Adventurous and Unique and Cool Baby names

Often whenever a friend or colleague gets a baby in his or her family...they ask me to share some cool names  So I thought why not write a blog entry and send the link to anyone...who asks me for suggestions. Simple

This is my favourite list. I have put in the meanings wherever I know it.

BOYS:

Anand - old popular Hindi name
Anthony- My name is Anthony Gonzalvis
Anubhav- means experience
Bakshi - That was my grandfather's name
Hyder or Haidar-
Kabir - A popular saint of medieval India
Rustam - Very popular among Parsees
Sufi - comes from Sufism
Tashi - A popular name among Tibetans
Tenzin - Another popular Tibetan name
Vishwamitra- That is my Dad's name


GIRLS:
Catherine - love this name
Koohoo - thats what the Koel does
Khushi - means happiness
Muskaan - means smile
Michele- love this too
Mithi - means sweet
Siya- A mod version of Sita
Zohra- popular Muslim name
Zoya - A wow name...one of my friends has a daughter named Zoya

I will keep adding to this list as and when I get to hear new names...thats it for now...May your kids give you the joy of your life. Have a great parenthood

Akaash Vani - traditional yet contemporary

Just came back after watching Akash Vani...from the makers of Pyaar ka Punchnama - thats what got me to the theatre. The acting is average...yet there is something remarkable about the film.

Its a traditional film because the heroine sacrifices her love for the Izzat of her parents. But the film very solidly portrays the torture she goes through her married life and ends on a simple note.

The girl puts it very clearly to her parents that she cant live with her husband and wants a divorce... and without any much tamasha...moves out of the house...which makes the film contemporary. Though I guess its her love that gives her the courage to take up the matter with her parents and hubby...but still whatever the reason...the woman musters courage to go on in life...do her MBA and live life to the full.

Powerful scenes:

1. When the father of the girl cries after her elder sister runs away.
2. When the husband forces him on the girl first time...cant see it!
3. On the bridge Akash Vani - with Akash holding a rose in the mouth


Good story...could have been directed well.

Cocktail

Watched this film yesterday...hadnt expected much from the film as the reviews werent really flashy. And though its not a film which is really really great yet its a film which has several unique elements to it, which  I have never seen earlier in Indian films.

Unique element no.1 - No other Indian film before has taken up a story around two girls and a guy staying together in a house. And the ease with which this relationship is portrayed...it looks real

Unique element no.2 - The no strings attached relationship between Veronica and Gautam staying together (it often ends up in love in other Indian films) - Its sheer 'being together' nothing else.

Unique element no. 3 - The film is not melodramatic at all...it talks about all the emotions straightforwardly...and the characters get straight with conversations. High time Indian films start talking straight. Life as it is. Gautam asks the two ladies Veronica and Meera to come to the table and puts it openly what his love interest is - Wow! what a scene

Unique element no. 4 - The film deals with sexuality very straightforwardly. I like the scenes when the Mama (Boman Irani) literally begs Veronica to wear her pants and not roam around the house without a bottom. The best part is the way Veronica is able to carry those scenes very well...the casuality in it all.

Unique element no. 5 - I think its a girls' film. Talk about female oriented films and roles....where you have to portray that the female comes out as Rani Jhansi. Thats passe...I think this is what I call a female oriented film in contemporary modern urban India (or should I say Indian diaspora)...completely...would love to watch more of such films.

Its amazing to see the two beautiful ladies in the film...both look pretty and fresh. Diana isnt beautiful on the first look...but be with her for a while and you fall in love with her.

Lastly...I must appreciate Deepika urf Veronica...I think she has got all that it takes to portray roles of a contemporary girl...the way she delivers dialogues is just so desi yet modern. She is the strength of the film. Deepika is doing the right kind of roles and would play a key role is altering the sensitivities of modern Indian girls in time to come.

Ishaqzaade

Watched the move 'Ishaqzaade' a couple of days back. Walked out  of the cinema  hall- jolted...very moving film.

Very interesting plot and very impressive performances by the lead roles.

One thing I really liked is the couple taking refuge in a brothel. There is a scene when the hero takes the heroine to his favourite girl's room. Its interesting to watch the conversation between the girl and the heroine.

Very  disturbing end but a great film

Aankhon men hairaniyan le ke chal rahe ho to zinda ho tum

Zindagi na milegi dobara is an interesting film.

Of the many things I liked about the movie...one which I really liked is the poetry recited by Farhaan urf Imraan.

The movie ends with a few lines going like this:

Dilo men tum apni betabiyan le ke chal rahe ho to zinda ho tum
Nazar men khabon ki biljiyan le ke chal rahe ho to zinda ho tum

hawa ke jhokon ke jaise azad rehna seekho
tum ek dariya ke jaise lehron men behna seekho
har ek lamhe se tum milo kholey apni bahen
har ek pal ek naya saman likhe yeh nigahen

jo apni aankhon men hairaniyan le ke chal rahe ho to zinda ho tum
Dilon men apni betabiyan le ke chal rahe ho to zinda ho tum

Great meaning...it talks about almost everything in life including living the moment

enjoyed it

Another line I remember is

'Yeh jo gehre sannate hain...waqt ne sabko hi baante hain
thoda ghum hai sabka hissa...thodi dhoop hai sabka hissa...

superb lines written by Javed Akhtar...mazaa aa gaya

Missed a flight

There are various ways of categorizing people in this world…popular ones being the dual approach….those who have seen the Taj mahal and those who haven’t (very popular in the west)…in Amitabh Bacchan style…ek woh jo saari zindagi ek hi kaam karte rehten hain aur doosre who jo ek hi zindagi men saare kam kar lete hain….so on and so forth.

Let me add one more duality. People who have never missed a flight/train and those who have. I belonged to the first category till 13 December 2011 but now I am on the other side. Missed my morning flight to Indore by 7 minutes…check in stops 45 minutes prior to Departure.

I had so much enjoyed narrating stories to people on how I had caught flights despite being late and how I had boarded moving trains…Jab we met style. But I guess…ran out of luck on the 13th…unlucky number.

It’s a very strange feeling to miss a flight…as usual you try to figure out reasons. There are only two ways…either you take responsibility for being late or put the responsibility on the airline (start blaming the airline for being rude…didn’t allow you in despite being just 7 minutes late)

If you take responsibility…there are two ways to go about it…feel guilty that you didn’t wake up in time (my flight was an early morning flight 5.40am so had to get up at around 3.15 in the morning to be there as I live far far away from the airport…have I started giving reasons again?)…you could have planned it better etc etc.

The other way of taking responsibility is to accept you were a lazy bum and take a resolution…never to be late again. In fact one of my friends who had always heard my Jab we met stories…was happy to hear that I missed the flight. She said “Now you are never going to be late…ever in your life”…Well that time will tell. But I guess she is true. I have resolved to be more responsible now.

Its great to see people’s behaviours who are late…obviously, the lady at the counter marks your reporting time on the ticket print out and asks you to see the supervisor …sitting at a quieter counter at the airport.

I had been late once before also and the lady supervisor had bailed me out but it was not the same this time…she was clear…the boarding check in software was blocked 45 minutes before and its all over.

Story of people who put the responsibility elsewhere - There was guy right next to me who screamed at the lady and bullshitted her. He said I want to see your boss and this and that. Its just a few minutes…it always this with Jetlite etc…I have a meeting with the minister…etc. And then a few minutes later he was polite…tried every tactic but the lady didn’t budge. I asked her one last time…she said she couldn’t do anything…I moved to the bookings counter to reschedule my ticket as the man continued with his persuasions.

I think its good that the rules are being followed strictly at the Delhi airport now. I am in for it…though I missed my flight. An aircraft works on 100 percent integrity…there is no compromise on any component working below efficiency…the Pilot cannot say…yaar bus thoda sa kum fuel dalwaya tha…airport se 4 kilometre pehle khatam ho gaya.

I am glad I missed the flight …love to be on the other side.

P.S - Incidentally, a number of people in my office have been missing flights/trains and have shared with the boss that its their first time that they missed. I don’t know if its true for them or not… but its true for me. I will also share the same with my boss.

Laxmi = paisa or...Dollars

A picture of Goddess Lakshmi outside a shop caught my eye.

I couldnt believe it at first...Did I see dollars in the picture? The picture was a usual one... with Lakshmi sitting on the lotus (If I am correct)...with multiple hands ...each having something different. There were coins flowing from one of the hands....But...in the background were dollar bills...1 dollar bills.

Had it been a shop in New York...it was still palatable but...to see dollars in a local panwala shop was surprising. Money now meant dollars and not Indian rupiah...Lakshmi was equivalent to dollars.

Then I thought...thats the truth... Dollar is the global currency.

Went back to my workstation and shared it with my office colleagues. There was this discussion on how idols of Ganesha etc were now being manufactured in China. Reminded me of an article in HT on that one. One of my friends said, ' You never know...soon there could be Chinese yen in the background instead of dollars'.

She was so true...but its amazing to see how currency has seeped into the depiction of Lakshmi.

I am sure the Diwali celebrations in Europe and US among the Indian diaspora would obviously have dollars and Euros instead of Rupiah.

P.S - Dont miss the rat eating the modak....Dont miss George Washington in the background?

PS 2 - If dollars have influenced Lakshmi...not long till it influences our lyricists

Kyun paisa paisa karti hai, Kyun paise pe tu marti hai

may change tu

Kyun dollar dollar karti hai, Kyun dollar pe tu marti hai