Kaun jaayega Zauq , par Dilli ki galiyaan chhodkar!!!
When Sheikh Ibrahim Zauq was asked of his plans to go back home to Agra, he responded by saying this. Well, I, like Zauq, am an immigrant who’s almost made Delhi his home- don’t think I’m leaving this place for some time. I may not have Zauq’s poetic skills though- thought I’ll scribble down some words though-
Ye roads, ye galiyaan
Aur unme woh sexy kudiyaan,
Chala main in roads pe,
Sang apne doston ke,
Kabhi hansa, kabhi kabhi roya,
Yaheen apne ambitions ko sanjoya,
Jab poore huey toh “oh-yea”,
Jab nahi toh “sab tha moh-maya”.
College gaya, chai piya,
Propose kiya, Reject kiya,
Accept hua, reject hua, ditch hua,
Achcha hua, kabhi shaayad bura hua,
Kabhi hansta raha, kabhi sab saha,
Job kiya, resign kiya,
Aur fir job kiya, aur fir resign kiya,
Kabhi paidal chala, kabhi blue line pe,
Kabhi chetak pe, kabhi Santro pe,
Kabhi main baja, jaise concert mein tabla,
Kabhi ghussa hua, jaise anda ho ubla,
kabhi achcha laga, kabhi bura laga,
Fir bhi ye shehar sabse pyaara laga.
Dilli badla, par fir bhi na badla,
Aakhir kaun jaaye yaar,
Dilli ki galiyaan chhodkar!!
I might complete this one someday- this was just a summary.
Something that makes Delhi so special is the food here. This section today is dedicated to the food stalls in Qutb institutional area.
I first went to these dhabas in the winter of 2002. Went to Laxman da dhaba opposite IIFT (I thought it was Indian Institute of Fashion Technology). Was bowled over by the Gobhi Parathas and the Tibetan red chilly pickled sauce. I still am. Spent plenty of evenings and nights there…with friends… Every time somebody comes to Delhi for the 1st time, I take him/ her to this gali. There is something about it- the ridge beside the food area, the energy of the students , the romance in the air…kuch toh hai…
While I’ve been out with many a friends to this place, the cake is reserved for one friend of mine (he will also appear in the blog entry when I write about Andhra bhawan)- Simran Shekhar Singh, athva Triple S.
Triple S and I first went there in the summer of 2006. We were regulars there- almost every evening after citi- sometimes traveled on his bullet, sometimes on my chetak 4 stroke… I shall remember that as the place which cemented our friendship.
While I dedicate this series of blogs to the city and its parts, I shall dedicate this to also some great people who made it special for me.
This is dedicated to Triple S, the genuine gentle giant, great friend and partner in travel in many a Delhi adventures..
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Aall izz well!!!
Long since I wrote any stuff on films here.
Saw a few in the last few days- Rocket Singh was a waste of time, De Dana Dan was worth watching for about 20 minutes of laughter, Paa made me realise that Amitabh Bachchan the superstar often makes us forget the super actor Amitabh Bachchan- definitely a thumbs up for this movie.
The top prize is shared by 3 movies actually- Let me talk about (in brief) about the 2 mallu movies in the list. Mammootty reminds us yet again why he is simply the BEST in the country right now. In the title role of Pazhassi Raja Kerala Varma, he excels. The film is a class apart- a period drama set in the 1790’s. The direction, editing, screenplay, music and the performances- all superb; and guess what!!! Surprise surprise, Sarath Kumar can actually act.
Don’t be surprised if this is India’s official entry to the Oscars next year. That scene in the song Aadi Ushas-sandhya where all the fighters raise up their mashaals and the king walks into the formation (shot in the dark- natural light of only the mashaals) is perhaps the best scene on the Indian screens since the mirror scene in Mughal E Azam (remember pyaar kiya toh darna kya).
Mammootty also excels as the private detective in Paleri Manikyam- Oru Pathirakkolapathakathinte Katha. This perhaps is one of the best suspense films I’ve ever seen.
The Icing on the cake was thanks to the best film experience I’ve had in a long time. 3 Idiots is undoubtedly the most entertaining film of the year- perhaps, the decade. The intentions of the film are absolutely noble and serious. The treatment is noble and entertaining. The film gets you involved right from scene 1. Well, I doubt if there is any way in which my words here can quite translate my joy of having watched the film. It’s not a doubt- I know I can’t.
I like the way the director has pulled a few legs without resorting to mockery; for e.g., the Hindi spoken by the south Indian character or the poverty scene in one family. The lyrics and the dialogues are superb. The screenplay is the finest I’ve seen since RDB. One of Aamir Khan’s best films; and this is Rajkumar Hirani’s best film yet.
As I walked out of the show, I kept singing the lines from one of the songs- and that is exactly how I felt-
“Give me some Sunshine, give me some rain; Give me another chance, I wanna grow up once again...”
Saw a few in the last few days- Rocket Singh was a waste of time, De Dana Dan was worth watching for about 20 minutes of laughter, Paa made me realise that Amitabh Bachchan the superstar often makes us forget the super actor Amitabh Bachchan- definitely a thumbs up for this movie.
The top prize is shared by 3 movies actually- Let me talk about (in brief) about the 2 mallu movies in the list. Mammootty reminds us yet again why he is simply the BEST in the country right now. In the title role of Pazhassi Raja Kerala Varma, he excels. The film is a class apart- a period drama set in the 1790’s. The direction, editing, screenplay, music and the performances- all superb; and guess what!!! Surprise surprise, Sarath Kumar can actually act.
Don’t be surprised if this is India’s official entry to the Oscars next year. That scene in the song Aadi Ushas-sandhya where all the fighters raise up their mashaals and the king walks into the formation (shot in the dark- natural light of only the mashaals) is perhaps the best scene on the Indian screens since the mirror scene in Mughal E Azam (remember pyaar kiya toh darna kya).
Mammootty also excels as the private detective in Paleri Manikyam- Oru Pathirakkolapathakathinte Katha. This perhaps is one of the best suspense films I’ve ever seen.
The Icing on the cake was thanks to the best film experience I’ve had in a long time. 3 Idiots is undoubtedly the most entertaining film of the year- perhaps, the decade. The intentions of the film are absolutely noble and serious. The treatment is noble and entertaining. The film gets you involved right from scene 1. Well, I doubt if there is any way in which my words here can quite translate my joy of having watched the film. It’s not a doubt- I know I can’t.
I like the way the director has pulled a few legs without resorting to mockery; for e.g., the Hindi spoken by the south Indian character or the poverty scene in one family. The lyrics and the dialogues are superb. The screenplay is the finest I’ve seen since RDB. One of Aamir Khan’s best films; and this is Rajkumar Hirani’s best film yet.
As I walked out of the show, I kept singing the lines from one of the songs- and that is exactly how I felt-
“Give me some Sunshine, give me some rain; Give me another chance, I wanna grow up once again...”
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