banaade
Hilarious song, picturised on Raveena and Salman
27. Sarkailiyo khatiya jaada lage...
One of the songs that started off the totally tapori trend. Starred Govinda and Karishma, was totally vulgar
28. Meri pant bhi sexy, meri shirt bhi sexy……………..yeh rumaal bhi sexy hai
Quite a cute song starring Karishma, the word ‘sexy’ created quite a furore back then
29. Gore gore mukhde pe kaalaa kaalaa chashma
Nagma and Govinda - and Govinda with a beard if I remember right
30. Mujh se shaadi karogi....
Salman, Priyanka and Akshay
31. Dekha jo tujhe yaar man mein baji guitar...
Koena Mitra and Ritesh Deshkmukh
32. Bidi jalayle jigar se piya
Bips, Saif and Vivek; awesome song, very catchy, great lyrics by Gulzar – however does he manage to be so classy And so tapori !
33. Kajrare
Aishwarya, Abhishek and Amitabh – everyone knows this song
(p.s. Let me make it clear that I know all these songs because I watch a lot of MTV and Channel V – not because I actually watch Salman and Govinda movies. I don’t, honest. - Zen)
Before I end this post, let me mention that most of the information here has been reproduced from memory – so please feel free to add a comment if you wish to add more info or songs to the list, or to correct lyrics etc.
Also how about voting for the favourite tapori song. My vote goes to ‘koi tujhse acchhi milegi nahin’
Compiled By,
Zenobia
with help from
Anita
Sachin & Co.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Part 3 (Week 8): taking stock
Counted about 10 gray hairs. Considered writing a will, but changed my mind.
The electricity company was going to cut off the power … forgot to pay the bill. Giving up the home management ever since Priya took it over has made me soft. Paid the bill.
Sometime in week 6, it became clear that not all the things I was told I could indulge myself in have been done. Going out to get boozed up became a chore – the booze sessions themselves were great, a lovely time was had by all, but the next days … ooh, enough to make a fellow give up drinking. Plus single-friends are more interested in going on dates ( i.e, not dinner with me), while married friends – well, they usually have family full-time, don't they?
The gym membership went away, so no racquetball. On the other hand, I did go cycling once a week.
The yard was all soggy and wet and cold from this never-ending winter, so the vegetable planting has not happened. But I did tear out the grass around the apple tree and do the edging and the tilling in anticipation of warmer weather. And the garlic from last winter has come up looking healthy … and the squash saplings are doing well in the garage.
I did not go for watercolor classes, even once. They took the camera to India, so no photos either. My first attempt at developing film at home did not work, only two photos developed correctly. I dropped the plan for learning to play the guitar … who'm I gonna impress anyway? An Indian guy with flecks of grey trying to sing Beatles songs with a Liverpudlian accent (by way of Bombay) just sounds creepy.
KidB turned one while in Desh, and needs front-facing car seat. All modifications done to the car (went with a new booster seat for KidA and decided to let KidB inherit KidA's seat). KidB will hate her parents for the hand-me-downs, but then, she'll hate me anyway by the time she's a teen.
I still can't make sense of the Cibo Matto song, "Sci-Fi Wasabi." I did, however, finally listen to Queen's "Night at the Opera".
Time to go to the airport, need to get Priya home to throw that cabbage (who'm I kidding – I threw it yesterday). Never did update that spreadsheet with the list of foods from the first day or so … darn!
Thus ends my brief visit to bachelorhood. Ugh.
The electricity company was going to cut off the power … forgot to pay the bill. Giving up the home management ever since Priya took it over has made me soft. Paid the bill.
Sometime in week 6, it became clear that not all the things I was told I could indulge myself in have been done. Going out to get boozed up became a chore – the booze sessions themselves were great, a lovely time was had by all, but the next days … ooh, enough to make a fellow give up drinking. Plus single-friends are more interested in going on dates ( i.e, not dinner with me), while married friends – well, they usually have family full-time, don't they?
The gym membership went away, so no racquetball. On the other hand, I did go cycling once a week.
The yard was all soggy and wet and cold from this never-ending winter, so the vegetable planting has not happened. But I did tear out the grass around the apple tree and do the edging and the tilling in anticipation of warmer weather. And the garlic from last winter has come up looking healthy … and the squash saplings are doing well in the garage.
I did not go for watercolor classes, even once. They took the camera to India, so no photos either. My first attempt at developing film at home did not work, only two photos developed correctly. I dropped the plan for learning to play the guitar … who'm I gonna impress anyway? An Indian guy with flecks of grey trying to sing Beatles songs with a Liverpudlian accent (by way of Bombay) just sounds creepy.
KidB turned one while in Desh, and needs front-facing car seat. All modifications done to the car (went with a new booster seat for KidA and decided to let KidB inherit KidA's seat). KidB will hate her parents for the hand-me-downs, but then, she'll hate me anyway by the time she's a teen.
I still can't make sense of the Cibo Matto song, "Sci-Fi Wasabi." I did, however, finally listen to Queen's "Night at the Opera".
Time to go to the airport, need to get Priya home to throw that cabbage (who'm I kidding – I threw it yesterday). Never did update that spreadsheet with the list of foods from the first day or so … darn!
Thus ends my brief visit to bachelorhood. Ugh.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Eight weeks of vacation from the family - Part 2
(Week 5)
I have started exchanging manual labor for food and company. I will be going to a friend’s place on the weekend to help them make flower beds by tearing out their lawn, putting newspapers, and potting soil to make mounded flower and vegetable beds. In return, my gracious hostess will make lunch.
I brought home soymilk because dairy milk gets spoiled. When milk goes bad, the carton puffs up and gets all nasty. Eggs do the same thing. And there’s a cabbage in the fridge that I refuse to touch. Priya can get rid of it when she comes back.
I have the dishwashing down to an art. I do not use dishes. That cuts down on the dishwashing. Garbage is not a problem either. I generate so little garbage, I only have to put the garbage out once a fortnight. However, the recycling is a concern. All the (empty) beer bottles are taking up room and Something Needs To Be Done.
KidA – who is in India - misses me, and has reportedly taken to wiping her hands on her t-shirt with the statement, “Poppy taught me this.” Note to self: Avoid wiping hands on t-shirt when they come back from Desh.
Have abandoned the spreadsheet, though I will update it in a fit of pique one of these days. Read a history of the Oxford English Dictionary, and bought the OED on CDROM… loneliness breeds addiction to online shopping. Amazon.com is a dangerous place – I don’t think I’ve spent this much money on software ever before. Built a shelf with fluorescent lamps to germinate squashes (butternut, white pumpkin, globe, acorn) for the spring growing season, but it is too cold out to transplant them just yet.
Finally put away all the toys in the playroom, but haven’t decided if I should steam-clean. Maybe best to wait till KidB is toilet-trained, then go for some good bamboo floors. (Because they look good and are made from a renewable resource.)
Listening to some half-decent New Wave music (the canon, if New Wave can be described as having one). Also “Konichiwa Bitches,” by Robyn. Finally catching up with contemporary cinema (i.e., not being forced to watch Colonel Hathi sway his bottom to Colonel Hathi’s March in The Jungle Book). Watched “An Inconvenient Truth,” “CSA: The Confederate States of America,” and both the Woody Allen version of “Casino Royale,” and the modern version with Eva Green and whoever plays James Bond. Sigh.
Got depressed about Anil Kumble’s retirement.
By,
speck42[at]gmail[dot]com
I have started exchanging manual labor for food and company. I will be going to a friend’s place on the weekend to help them make flower beds by tearing out their lawn, putting newspapers, and potting soil to make mounded flower and vegetable beds. In return, my gracious hostess will make lunch.
I brought home soymilk because dairy milk gets spoiled. When milk goes bad, the carton puffs up and gets all nasty. Eggs do the same thing. And there’s a cabbage in the fridge that I refuse to touch. Priya can get rid of it when she comes back.
I have the dishwashing down to an art. I do not use dishes. That cuts down on the dishwashing. Garbage is not a problem either. I generate so little garbage, I only have to put the garbage out once a fortnight. However, the recycling is a concern. All the (empty) beer bottles are taking up room and Something Needs To Be Done.
KidA – who is in India - misses me, and has reportedly taken to wiping her hands on her t-shirt with the statement, “Poppy taught me this.” Note to self: Avoid wiping hands on t-shirt when they come back from Desh.
Have abandoned the spreadsheet, though I will update it in a fit of pique one of these days. Read a history of the Oxford English Dictionary, and bought the OED on CDROM… loneliness breeds addiction to online shopping. Amazon.com is a dangerous place – I don’t think I’ve spent this much money on software ever before. Built a shelf with fluorescent lamps to germinate squashes (butternut, white pumpkin, globe, acorn) for the spring growing season, but it is too cold out to transplant them just yet.
Finally put away all the toys in the playroom, but haven’t decided if I should steam-clean. Maybe best to wait till KidB is toilet-trained, then go for some good bamboo floors. (Because they look good and are made from a renewable resource.)
Listening to some half-decent New Wave music (the canon, if New Wave can be described as having one). Also “Konichiwa Bitches,” by Robyn. Finally catching up with contemporary cinema (i.e., not being forced to watch Colonel Hathi sway his bottom to Colonel Hathi’s March in The Jungle Book). Watched “An Inconvenient Truth,” “CSA: The Confederate States of America,” and both the Woody Allen version of “Casino Royale,” and the modern version with Eva Green and whoever plays James Bond. Sigh.
Got depressed about Anil Kumble’s retirement.
By,
speck42[at]gmail[dot]com
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Eight weeks of vacation from the family – a blog in 3 parts
Part 1 (Week 1)
Ha!
Wife and kids are off to India. On the one hand, I’m scared that the younger one (KidB) will forget me, and many months of making it clear that I am the cool parent will go wasted. On the other hand, the older one (KidA), will not forget me, will not keep insisting, “I want to do it myself, I’m a big girl now!” (footnote 1)
KidB will remember when I meet her on her return. 8 weeks. No crayon pieces in the carpet, no bland food, all the photo scanning I want to do, all the alternative rock music I want to listen to.
Excellent!
It is now 2 days, and already things are looking up. I’ve put away 2 (possibly 3) weeks of laundry. I’ve vacuumed the living room, and suddenly no ants! They were after the crumbs of oatmeal cereal that the kids keep putting into the carpet. The telephone wiring project that I’d been working on for 3 years is now done, no exposed wires, they’re all in the drywall. The garage plant-lighting fixture is being designed. Life is becoming efficient.
I finally listened to the Ace of Base CDs I ripped a few months ago. Ace of Base were catchy, but not all that good. Disappointed.
I have a spreadsheet with all the food in the fridge listed. I’m checking things off as they get consumed. But mostly I have it so I can remember that I need to finish those things. There’s too much milk in the fridge (footnote 2). Crisis will be averted by asking healthy friends to consume it. Pray for the best.
Footnotes for part 1
1. One of her favorite DVDs is “Potty Power,” with the theme song, “I can do it myself, I’m a big kid now, I can do it myself, I got potty power now.” After you hear it seven times, you kinda like it, esp. if it helps with potty training.
2. I don’t tolerate dairy too well, except for ice-cream. Strange, innit?
By,
Speck42
speck42[at]gmail[dot]com
Ha!
Wife and kids are off to India. On the one hand, I’m scared that the younger one (KidB) will forget me, and many months of making it clear that I am the cool parent will go wasted. On the other hand, the older one (KidA), will not forget me, will not keep insisting, “I want to do it myself, I’m a big girl now!” (footnote 1)
KidB will remember when I meet her on her return. 8 weeks. No crayon pieces in the carpet, no bland food, all the photo scanning I want to do, all the alternative rock music I want to listen to.
Excellent!
It is now 2 days, and already things are looking up. I’ve put away 2 (possibly 3) weeks of laundry. I’ve vacuumed the living room, and suddenly no ants! They were after the crumbs of oatmeal cereal that the kids keep putting into the carpet. The telephone wiring project that I’d been working on for 3 years is now done, no exposed wires, they’re all in the drywall. The garage plant-lighting fixture is being designed. Life is becoming efficient.
I finally listened to the Ace of Base CDs I ripped a few months ago. Ace of Base were catchy, but not all that good. Disappointed.
I have a spreadsheet with all the food in the fridge listed. I’m checking things off as they get consumed. But mostly I have it so I can remember that I need to finish those things. There’s too much milk in the fridge (footnote 2). Crisis will be averted by asking healthy friends to consume it. Pray for the best.
Footnotes for part 1
1. One of her favorite DVDs is “Potty Power,” with the theme song, “I can do it myself, I’m a big kid now, I can do it myself, I got potty power now.” After you hear it seven times, you kinda like it, esp. if it helps with potty training.
2. I don’t tolerate dairy too well, except for ice-cream. Strange, innit?
By,
Speck42
speck42[at]gmail[dot]com
Review of 'Namesake'
The namesake, despite its name, is really about Ashima Ganguly's life. She is a simple bengali girl well versed in Wordsworth. She has a thing for shoes that ends up transplanting her from her cosy traditional bengali existence into the cold dull New England winters where she begins life anew with bhel made out of rice crispies and chilly powder and masala peanuts.
The movie chronicles her falling in love with her husband, the birth and growing up of her children. Things keep changing around her as she slowly but confidently adapts herself to stay in sync with things around her and yet seems to be the one unchanging constant in the movie.
Her family leads a largely happy uneventful life; she, a librarian, husband a prof, and with the kids in fact being comfortably American. Especially the son Gogol, who, seems to fit in better with his white girlfriend's all - american family and their affluent ways than with his own family. He greatest peeve though, is his parents’ incomprehensible choice of naming him after a tragic, eccentric Russian author Nikolai Gogol; he legally changes it to something more manageable.
A sudden tragedy however pulls the family together, and sends Gogol, now Nikhil, on a path that makes him yearn for his roots and causes him to take on a more Indian identity. Ashima helps her family and herself pick up the pieces and they begin to move on.
Nikhil marries a bengali girl suggested by his mother (or Ashima, either is fine), the daughter finds herself a non-indian boy, who mom is ok with becus times are-a-changing. Slowly as things fall in place again, Ashima feels she has fully discharged her "duty" as wife and mother, and decides finally to do something for herself: Go back to India, and follow her dream of learning music, 'if, a guru would have a 45 yr old as a student'.
However, as is often the case, the movie is "not a patch", as a friend put it, on the book. and I am not a member of the 'books ARE always sooo much better than the movies' mafia.
Ashima actually represents the ideal (not typical) immigrant experience, somebody who is comfortable with their own identity, and yet appreciative of the new things that a new world has to offer. With its repeated references to Nikolai Gogol's overcoat as being the source that we all come out of, the book drives home the point why a sense of identity is important to individuals as a source of strength and any attempt at questioning or undermining this identity can lead to turmoil.
The director doesn't take any chances in making the movie. It would have been far more interesting to see it as a series of flashbacks from the mom's and/or the son's point of view, rather than a series of episodic capsules of an unfolding story. Some of the more moving scenes are watered down, not giving you enough time to empathize with any of the characters. The story feeds on sentiments, but the background musical score was terrible, and did nothing to draw the viewer in. Also both Irrfan Khan andTabu weren't convincing either as the clumsy 20 yr olds or the 45 yr old parents of strangers. The attention to detail was sketchy, footage of calcutta trams had ATM adverts.
The movie is worth a watch, but don't miss it's original namesake.
By,
Nikhil Pednekar
The movie chronicles her falling in love with her husband, the birth and growing up of her children. Things keep changing around her as she slowly but confidently adapts herself to stay in sync with things around her and yet seems to be the one unchanging constant in the movie.
Her family leads a largely happy uneventful life; she, a librarian, husband a prof, and with the kids in fact being comfortably American. Especially the son Gogol, who, seems to fit in better with his white girlfriend's all - american family and their affluent ways than with his own family. He greatest peeve though, is his parents’ incomprehensible choice of naming him after a tragic, eccentric Russian author Nikolai Gogol; he legally changes it to something more manageable.
A sudden tragedy however pulls the family together, and sends Gogol, now Nikhil, on a path that makes him yearn for his roots and causes him to take on a more Indian identity. Ashima helps her family and herself pick up the pieces and they begin to move on.
Nikhil marries a bengali girl suggested by his mother (or Ashima, either is fine), the daughter finds herself a non-indian boy, who mom is ok with becus times are-a-changing. Slowly as things fall in place again, Ashima feels she has fully discharged her "duty" as wife and mother, and decides finally to do something for herself: Go back to India, and follow her dream of learning music, 'if, a guru would have a 45 yr old as a student'.
However, as is often the case, the movie is "not a patch", as a friend put it, on the book. and I am not a member of the 'books ARE always sooo much better than the movies' mafia.
Ashima actually represents the ideal (not typical) immigrant experience, somebody who is comfortable with their own identity, and yet appreciative of the new things that a new world has to offer. With its repeated references to Nikolai Gogol's overcoat as being the source that we all come out of, the book drives home the point why a sense of identity is important to individuals as a source of strength and any attempt at questioning or undermining this identity can lead to turmoil.
The director doesn't take any chances in making the movie. It would have been far more interesting to see it as a series of flashbacks from the mom's and/or the son's point of view, rather than a series of episodic capsules of an unfolding story. Some of the more moving scenes are watered down, not giving you enough time to empathize with any of the characters. The story feeds on sentiments, but the background musical score was terrible, and did nothing to draw the viewer in. Also both Irrfan Khan andTabu weren't convincing either as the clumsy 20 yr olds or the 45 yr old parents of strangers. The attention to detail was sketchy, footage of calcutta trams had ATM adverts.
The movie is worth a watch, but don't miss it's original namesake.
By,
Nikhil Pednekar
Friday, March 16, 2007
What does 10th March mean to me...
(This blog post is lifted entirely from Aqua's blog (with her prior permission) and can be read at http://aquadreamer.blogspot.com/2007/03/what-does-10th-march-mean-to-me.html )
In the Quiet Land, no one can hear
what is silenced by murder and covered up with fear.
But, despite what is forced, freedom's a sound
that liars can't fake and no shouting can drown.
- Aung San Suu Kyi
Tomorrow is March 10th – the Tibetan National Uprising Day! On this day, 48 years ago, 300,000 Tibetans surrounded the Dalai Lama’s Norbulingkha Place in Lhasa, in order to protect him from an anticipated abduction or assassination plot by the Chinese. Tibetans risked their lives and came out to the streets to protect their beloved leader and to assert Tibet’s independence from China. China’s military response in the following days resulted in the uprising being crushed and the "wiping out" of 87,000 Tibetans within seven months. The Dalai Lama escaped to India and some 80,000 Tibetans followed him into exile.
Ever since then, March 10th has come to symbolize the Tibetan struggle for Freedom, and is a reminder of that eventful day in history, which changed the course of Tibet’s future, and of the lives of so many Tibetans and the Dalai Lama. Rallies and peace marches are held every year on March 10th by Tibetans living in exile all over the world.
However, not every Tibetan born in exile will perhaps remember the March 10th rallies with much misty eyed nostalgia and fondness. Atleast not me! As a rebel kid growing up in Darjeeling, it was one of the many crosses I had to bear, along with the tag of a refugee next to my name. I desperately wanted to fit in with the crowd back then, and if having a Tibetan accent while speaking Nepali wasn’t bad enough, on the 10th of March every day we had to march through the town carrying banners crying “Free Tibet” and “Chinese stop mass massacre in Tibet”. We got special permission to miss school on that day and we would be allowed to wear our school’s special uniform. Being a prim and propah Loreto girl, I didn’t quite look forward to shouting myself hoarse on a topic I had scarce interest in.
While we marched on Mall Road with our banners and placards, we would occasionally hear the locals commenting on us. “Tibet ma paani pardai cha, anta eyta Darjeeling ma chaata odhdai cha”, they would say. Translated this means that ‘it is raining in Tibet and the Tibetans are carrying umbrellas in Darjeeling’. In my heart of hearts I agreed with them. Though it did hurt, somewhere. Perhaps it hurt the Tibetan in me who didn’t want to surface, just as yet. I remember one particular March 10th processesion, where the group of us LC girls debated more on the pronunciation of the world ‘massacre’. We tut-tutted about the way it was being pronounced, raising our eyebrows at this trivial issue rather than concentrating on the rally or giving any thought as to the reason why we were saying it in the first place and the context as it affected us. Tibet and its assorted problems were a world away, and it sounds terrible to say this, but it didn’t really affect me then. Then.
After a few years, March 10th rallies in Darjeeling started fading out. It would of course be held every year, albeit at a smaller scale, and I was no longer forced to attend them. My mother however would unfailingly participate every year, and come home charged with the spirit of ‘rangzen’. I always wondered why she bothered going in the first place. Indifference had turned to cynicism. The whole world knew that nothing would come out of these rallies anyway. There was no hope of China returning Tibet to Tibetans and “rangzen” (Tibetan for Freedom) seemed an impossible dream.
The writer Pico Iyer, born in England to Indian parents, has said that his "Indianness" is asserting itself within him as he gets older. My mother used to say the same thing to me, that as we grow older, our roots inside us grow stronger and stronger. “You will grow more and more Tibetan as you grow older, whether you like it or not”, she had said ominously to me, when I was younger. It turns out that she was right after all. As I pile on the pounds and years, I find that I am growing more and more ‘Tibetan’ by the day. I now ask more questions to my father about Tibet and Buddhism, I love hearing stories about their lives in Tibet, and I now understand my parents better than I ever did before in my life.
My mother used to talk about how she and my grandparents crossed over into India, how they had to leave everything they owned behind and travel on the mountainous passes to India with just one horse between the three of them. My father however, would never talk about his days in Tibet or how he came to India. I knew just vaguely that he had left his family behind in Lhasa and escaped to Kalimpong in the Himalayan foothills in India. He doesn’t like to draw attention to himself and he is one of the most self-effacing and mild mannered people I know.
When I visited Darjeeling last winter, we got to talking about Tibet and about 10th March 1959. I never knew that my father was one of the thousands of Tibetans, who surrounded the Norbulingkha Place on that fateful day, in a desperate bid to protect the Dalai Lama from the clutches of the Chinese. This piece of information amazed me, and made me realize how little I knew of my father as a person, and his history. My father was only a young lad of 14 then. He was part of a voluntary group who had decided to protect the Dalai Lama and prevent him from visiting the Chinese camp. When the Chinese started shelling and bombing the Palace and the city, the crowds broke up, and my father and his group knew then, that they could not return home. They decided to follow the Dalai Lama Lama into exile to India. My father, leaving his parents and sisters behind in Lhasa, escaped to India. My thoughts instantly turned to his family, and to his mother especially. She would have worried for his safety. Now a mother myself, I could not imagine not knowing the whereabouts of my child, and whether she was safe or not. ‘It was a nation in turmoil’, he said. ‘The same thing was happening to all families, not just to us. There was no time to wallow in self pity’.
Hearing this story from my father had a profound impact on it. From being a mere incident in history, it became one with which I had a personal linkage to. It suddenly became very real. I made a mental note to myself to become more aware of Tibetan issues and to participate in future March 10 rallies, not because I have to, but because I want to. Because Tibetans inside Tibet need us to raise our voices for them. We owe it to them, and to all the people who have fought for Tibetan freedom.
Out of Exile…into the streets, is the new war cry of Tibetans the world over this year. March 10th has gained momentum and this is an opportunity for all Tibetans to show China and the world that we have not forgotten our homeland; that the Tibetan cause lives on; that we sincerely believe that Tibet belongs to Tibetans; that Tibetans have a right to govern their own country as they seem fit, and not be slowly annihilated by China. There is cultural and human genocide going on in Tibet, and as the Dalai Lama says, time is running out. If we don’t protest now, it will be too late.
So I am going to be there at the peace rally in Bangalore tomorrow, so show my commitment to the Tibetan cause; to honor my father’s sacrifice; and to contribute in my own humble way to the Tibetan Movement.
I was talking to P the other day about how my blog posts on Tibet hardly get any comments. I post a cartoon or a silly joke, and I have people posting comments. But whenever I write about Tibet, all I get is stony silence. I guess the blog world pretty much mirrors the real life scenario where the Tibet’s cause is swept under the carpet. “This does not mean you should stop writing on Tibet”, P said.
And I wont!
Links:
Read more on the history and events leading up to March 10th here.
The March 10 website.
Watch videos of Tibetans speak about what March 10 here.
US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement released the following statement today on Tibetan National Uprising Day. Read it here. It is very heartening to read and is a testimonial to the fact that Tibet has not been forgotten after all.
In the Quiet Land, no one can hear
what is silenced by murder and covered up with fear.
But, despite what is forced, freedom's a sound
that liars can't fake and no shouting can drown.
- Aung San Suu Kyi
Tomorrow is March 10th – the Tibetan National Uprising Day! On this day, 48 years ago, 300,000 Tibetans surrounded the Dalai Lama’s Norbulingkha Place in Lhasa, in order to protect him from an anticipated abduction or assassination plot by the Chinese. Tibetans risked their lives and came out to the streets to protect their beloved leader and to assert Tibet’s independence from China. China’s military response in the following days resulted in the uprising being crushed and the "wiping out" of 87,000 Tibetans within seven months. The Dalai Lama escaped to India and some 80,000 Tibetans followed him into exile.
Ever since then, March 10th has come to symbolize the Tibetan struggle for Freedom, and is a reminder of that eventful day in history, which changed the course of Tibet’s future, and of the lives of so many Tibetans and the Dalai Lama. Rallies and peace marches are held every year on March 10th by Tibetans living in exile all over the world.
However, not every Tibetan born in exile will perhaps remember the March 10th rallies with much misty eyed nostalgia and fondness. Atleast not me! As a rebel kid growing up in Darjeeling, it was one of the many crosses I had to bear, along with the tag of a refugee next to my name. I desperately wanted to fit in with the crowd back then, and if having a Tibetan accent while speaking Nepali wasn’t bad enough, on the 10th of March every day we had to march through the town carrying banners crying “Free Tibet” and “Chinese stop mass massacre in Tibet”. We got special permission to miss school on that day and we would be allowed to wear our school’s special uniform. Being a prim and propah Loreto girl, I didn’t quite look forward to shouting myself hoarse on a topic I had scarce interest in.
While we marched on Mall Road with our banners and placards, we would occasionally hear the locals commenting on us. “Tibet ma paani pardai cha, anta eyta Darjeeling ma chaata odhdai cha”, they would say. Translated this means that ‘it is raining in Tibet and the Tibetans are carrying umbrellas in Darjeeling’. In my heart of hearts I agreed with them. Though it did hurt, somewhere. Perhaps it hurt the Tibetan in me who didn’t want to surface, just as yet. I remember one particular March 10th processesion, where the group of us LC girls debated more on the pronunciation of the world ‘massacre’. We tut-tutted about the way it was being pronounced, raising our eyebrows at this trivial issue rather than concentrating on the rally or giving any thought as to the reason why we were saying it in the first place and the context as it affected us. Tibet and its assorted problems were a world away, and it sounds terrible to say this, but it didn’t really affect me then. Then.
After a few years, March 10th rallies in Darjeeling started fading out. It would of course be held every year, albeit at a smaller scale, and I was no longer forced to attend them. My mother however would unfailingly participate every year, and come home charged with the spirit of ‘rangzen’. I always wondered why she bothered going in the first place. Indifference had turned to cynicism. The whole world knew that nothing would come out of these rallies anyway. There was no hope of China returning Tibet to Tibetans and “rangzen” (Tibetan for Freedom) seemed an impossible dream.
The writer Pico Iyer, born in England to Indian parents, has said that his "Indianness" is asserting itself within him as he gets older. My mother used to say the same thing to me, that as we grow older, our roots inside us grow stronger and stronger. “You will grow more and more Tibetan as you grow older, whether you like it or not”, she had said ominously to me, when I was younger. It turns out that she was right after all. As I pile on the pounds and years, I find that I am growing more and more ‘Tibetan’ by the day. I now ask more questions to my father about Tibet and Buddhism, I love hearing stories about their lives in Tibet, and I now understand my parents better than I ever did before in my life.
My mother used to talk about how she and my grandparents crossed over into India, how they had to leave everything they owned behind and travel on the mountainous passes to India with just one horse between the three of them. My father however, would never talk about his days in Tibet or how he came to India. I knew just vaguely that he had left his family behind in Lhasa and escaped to Kalimpong in the Himalayan foothills in India. He doesn’t like to draw attention to himself and he is one of the most self-effacing and mild mannered people I know.
When I visited Darjeeling last winter, we got to talking about Tibet and about 10th March 1959. I never knew that my father was one of the thousands of Tibetans, who surrounded the Norbulingkha Place on that fateful day, in a desperate bid to protect the Dalai Lama from the clutches of the Chinese. This piece of information amazed me, and made me realize how little I knew of my father as a person, and his history. My father was only a young lad of 14 then. He was part of a voluntary group who had decided to protect the Dalai Lama and prevent him from visiting the Chinese camp. When the Chinese started shelling and bombing the Palace and the city, the crowds broke up, and my father and his group knew then, that they could not return home. They decided to follow the Dalai Lama Lama into exile to India. My father, leaving his parents and sisters behind in Lhasa, escaped to India. My thoughts instantly turned to his family, and to his mother especially. She would have worried for his safety. Now a mother myself, I could not imagine not knowing the whereabouts of my child, and whether she was safe or not. ‘It was a nation in turmoil’, he said. ‘The same thing was happening to all families, not just to us. There was no time to wallow in self pity’.
Hearing this story from my father had a profound impact on it. From being a mere incident in history, it became one with which I had a personal linkage to. It suddenly became very real. I made a mental note to myself to become more aware of Tibetan issues and to participate in future March 10 rallies, not because I have to, but because I want to. Because Tibetans inside Tibet need us to raise our voices for them. We owe it to them, and to all the people who have fought for Tibetan freedom.
Out of Exile…into the streets, is the new war cry of Tibetans the world over this year. March 10th has gained momentum and this is an opportunity for all Tibetans to show China and the world that we have not forgotten our homeland; that the Tibetan cause lives on; that we sincerely believe that Tibet belongs to Tibetans; that Tibetans have a right to govern their own country as they seem fit, and not be slowly annihilated by China. There is cultural and human genocide going on in Tibet, and as the Dalai Lama says, time is running out. If we don’t protest now, it will be too late.
So I am going to be there at the peace rally in Bangalore tomorrow, so show my commitment to the Tibetan cause; to honor my father’s sacrifice; and to contribute in my own humble way to the Tibetan Movement.
I was talking to P the other day about how my blog posts on Tibet hardly get any comments. I post a cartoon or a silly joke, and I have people posting comments. But whenever I write about Tibet, all I get is stony silence. I guess the blog world pretty much mirrors the real life scenario where the Tibet’s cause is swept under the carpet. “This does not mean you should stop writing on Tibet”, P said.
And I wont!
Links:
Read more on the history and events leading up to March 10th here.
The March 10 website.
Watch videos of Tibetans speak about what March 10 here.
US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement released the following statement today on Tibetan National Uprising Day. Read it here. It is very heartening to read and is a testimonial to the fact that Tibet has not been forgotten after all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)