Very Indian

Why are Indians so overly eager to deem things to be Indian or to classify them to be made by Indians? I just read something on one of the Indian news websites about how Couples Retreat is a movie with a soundtrack by A. R. Rahman. Really? Two songs out of fifteen make it his soundtrack, do they? Much as I like his music, this is just not true.

I'm sure everybody recalls how Slumdog Millionaire was plastered all over the Indian press as an Indian movie that got recognized internationally. The producers, screenplay writer, and director were all English. True, they did have an Indian assistant director, and a number of Indians in the cast, but you know, that doesn't make it Indian?

Being a country that's well on its way to becoming the most populous nation in the world, don't we have enough things that are actually ours? And if we don't, what does that say for the country?

Song of the Week

If you haven't already, you must listen to Mere Paa from Paa. It takes a while to recognize the voice, if you don't already know that it's been sung by Amitabh Bachchan. Of course, he's been singing a lot of his own songs throughout his career, but this is in a league of its own. It captures the innocence of a child with in the ageing voice of the character whose physical growth is accelerated but mental growth is normal. Absolutely amazing.

By the way, can somebody remind me of the name of the Robin Williams movie with a similar storyline?

While we're talking about songs, if you haven't heard the songs in the soundtrack of Couples Retreat, it has a few tracks by Rahman which are rather different from his usual stuff. One of them is in Tamil. This one is in English and Hindi.

Song Of The Week

This is something I never heard in India, which is surprising since it's an A. R. Rahman composition from a movie supposedly released in 2008. But Meherbaan from Ada has got to be one of his finest works in recent times. (Strangely enough, this movie is not even listed on IMDb.)

This is a beautifully written song, into which Rahman's voice breathes life. That's right. It's sung by Rahman, composed by Rahman, and I love it. Do I need to say more?

Rahman At The Academy Awards: My Two Cents

In case you wanted to ask why I didn't write anything last night, I was watching the repeat telecast of the Academy Awards until about one in the morning and then I felt the need to take a bath and go to sleep.

Obviously I already knew the outcome, but I still wanted to see Rahman perform at the Kodak Theatre and I wanted to hear his acceptance speech. I was actually rooting for O... Saya and was a little disappointed when the award went to Jai Ho. I mean, it's a nice song, but it's very regular Rahman stuff. Not like Maa Tujhe Salaam or something. But watching the ceremony was pretty interesting. The Star Movies Red Carpet Special had a very adorable bit with the kids from the cast of Slumdog Millionaire. When asked if he had anything to say to his friends back home, he said that they were going to win and that his friends should bet on it and give him fifty percent of their winnings. It was quite cute.

In Rahman's first acceptance speech, he acknowledged his mother's blessings with the much too famous "Mere paas maa hai" line. It was a little amusing but quite sweet. And Rahman performed O... Saya, followed by the other guy performing Down To Earth, followed by Rahman performing Jai Ho, followed by an interleaved performance with Down To Earth and Jai Ho being sung simultaneously. Seeing Rahman perform on that stage made Jai Ho sound better than ever before, and in spite of knowing the result beforehand, I had happy tears in my eyes when he went to accept his second Academy Award.

When Danny Boyle was walking down the Red Carpet and was asked if he had a message for all those in India who were watching, he let out an enthusiastic "Jai Ho!" That's the anthem for the moment. Jai Ho!

Words From The Songs Of Delhi 6

Like I said, I wanted to write separately about the music of Delhi 6. It's a huge relief after the disappointment that was Ghajini, where Kaise Mujhe was the only track I actually liked.

The tracks from Delhi 6 took a while to grow on me, and I grew tired of Masakali pretty quickly, but there are a few tracks that I find really touching and hummable.

As the movie opens with Amitabh Bachchan's evergreen voice, these words fill the air:

Zarre zarre mein usi ka noor hai
Jhaank khud mein, woh na tujhse door hai
Ishq hai us se to sab se ishq kar
Ishq hai us se
To sab se ishq kar
Is ibaadat ka yehi dastoor hai

Is mein us mein aur us mein hai wohi
Is mein us mein aur us mein hai wohi
Yaar mera har taraf bharpoor hai

Then there is the title track, which has this really nice, zingy feel to it. The French touch does wonders for this song.

Bada kas ke gale lagata hai
Dhadkan ki dhoom sunata hai
Iske baaye taraf bhi dil hai
Iske daaye taraf bhi dil hai
Yeh sheher nahi mehfil hai

I've already done a post on Genda Phool. In the movie, this song is actually not used in the kind of situation one would think, having heard the song. It's actually used in a slightly arbitrary but interesting way. But I can watch Abhishek do his Genda Phool dance any number of times.

I've also already written about Rehna Tu. This is definitely one of the most beautifully worded songs in Bollywood in recent times. Every word, every line is so touching, as is the general philosophy behind the song.

Tujhe badalna na chahoon
Ratti bhar bhi sanam
Bina sajaawat, milaawat
Na zyaada na hi kam

...

Tu zakhm de agar
Marham bhi aake tu lagaaye
Zakhm pe bhi mujhko pyaar aaye

Of course, there's the Hey Kaala Bandar song. I could not make head or tail out of this until I saw the movie. Once you see it, and appreciate the significance of the song, it's probably the most meaningful song in the album.

Saare rit rivaaz hata kar
Dekho apne ghar ke andar
Shaayad kahin kisi kone mein
Ghoom raha hai kaala bandar

The Arziyan number, with its qawwali style, resembles Rahman's other works like Noor-Un-Ala-Noor from Meenaxi and Khwaja Mere Khwaja from Jodhaa Akbar. Somehow, when this song appears for the first time (It appears twice. Once you get to hear only a few lines and later you hear all of it.), one actually gets the feeling that this guy who has just come to Delhi from the States is being welcomed by Delhi 6 with open arms. A couple of beautiful lines:

Daraare daraare hain maathe pe maula
Murammat muqaddar ki kar do maula

Dil Gira Dafatan definitely deserves to be mentioned here, but I can't pick just a few lines from it which really left their mark. And I do not intend to put the entire song here. But the general feel of the song is dependent on a lot more than the words. The vocals and the music are both surreal. It kind of reminds me of Kahin To...

There was a line which was not part of a song, just something that Sonam said during the course of the film. She was referring to her dad's beloved pigeon.

Ye udd nahin sakti. Iske pankh bandhe hue hain. Kyunki ye bauji ki chaheti hai.

Nothing very special about these words, except their figurative meaning. This is the point where I really felt for Sonam's character and could relate to her.

Beautiful movie. Beautiful songs.

Song Of The Week

Genda Phool from Delhi 6. I have been listening to this number for quite a few days now, but all of a sudden I find myself able to relate to the sentiments expressed in it. It's this really cute and interesting song that expresses the sentiments of a woman whose husband is away from home, and she misses him. It talks of how her in-laws' place is a mixture of the good and the bad. The lyrics are just beautiful. And the music that starts about fifty seconds into the song is just great. If you haven't seen the video so far, follow the link above. Abhishek Bachchan is really adorable in this one. Hey, I know he's married, and I'm going to be married soon too, but that doesn't take away the universal right to say such things about celebrities, does it? Which brings me to another point. This morning, Jatin sent me a few pictures of the neighbourhood where he lives. There was a lovely garden with assorted flowers, a lot of which were genda phools. This song refuses to leave my mind since then. I think I heard it about thirty times today. And now I'm going back to watching Abhishek dancing to the tune. Do not disturb.

Song Of The Week

Rehna Tu from Delhi 6. I like this number because it talks about loving someone for exactly what they are, and not wanting to change the person at all. I know it's a little too idealistic, but I really like the thought. Because you know, nobody is ever really perfect. You have to acknowledge the other person's imperfections and learn to accept them as they are. In a relationship, you have to complement each other, complete each other.

Haath thaam chalna ho
To dono ke daanye haath sang kaise
Ek daanya hoga
Ek baanya hoga
Thaam le haath ye thaam le
Chalna hai sang thaam le

And of course, it goes without saying that the music is just lovely, as are the vocals. Rahman and Benny Dayal have both done their jobs really well. Worth a listen. A nice, relaxed one.

Mixed Bag

My mind is rather restless, and, quite often, it does not stick to a single thought. So here's today's mixed bag of thoughts.

• I'm feeling really good about A. R. Rahman's three Oscar nominations. Two out of three in the Music (Song) category. That's quite something. I didn't quite think that Jai Ho would appeal so much to international tastes. I think O... Saya is one of Rahman's greatest tracks ever, comparable only to the likes of Vande Mataram. It has a totally awesome feel to it, and great music, but it has about three words in the name of lyrics. The lyrics of a song are generally a major factor for a song to appeal to me, but there are a few pieces that transcend this barrier, like the Rangeela theme, or the Jaage Hain number from Guru.
• My electrician fixed my malfunctioning geyser, much to my joy. But he interchanged the little lights. Now the harmless looking green light signals danger and malfunction, while the scary, bright red light says that everything is normal.
• One of the computers in my house was in dire need of an upgrade. Now this used to be the old, short computer, so it was called Yoda. All computers in my house are named after Star Wars characters, as is the network. Now since this one was significantly upgraded, it is no longer exactly the oldest computer in the house. It needed renaming. For the first time, I christened a computer. It's now called Artoo.

I'm off to Manali with some friends over the extended weekend, so this little journal will be on a little break. Catch you after the break.

Indian Television And Advertising

The recent Airtel advertisement featuring Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan makes me want to scratch Kareena's eyes right out. Just like the vast majority of her movies. She is back to her overacting and her irritating ways, on the small screen as well as on the big screen.

This makes me think of all the lovely ads the folks at Airtel have come up with in the past. Remember the first few ads that featured the theme that A. R. Rahman composed for them? There was one which featured a lot of people of all sorts, and a large choir holding candles in their hands and lighting their candles from each others'. This was about the time they came up with the tag line Express Yourself. I used to love that one. And the more recent one with two boys playing with a ball at the border. The Madhavan-Vidya Balan series was completely adorable and romantic.

There's also a bunch of Coca Cola commercials that I used to like. The one where Aishwarya and Aamir met online, or the one where Aamir donned his tapori avatar, and I think also introduced the Thanda Matlab Coca Cola punchline. I liked lots of the Aamir Khan ads, actually. Each one featured him in a new look and a new role, just like each of his movies. Speaking of Aamir and Aishwarya, these two also did a Pepsi commercial together, which, I hear, was Aishwarya's first foray into modelling. That one had a pretty interesting story line to it, if I may say so about a TV commercial.

And then there's all the stuff Abhishek Bachchan has done for Idea. The best thing about these ads is that they are cute, and also carry a social message. Like the education for all campaign. Or the more recent democracy campaign. I must admit, some of the stuff Abhishek did for idea was a little weird and not too fitting for his persona, but some of it totally rocks.

And then there are some that date back to my childhood. Can I ever forget the adorable innocence of the I Love You Rasna commercials? Or some of the earliest Cadbury's Dairy Milk ads? Speaking of innocence, there was this Dhara commercial with a little boy who wanted to run away from home and then he was told that his mom had made jalebi at home. The innocent, cute expression with which he echoed "jalebi?" was just unbeatable. We don't get to see that kind of innocence these days. Kids seem to be growing up so much faster.

Okay, now that I watched these nice videos on YouTube, I've moved past the negative vibes emanating from the Kareena ad. Now I can sleep peacefully.

Heaven

There are days when I feel restless for no apparent reason and can't really seem to concentrate on anything or get anything done. Today was one such day. Okay, so maybe there was an apparent reason, but I an unsure that it was in fact the reason and I am also a little scared of admitting it.

Anyway, it is days like these that make me feel a little miserable, lonely, sad... but today I thought I'd think happier thoughts. I'd think of all the stuff that makes me feel like I am in heaven. So here goes.

• Mom's rajma chawal.
• An A. R. Rahman composition playing on repeat. Even better if it is one that he has sung himself.
• A rich, chocolaty dessert.
• A warm blanket on a cold night.
• Having time to sleep all I want.
• Solitude. With just a little something to read and a notebook (dead tree or electronic) so that I can write.

So if you compare this list with an older one, you'll notice that a lot of things have more or less remained the same in these six months, but some have changed. I now love reading more than ever before, and I love spending time by myself rather than with friends. And, I still love it when people appreciate what I write, but the joy of writing itself is so great that it tremendously overshadows that of the writing being appreciated. I'm not sure if these changes are for the better or for the worse, but change is a way of life. Keeps things moving.

Another Feather In Rahman's Cap

If you've been following my blog closely enough, you'd know that I am a huge fan of A. R. Rahman's music, his voice, his patriotism. I think there have been only two phases when I grew to like an advertisement so much that I used to be on the lookout for it, glued to the couch during the commercial breaks, and getting up for snacks and little chores when the movie was back on. One was when Vivek Oberoi did his first Coke commercial with Aishwarya Rai. The other was when Rahman composed the theme music for Airtel for the first time. I think, if I listed out my favourite hundred songs of all time, around seventy would be Rahman's compositions. Okay, I am not actually going to make that list and verify the statistic. But I have always loved his music, from Roja to Dil Se to Bombay to Rangeela to Vande Mataram to Bombay Dreams to Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na to Saathiya to The Legend Of Bhagat Singh to One Two Ka Four to Nayak to Pukar to Taal to Swades to Water to Yuva to Guru to Meenaxi, and to the Golden Globe winning Slumdog Millionaire. Roja was actually the first original audio CD I bought myself, some twelve years ago. I rarely, if ever, watch award ceremonies like these, but I was just channel surfing and landed on World Movies at the exact moment that Rahman was walking up to the stage to accept his award. Obviously I had to stop channel surfing right then. And then David Duchovny walked up to the stage to present the next award, and he got me interested enough to watch the rest of the ceremony. When Danny Boyle went up to receive his award for directing Slumdog Millionaire, Anil Kapoor stood up and did a little dance which was sort of in the style of Bhangra. I was hoping he would do it again when everyone went on to the stage for the Best Motion Picture - Drama award, but he disappointed me there.

For those of you who haven't checked out the soundtrack so far, start with the O... Saya track. It does not have too many words, but it has Rahman's music, his voice, his magic. Dim the lights, relax, and play this one on repeat. If you're more a fan of just his music, or prefer instrumental tracks, execute the above instructions with the Mausam & Magic number. If you're looking for something more Indian, Jai Ho is the track for you. It has the added unbeatable plus point of featuring Sukwinder Singh's voice. And if you're looking for something a little less Indian, check out Dreams On Fire. Suzanne has done a great job with the vocals on this one.

I really want to watch this movie, if only for the background score. I hear only the Hindi version will be released in India. That kind of disappoints me, because I would have liked to watch it the way it was originally made - in English. But I will still go and watch it on the big screen, even if I have to go by myself, because something of this magnitude needs to be enjoyed on a grand scale.

New Year Traditions

I don't make New Year's resolutions. I make my resolutions on any random day during the course of the year, when I feel like it, because that is when I actually put my mind to them and act upon them seriously.

But I do have some little New Year traditions, just like my little Christmas traditions.

Remember the days of Doordarshan, some twenty years ago, when they would put together an interesting, entertaining, variety show in which the likes of Jaspal Bhatti would make us make our way merrily into the new year? In those days, the entire family would curl up in front of the TV with a quilt and watch whatever was going on.

And then, out of nowhere, we grew up, began to find it rather boring to sit at home and watch TV with the family. I think the last time we did that, we watched an A. R. Rahman concert. After that, we preferred to be out, partying with friends.

And somewhere along the line, being with the family began to appeal to me once again. I go out with friends all the time. I also go out by myself. But I rarely, if at all, go out with my family any more. So I prefer spending occasions like birthdays, my parents' anniversary, Diwali, and New Year's, with the family. Because when I think about it, it's not too often that I actually make time to be with them. Sometimes, because of erratic work schedules, I don't talk to my brother for days together. Because it just doesn't happen that both of us are at home and are awake. Even if we are, at the end of a long day at work, all I want to do is eat, take a bath, and go to sleep. Sometimes, life passes us by so fast that we miss what really matters.

Have a great year, everyone.

Song Of The Year

The single song that I liked the most, heard the most, enjoyed the most, and hummed to myself the most this year was Kahin To... from Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. This is the kind of song that makes me feel like dimming the lights, closing the door to my room, and playing it out loud, though not at an obscenely high volume which would spoil the beauty of the whole thing. This is a song that has evoked a lot of emotion in my being and still continues to do so, after being heard close to three hundred times. That's actually a pseudo-randomly generated statistic, based on the play count of one hundred and eighty in the pink media player, and an estimate of the number of times I must have played it on my iRiver and in the car. And the two occasions on which I watched this movie!

You know how some songs are full of angst, but the way they put together the words, the music, and the vocals, they actually make you feel good? These lines have exactly that effect on me:

Jaane naa kahan wo duniya hai
Jaane naa wo hai bhi ya nahin
Jahaan meri zindagi mujhse
Itni khafa nahin

And Vasundhara Das, who has just these four lines in the song, blows me away with the way she sings her four lines.

Saansein kho gayi hai kiski aahon mein
Main kho gayi hoon jaane kiski baahon mein
Manzilon se raahein dhoondhti chali
Kho gayi hai manzil kahin raahon mein

Even after disappointments (music-wise) like Ghajini, songs like this reaffirm my faith in A. R. Rahman's music and make me look forward to whatever he will be working on in the coming year.

Ghajini

You know how movies are classified into genres? How they all fit into neatly demarcated categories, how they are either romantic movies, or comedies, or thrillers, or action movies?

And then, once in a while, along comes a movie which, touches upon all of these, doing justice to all of them, and not overdoing any of it? Ghajini is just such a movie. A movie which has scenes that touch the heart of the romantic, scenes that thrill, scenes that are action packed and utterly gruesome at times, scenes that make you laugh, and those that make you cry.

When I go out for a movie that's any longer than two hours, I always have an inkling of doubt, about whether or not I'll be able to sit through all of it, without getting all fidgety and restless as I often tend to, during movies like Kal Ho Naa Ho or Devdas. But, well, this is one movie that completely justifies overshooting the three-hour mark. I was completely glued to my seat all through, completely absorbed in the movie, entirely unaware of everything, if anything, that was going on around me. In the scene where Kalpana helps the physically challenged girls cross over the museum gates, I felt this sudden burst of joy, this renewed faith in humanity, the feeling that all goodness is not dead. It was enough to make my eyes mist up. When Kalpana sold off her prized Ambassador to help pay for the treatment of the ailment that Sanjay said his mother was suffering from, I was completely touched. The part where Ghajini's goons were looking for Kalpana because they had been instructed to hunt her down and kill her off, I was so utterly terrified, horrified, terrorized, like I've never been during any movie I've ever seen.

That's the kind of film it is. It deals with a wide gamut of events, people and emotions, and makes the audience feel everything from their heart and soul.

And by the way, I don't care to much for Aamir's look that was created specifically for this movie, because it doesn't suit him (or any other decent guy, probably) to shave the hair on his head and not the ones on his face. But when those two things are the right way around, in the part where Kalpana is still alive, he looks terrific, as always. In the Behka number, he wears all kinds of clothes, including a bright purple T-Shirt and a bright pink shirt (albeit with a waistcoat on top of it, but the shirt does show through, you know). And he perches on top of a bright pink car. None of those colours look out of place. All the six looks he sports in that song are just great.

Speaking of the song, the background music is great, but the songs leave a lot to be desired. Nowhere near what I expect from A. R. Rahman after masterpieces like Ae Ajnabi, Kahin To..., Nahin Samne, Tu Hi Re, and albums like Vande Mataram, Bombay Dreams, and the more recent, Slumdog Millionaire. Only the Kaise Mujhe number appealed to me somewhat, and even that one doesn't really sound Rahmanesque (That's a term my brother, also a big Rahman fan, coined.) either.

But hey, don't play the songs on repeat, but do go and watch the movie. It has something for everyone.

A. R. Rahman: The Composer, The Singer, The Patriot

This is one of my overdue posts that I haven't been able to write because I've been either ill or sleep-deprived over the last week or so. I was also thinking about writing about whatever has been happening in Mumbai, but I somehow find myself at a loss for words when it comes to expressing myself on such depressing stuff. So this is what I chose to write about instead.

With all the radio stations playing patriotic songs over the last couple of days, I noticed that, in recent times, much of the good patriotic music has been composed by A. R. Rahman. Somehow, everyone who makes a decent film about the freedom struggle picks him to do the music. Take The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Lagaan. Mangal Pandey. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero. And then there are the movies that are set in the present day, and how relevant our love for our country is in a real-world, present day scenario, like Rang De Basanti and Swades. I somehow feel that, in the music of all these and other films, Rahman has put in a lot of feeling, which makes it touch the hearts of the audience and get the film maker's message across more effectively. Even more so when he sings a little as well. Like in the Aazaadi number. Or Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera. And, of course, not to forget, the legendary, Maa Tujhe Salaam from his album that he created to commemorate India's fiftieth Independence Day. I also liked the creativity expressed in his Jana Gana Mana that he composed for our sixtieth Independence day. I somehow always feel a rush of emotions when I hear him sing these lines:

Mitti ki hai jo khushi
Wo kaise bhulaayega
Tu chaahe jab jaaye
Tu laut ke aayega

Or these:

Main gaya jahaan bhi
Bas teri yaad thi
Jo mere saath thi

Nobody else can express these sentiments the way he does. Since his debut with Roja in 1992 (which, by the way, also included one of the most beautiful patriotic tracks I have ever come across - Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyaara Hai), Rahman has come a long way. He does justice to every genre of music, be it soft, romantic numbers, or light, peppy numbers, or stage musicals like Bombay Dreams. He has been everywhere, done everything, and yet, never fails to strike a chord with his audience, never fails to please them, to give them just what they want.

Soundtrack Of The Month: Yuvvraaj

Who knows why the name of this movie is spelt the way it is spelt?

Who thinks that the answer to the above question bears any significance whatsoever?

Need I mention again that A. R. Rahman rocks? There have been three Bollywood movie soundtracks this year that I really liked. Two of those are Rahman's. He lends his voice only so very briefly to the Tu Hi To Meri Dost Hai number, but, in doing so, he gives it the magic that it has. This song has this lovely sentiment behind it, about friendship being more significant than love, friendship being the foundation stone of love. Touches me deeply.

The Zindagi number is another really touching one. The words say a lot more than what they actually say. It's a little sad, but it's not depressing. At some level, it seems to have a ray of hope breaking through the grey clouds. And terrific vocals by Srinivas.

Speaking of hope, there are Tu Muskura, Mastam Mastam (This song begins with a kitten's meow! The words don't make much sense to me though. But a Gulzar-Rahman album would be incomplete without such a track!), Manmohini, and Dil Ka Rishta, all of which carry a distinct feel-good factor. Great vocals by the whole bandwagon in Dil Ka Rishta. Ditto for Vijay Prakash in Manmohini and Javed Ali in Tu Muskura. And very interesting use of musical instruments for Dil Ka Rishta and Manmohini. Actually, I cannot make sense of the lyrics of all four of these songs, but I like them all anyway!

There is a track called Main Hoon Yuvvraaj in the soundtrack as well. This one is not really a song. It has Salman Khan saying something or the other, with Beethoven's music playing in the background. Nothing to write home about. And there is Shano Shano. A fairly hummable track but not too great.

But all in all, this is a lovely album. Some totally great tracks in here.

Footnote: Sometimes A. R. Rahman's voice appeals to me more than his music. Remember Dil Se? Mera Yaar Mila De? Piya Haji Ali, Ye Jo Des Hai Tera, Maa Tujhe Salaam? But there are tracks like Kahin To..., Nahin Samne, Spirit Of Rangeela or O Humdum Suniyo Re where he shows you that he knows just how to play with the musical instruments and transport you to another world all together.

Zindagi Zindagi, Kya Kami Reh Gayi

After a pretty long while I've come across a Bollywood movie soundtrack in which I like all the songs. A. R. Rahman totally rocks! Even if he sings for fifteen seconds, he adds magic to the song. Even if it's just a little alaap that he's providing the vocals for.

I just felt like quoting from the Zindagi number:

Zindagi zindagi
Kya kami reh gayi
Aankh ki kor mein
Aankh ki kor mein
Kyun nami reh gayi

I will write more about the music of Yuvvraaj once I familiarise myself with it a little more, but for now, this is all I wanted to write.

Song Of The Month

Since music is so important to me, and it contributes greatly to my moods, I thought I'd pick a worthy song once a month and put down a couple of lines about it. For this month, I picked Mar Jaawan from Fashion. Now I've never heard of this singer, Shruti Pathak, before. I think this movie promises to be one of the biggest disasters of the year. But I love this song. It's been playing in the much-famed pink media player for just over a week, and its play count is already 25. I love listening to this girl over and over again.

Previous songs of the month, since I started blogging:

May: Teri Yaadein from Love Story. This comes from a TV series that I'd never seen. I haven't seen it to date. I think it airs (or aired) on Sab TV. Hemant introduced me to this song one evening in Ashish's car. I don't know what it was that I liked about this song. But I did really like it. Listened to it over and over again over at least two whole weekends. This song has joined the likes of O Humdum Suniyo Re and Dil Chahta Hai in being one of the few songs that can cheer me up almost instantly, or calm me down if I am feeling restless and unable to sleep. Play count in the media player: 95. This has also been played often in my car, and on my iRiver. Oh, I still cannot remember all the words!

June: Beete Lamhein from The Train. This song used to bring back some really unpleasant memories. I played it on repeat over a week or so, and got so used to it that there was no longer any room for the negative vibes. And I ended up liking the song once again.

July: Kahin To... from Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. This was one of the only two movies this year which I enjoyed from end to end, and also enjoyed all of its songs thoroughly. A R Rahman rocks! As always. Play count: 122. This is the only song I have also heard on repeat in the car.

August: Ye Tumhari Meri Baatein from Rock On!!

September: Tum Ho Toh from Rock On!! More on the music of Rock On!! here.

Stuff I Love

• People complimenting me on all the weight I've lost
• People complimenting me on the stuff I write here
• Writing random stuff that nobody else cares about and making people read it
• The way my brother's face lights up when I shop for him and he likes the stuff I get for him (which he usually does, by the way :) )
• Meeting up with old friends
• Going shopping all by myself
• Having someone do something thoughtful for me unexpectedly
• My mom's Rajma Chawal
• Watermelons
• Anything sinfully chocolaty
• Seeing something sinfully chocolaty right in front of my eyes and restricting myself from eating it
• Seeing something sinfully chocolaty right in front of my eyes and not restricting myself from eating it
• A R Rahman's music
• Sukhwinder Singh's voice
• Ajay Devgan's expressive eyes
• Aamir Khan's acting
• A song that's going about in my head being played on the radio
• The Shrek movies and the songs featured in the soundtracks
• Strolling about in the drizzle and singing to myself when it's raining a little and there's a breeze
• Driving with the windows rolled down when it's raining a little and there's a breeze
• Nice, cool baths in the summer
• Nice, warm baths in the winter
• And, sleeping to my heart's content!!!

Whether You Know It Or Not

I was just looking at the plot synopsis of Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. This is an excerpt from what I read:

"Jai and Aditi are perfect for each other (in some odd, distorted way, impossible to understand). Friends know this. Parents know this. Everybody knows this. But do Jai and Aditi know?

"Can two people ever, truly, know the secrets of their hearts? And how do you know it's the real thing? Will they find love in each other? When do you know it's love?"

Somehow this sort of theme feels very close to my heart. We go through life so fast that we miss all the signs. We don't always realize that a certain person is the one we're meant to be with, until one fine day when it's a little too late. We don't know we love that person until we realize that we can't have them.

There's a song from this movie called Jaane Tu Meri Kya Hai which I totally loved. Not just because it's composed by Rahman and sung by Sukhwinder Singh. The words touched me deeply.

Hai dosti humko yakeen tha, dosti aur kuch bhi nahi tha
Par kaise tujh ko baante, kyu chubhte hai pairon mein kaante
Janaa dil jaana, kaise maine naa jaana
Ke pyaar yahi hai, yeh jaane tu ya jaane naa

Quite a random thought, this one. My last three or four posts, I noticed, have been a lot longer than my usual posts. This one is being kept short in an attempt to restore normalcy.