Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Hyderabadi 'Traffic' Blues
Some of the very specific pecularities of Hyderabadi driving are :
1. When on the road, gaps between vehicles are measured in 'mm' not meters or even inches. You can never really get too close.. it kinda helps in bonding.. :)
2. Small is big. The smaller you are, the more dangerous. Its really a city of nano-technology. The Autos rule the roost. They fear no one.. not even the killer buses that people and even cars dread of in Delhi. Autos will overtake buses from left on the thinnest of roads and ride on.. The scooters and bikes will criss cross through the traffic splitting the few inch gaps between cars.
3. Honk, the Hyderabadis will, need be or not. So you honk, if there is someone ahead of you or behind you. Or if you want to stop (which is rare) or if you want to take a turn. And you will also honk if you like the weather today or if its just too hot. Honk is soo very multi-purpose.
4. Red lights. You speed off if you see a red light. Just speed off with no regrets. But if you see a Green light, then slow down.. take a good look if what riders/ drivers on the other 3 segments of the crossing are doing before you honk away and then ride off. But red lights are safe to make a quick getaway.
5. Parking is an art. And Hyderabadis are eclectic when it comes to this art. They will innovate when it comes to parking. Its soo frigging boring to park under a parking sign, or in a public parking. So you become creative, and park in the second lane of a busy road.. or you park right on a crossing. And its not just SUVs or cars I talk about, the bike riders are as innovative. They will park right across the entrance of a Cafe to ensure all visitors rub through your bikes to make an entry.
6. Roundabouts. What roundabouts.. Roundabouts and its protocol (to drive clockwise until you get to your segment) is for losers. Its what the Brits infected us with. But not the oozing with pride Hyderabadis. So they will drive where they want to drive. If its a lane they want to take on the ride, they shall drive anti-clockwise to it.. Hell, its even fun to stop on the curve..
7. Mobile, the Hyderabadis are in a true sense of the word. Infact, doubly so. Not only are they riding/ driving, they are constantly talking on their mobiles. Be it the cars/ trucks/ Autos/ Bikes, one hand is always occupied to chat away. Actually, I suspect they are constantly in touch with the *base-station*/ ATC transmitting their coordinates and getting the next set of instructions. That probably explains the reason they manage to evade not only accidents/ collisions but also the polite roadside 'mamu' read Cop. High-tech, aint it?
So the next time you are visiting Hyderabad, and intend to drive/ ride, get an acclimatisation mastering the Monster Truck Madness. It isnt half as good to help you, but then you have a reference point!!
P.S.: Wish I had some pics to give you a first hand insight.. but then saving my life on the roads was a higher priority... :)
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Cricket season again..
Champions Trophy' 06 began the day before, though for now the Minnows (SHOCK: WI and SL are in the contenders as well!!!) are battling it out for 2 seats in the main league.
But Set MAX, who are airing it in India promise to make it more than just cricket. They are the ones who fused cricket with babes.. when they got the aweful Ruby Bhatia and then less aweful Mandira Bedi to eat away airtime. They now want to expand the scope of the 'extras' until you wont notice it was cricket in the first place that you switched onto. Well, guess it serves well, when the cricket, atleast the Indian effort is not going to bring in any joy. Atleast you have noodle straps and pouting babes to make up for it... or can they?
Indian team, unsurprisingly is back to where they belong. Erratic and Unpredictable. Just before they play the Second biggest tourney (as per ICC folks) in cricket, they arent sure of a lot of things. I think I could have collated a nice compiled list of 11 points of Indian team's concerns, but then who really cares and maybe I might have struggled to fit them all in 11.
So, not going that route.. and continuing with the present form of brain-dump.. let me write about the biggest of our concerns. .. and its not Greg Chappell.
Over the last couple of seasons, a lot of youngsters have got a chance to play in the 11. And interestingly and luckily for India a lot of them converted their chances to be among contenders for a 'permanent' seat (yup, we have permanent seats in Indian CT.. ask Sachin). So we have Sehwag (ok, he has been there for more than a couple of seasons), Dhoni, Raina all fulltime on the payrolls. But unluckily, all these players are in essence slashers or some species close to that. All, love the flat turfs of subcontinent, smashing the opposition until they bleed, and as soon as the ball smells of swing, they are only wielding an array of edges. They are all exciting prospects and good finds for India, no doubts about that. But when successive seasons throw players of the same variety.. then as you might expect, we will see-saw through amazing and aweful performaces, which has exactly been the case.
So, now apart from DeWall Dravid and Manager Sachin, we have a team of slashers : Sehwag, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Raina.. with ironically Irfan Pathan sent as a pinch-hitter above our slashers for some strange reasons. So when we have played on placid and true wickets, all these boys fire and rip up the bowling.. They spare no one.. And, when playing on wickets that dont let you slog in peace.. they again spare no one.. Sehwag will be out playing his natural game, bowled of a swinging yorker, Yuvi would be spun-off, Dhoni caught of a mistimed pull and Raina, still new would explore a new way.
After a record breaking run against Lanka and South Africa, where they unbelievably won batting second, they have found ways to lose matches in WI in astonishing manners.
So, though they are back to staid and placid wickets at home, their confidence is in doldrums. Worst of all, Pathan is lacking in confidence, who in my opinion is the best Indian Cricketer. Unless, he gets back to his swinging ways, we are going to remain in trouble.
Interestingly, Dinesh Mongia is back. He who made us cry in the last world cup. Though, I feel its the right thing to have happened. He had an amazing record in the Counties last 2 years. Nt only did he score with the bat, he was outstanding with his bowling. If that didnt warrant a recall, nothing will. But, his first knock after being back put him back where he was. He 'seemed' to have top scored with a 50 odd, eventually running out of partners. But the truth is he still doesnt understand that Cricket isnt just about throwing a ball and hitting it around. There is this match situtation to contend with too. He just stood there as an idiot, giving tailenders the strike when all India needed was 20 odd of like 50 balls. As ever, the match score sheet lied at the end of the match. Not that the selectors will ever know.
So, now lets wait and watch, what Chappell and Sons have in store for us in the coming days. Will Pathan get back to his lethal ways? Will Sehwag slaughter away like a madhouse? Will Dhoni make bowlers repent on their career choice? Or will India invent newer ways to lose matches from unlosable situations?
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Play on..
Last year or so hasnt really been big for music. The trends keep changing all the time, but the current one is really baffling.
For one, rarely an album has music from just one composer.. So you have Anu Malik, Pritam and company sharing space on the same album cover. Now, thats not what an album is about. It isnt supposed to be a hash of Punjabi Pop, Sufiana and Rock. Take one or max two genre and give us ranges within it.. But then with the way our movies are structured it isnt that mis-aligned. :)
Then 4 of 6 'original' (pun intended) tracks HAVE to have a remixed or DJ or Dance version of them. The topping is when the most tragic songs are rehashed as trance tracks.. ;-) DJ Akbar Sami and his ilk are having a field day.
And then comes in Himesh Reshammiya. Well, first things first. I think he is a talented composer. He has a genuine sense of melody. I appreciate some of his work. I actually liked his "Aashiq Banaya aapne" and the first set of his sufiana pepped stuff. For one it provided variety to the innumerable Punjabi pop tracks, that I inately dislike. Then Sufi music has an appeal that is hard to capture in text. His efforts were commendable and his voice was a diversion from the 'perfect' sterile voices of the likes of Sonu Nigam and Co. So far so good.. but then he overdid it to an extent that he was doing 3 albums a month, composing 6 tracks an album (+ 6 remixes from Akbar Sami) and singing all of them. Now he was never a singer to pull it off. His initial success pulled him through the last six months and 20 hits.. watever. But thats now a trend we would want to go on. Himesh himself needs to get over it and compose something new.
But then there has been the emergence of some good too.
We have seen a lot of different voices breaking in.. point in case Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan (Mitwa/fuzon), James (Bheegi Bheegi/Gangster), Zubeen Garg (Ya Ali/Gangster), Kailash Kher and Atif Aslam. Now, all these guys dont have those crystal clear voices of Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, KK and Shaan. Thats what sets them apart. Its great to hear to a lot of niche songs in these different voice, where their natural elements add to the feel of the songs. Take for example "Allah ke bande" by Kailash Kher. You can not have a Udit Narayan rendering it with the same feel. Or "Ya Ali" by Zubeen Garg. Zubeen isnt in the same league as Sonu Nigam, but Ya Ali sounds better with Zubeen than what it would with Sonu rendering it(IMO).
And then there is Atif Aslam. Atif is the best of the lot.. atleast the new ones. He is naturally gifted with a very high pitched voice, that doesnt really shiver even at the highest notes. Just listen to his 'Aadat' or 'Bheegi Raatein'. Even his latest 'Tere Bin' from 'Bas ek Pal', not his best, sounds soo peaceful.
Another great 'find' IMO has been Shantanu Moitra, of Parineeta fame. He isnt as visible as an Anu Malik or not even as much selling as Himesh, but he is really talented. His music has an inate sense of softness and 'thehraav' which is rare to find. Rahman's is the only other music that has the same feel. apart from his more appreciated Parineeta, do listen to his score in "Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi", an amazing score of ghazals to the tune of Mirza Ghalib and Swanand Kirkire (Contemporary!!). And then Parineeta, which I personally thought was a hopeless movie, had a gem for each and every of its songs. The lesser known "Soonga mann ka aangan" is the crown jewel.
Well, we can only hope that we have more of the positives and a lot less of these so called trends coming up later this year. But do give Shantanu Moitra and Atif Aslam a go.. well, that actually gives me the thought of a Shantanu Moitra composed song sung by Atif. That would certainly qualify for a treat. You never know...
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Self Tagging..
But then I came across this questionaire tagged onto one of the bloggers, and I am tempted to fill it in myself.. Been ages having really 'written' anything here... Yeah thats like my upper limit of writing stuff nowadays...
So here goes my Self Tag...
No cross-questioning plz..
I am thinking about...
my forthcoming job.
I said...
Sweet stuff to Tani..
I want to...
..go on a week long trek to some real remote place..
I wish...
.....
I hear…
a lot of Atif Aslam songs off late.. I am kinda glued onto his style and his amazing voice..
... I wonder...
about nothing these days.. nothing is beyond amazement anymore..things can get as bewildering as you can imagine..
I regret...
not getting onto real estate a LOT earlier..
I am...
wicked..
I dance...
so you dont need to feel embarassed of your own moves.. ;-)
I sing...
not as bad as people think.. and not as good as I think..
I cry...
at the thought of driving in this maniac traffic of Hyderabad..
I am not always...
in a good mood..
I make with my hands...
tea at the most.. God, answering Qs like these makes you realize that how godammed useless your hands are getting offlate..
I write...
stupid tag entries and nothing more than that...
I confuse...
myself in a LOT of things..
I need...
motivation.. concentration... focus...
So there I am..
Hope to write in more often.. a lot more coherent stuff than this...
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Independence Day pics !!!
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Tani is a big Girl...
(Click each pic for larger image)





Getting Wild 'On... :)

Twinkle Twinkle..

At her playful best..

Making a point..

Mommy energised.. ,-)

Striking a pose...

Her ponies are sooo cute..

and here is her goofy smile...

Friday, August 04, 2006
Review time again..
Long time no 'write' post.. Been quite busy with work Anyway taking a little time out to write about some movies I saw (over the last few months or so..)
Rang De Basanti
A much hyped Aamir starrer. Saw it at Ramakrishna theatre. Not the best place to watch a movie which is more than a dumbass comedy. The audience didnt appreciate anything about and it does add to your movie watching experience. Anyway moving onto the movie now.
Well, its an interesting story well-told (mostly). Unravels the tale of 4 youngsters (if you can call 41 yr old Aamir that..) who have nothing more to their lives than guzzling beer and laughing out loud (well, that sounds fun.. no?).. actually hysterically for no reason. They encounter this Brit girl who is in India to shoot a docu-movie on the great Indian freedom fighters. They are 'coerced' into acting for the movie and playing freedom rebels like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and their ilk. They guys (and the girl, Soha) get touched by their experience of re-living the lives of the freedom fighters. Soon, they encounter a modern day calamity where they are forced to take a stand against a wrong by the new 'rulers'. How they again relive the freedom fighters deeds is what the movie unfolds.
Well, for one, its a good strong story.. and mostly well directed by Rakeysh Mehra. It isnt easy to connect the freedom struggle with the modern day exploitation the protagonists face. But the screenplay is neat and connects the same well. The casting is mostly appropriate, leave aside Aamir, who clearly doesnt fit in. They needed a younger chap.. Having said that, Aamir does enact his part real nice. The other young guns are spot on too.. Sidharth (a Tollywood actor) does a good brooding young guy act, he actually stands out. Kunal Kapoor plays a cool soft hearted muslim young-man. Atul Kulkarni is expectedly strong. Sharman Joshi over-acts mostly.
My complaints (quite few actually) are with the first half. The portion when these fellas are shown to be carefree and having fun gets out of hand soon. It becomes irritating and unnatural. They plain over-do it. Music is mostly faantaastic with AR Rahman handling it deftly.
The climax is the subject of debate whether the guys did the right thing emulating their predecessors or did they get carried away. My take:
No doubt did they get carried away. But there are times when you feel soo strongly for a cause that doing it seems the most natural thing. The movie seems believable to me. Specially the second half.
RDB on the whole does send a strong signal, to the youth of the country. "We are the system.. so lets not blame it and sleep.. Lets move things..."
A must watch.
(Rating : 7.5/10)
Taxi No. 9 2 11
A fast paced thriller (??) of a dashing John Abraham out to lay claim to his billion dollar inheritance that his father didnt want him to have (coz of his flashy lifestyle..), and his proverbial thorn in the flesh Nana Patekar, a hot headed cab driver who gets pissed off by the bragging, spoilt brat. How they try to outdo each other is all that happens. At the end, both sober down to realize its the fire within them they need to sort out to reach their goals.The bad news is, again no real substance.. no real story. Just a thin string of story repeated episode after episode. The good news is, its mostly soo fast that you can dont stop to realize its weaknesses. Nana acts well and plays to the galleries. His over the top act is .. well just Nana. Its so funny, Nana always does the same thing. When he comes on the screen after a break of couple of years, people love his act. Within a couple of months he gets boring and unbearable. John, looks dashing and does what he does best.. look dashing :). A popcorn masala, better that a lot of rubbish you can watch these days. Watch, if its too hot in your house and the cinema not too far away ;-).
(Rating : 5/10)
Being Cyrus
Zinda
DEV



















