Bullah ki jaana main kaun?

I am reading a primer on Raidass these days. Raidass or Ravidass was a medieval saint better known in North India by the saying "Mann changa to Kathauti men Ganga" i.e if your heart is clear then even the water in a cobblers container is equivalent to Ganga water. Mindful that Hindus consider Ganga water to be pure and nothing else. Its another fact that Ganga is quite polluted today.

I have had this primer of a book for quite a while now and how I got it is another story. But the reason I picked it up and started reading it a few days back is because there is quite some furore in India around protests of SC/STs...so I thought let me pick up a book which talks about one of the most renowned lower caste saints of India - Ravidass, who was a cobbler saint. Am just amazed at the vocational saints of medieval India. Kabir was a weaver.

So...I was reading the book while coming on the metro today and trying to get an insight into the caste system of India, though I am part of it too. And just as I got down at the Mandi House metro station I started humming the song 'Bullah ki jaana main Kaun' and I got the song! I think I really got in touch with the meaning of the song, which has not only great spiritual ramifications but also educational ramifications. I realised that whatever you forget...thats what you are or to put it another way whatever you remember you are...you are not that. Bulleh Shah, the great Sufi poet perhaps reached such a state where he didnt know what he was - and he counts all the identities in the long poem or Kafi. He had attained that state.

Believe me its difficult to explain what I really got. Crazy stuff!..and someone who is not on a spiritual journey will find it extremely difficult to understand what I am writing and where I am heading for.

It was quite a moment for me at the Mandi House Metro Station, a rather non-spiritual place especially in the morning rush hour.

I also realised that the real education is what we forget i.e which is so internalized in us, that we dont even know we have it...for example our accent...what we speak...thats what we really are. If we have to tell what we are...we are exactly not that but something else.

I thanked god and Bulleh Shah and started my walk to the office digging the thought deeper and in just about an hour had moved on with my daily routine in office, until I found an email from our communications person, who had requested everyone to share about themselves in 75 words along with a pic to be put up on our new website.

And just when I thought of jotting down those 75 words...I didnt know what to write...should I write about my education, my passion of education, the fact that I am a amateur film maker, blogger, thinker, philosophers...there was just too much.

And suddenly Bullah came back singing Bullah ki jaana main Kaun. What a coincidence...the day I discover my own meaning of Bullah ki jaana main kaun...i am officially asked to write who I am?
So I decided to just use 5 words for my introduction - Bullah ki jaana main Kaun and perhaps I will ask my communications officer to put a link to this blog...which is my personal one and not education.

I know even after reading this blog one would not know anything about me. But then why should anybody want to know me. I am nobody. I am nothing.

P.S - I wasnt able to write anything after the above line...It just stopped.... though I was thinking of writing more. Then I thought I might as well put it in the post script...not to break my own feeling.

Moving on...Chal we Bulleya chal Othe Chaliye, Jithe saare Anne,
                     Na koi sadi zaat pachane, na koi saanu manne

Arre haan...there was another thought that came to my mind while on the metro. I thought there was no '' About Us' section for most of the saints but yet they managed to do such great PR and communication that we remember them centuries after. What level of communication...without FB, without twitter. I guess that there was so much depth and simplicity in their communication that things went into people's head. Orally so much of knowledge was transacted.

I guess I am done. Let me listen to Bullah ki jaana main kaun...as my mind says...look at what you have written. But as usual I will not edit what came out of me. Let it smell of freshness.

P.S - Just as I am finish this and publish...I have to put labels and I thought let me put many labels but suddenly I stopped at Bullah ki jaana main kaun

Naukar Saale!!

Some important partner was visiting our office at 11 am this morning and our Director had asked us to given presentations of our projects to him. It was almost 11.08 and my friend Manu Bhai calls me up, probably returning my missed call from the previous day. I put off the phone and send a message back "Naukri pe hun".

Immediately my phone vibrates and I expect a message with some profanities. But it was little different. The message read "Naukr Saale"

FYI Mannu Bhai is a businessman.

Dhakka laga magar phir socha ..ki bhai sach hi to bol raha hai. Naukr hi hain hum.

But then the film director in me buzzed...and I thought it was a good title of a play...Naukr Saale! A play on the atrocities, limitations and imprisonment on being at a job.

The 'important partner' was late so I called up Manu Bhai and had a good chat and then thought of putting in my thoughts around naukri and Naukr Saale.

And NOW that the 'important partner' just walked into our office...I will continue writing after a break.
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Hmm...so let me tell you that I am obsessed with or rather not obsessed with my job i.e naukri.
I feel its a prison...that you have to spend a significant part of your life fulfilling the wishes of your boss or your organisation...in return of a salary...with which you may fulfill your own wishes. But do we actually do that? or are we really able to do that?...yeah in the few days of leave that you get.

Whenever I share this with anyone of my friends or my best friend (my wife)...I get the standard reply....no one in the world likes to work. Then how is this mafia operating? if everybody hates it.

I know there are some gangs that allow you some freedom...like work from home or something...thats a good step to offset some of the atrocities of work like travel and being their in time. You can work at home in a relaxed manner. But still does it allow you to have the freedom of doing what YOU want. Surely not.

Technically you have signed up for a job and you werent forced. So, the society thinks its ok. But do you really think that most people are doing their jobs in the way they are doing because thats what they wanted to do.

I hardly meet a executive or a office colleague saying....Oh! I always wished to sell insurance for XXX Insurance or I really wanted to work in the department of fisheries.

People are studying in school and then they take up some course...lets say electrical engineering and then somebody says...your must do an MBA and finally they land up selling Xray machines for a healthcare company. I mean agar samaan hi bechna tha to bagal ke Gupta Grocery store men hi internship kar lete. Why this whole circle of degrees?

I think I am digressing from the topic. Our issue is Naukr Saale!

So, everybody knows what a naukr connotes...a butler, a slave.

Sorry to detract again..Mannu Bhai messages...'Hum Maalik Bechaare'

aata hun ispe bhi..but let me focus right now.

so a naukr is a naukr...a demeaned character meant to obey orders. Thats essentially most of us are....or at least the people who got a job through naukri.com

☺

Its in our culture I think. The privilege which perhaps some average executive gets sitting in Europe or America is not what we have in India. Try calling an executive after work in Europe and leave it...try even asking for his mobile phone number. Forget it.

Yeh sirf yehin hai...ya perhaps in the so called economically developing or economically under-developed world.

But I guess it doesnt even change with money...Look at the Senior VPs of most corporates...with high blood pressure and their uric acid levels.

Aaj to saari bhadaas nikalunga. Aaj Friday hai...Kaam bhi kum hai aur agle do din chutti hai. And anyways I think writing a blog for a few minutes is much better than surfing FB or looking at flipkart...which I have seen many of my colleagues do...to take a break looking at their monitors.

To naukr saalo!

If you have read till this point then definitely you agree with me or I have become a good writer or you are good friend of mine wanting to know ki yeh Shankar Musafir saala karta kya hai zindagi men?

Waise my Dad says tumko bolne ke paise milte hain.

Anways...going on... and talking about the original Musafir...my grandfather. He used to say that 'Naukri jo hai...who Chaakri honi chahiye' yaani  'cha' hona chahiye...something you enjoy. So, I love being in the school education field and I like it. so it is chaakri but yet it is not it coz I have to deal with my boss and the politics of it all.

To kya karun..naukri chor dun. start something of my own. Thats a big risk...Home Loan...Biwi kehti hai nayi gaadi le lo and I have zero savings.

And most of it all...Darr lagta hai yaar. What if it doesnt work?

And then successful entrepreneurs like Mannu Bhai send messages like 'Maalik Bechaare'

I am stuck and I have no answer.

Might as well get back to work and see how I can impress the 'important partner'

See you and Love you.

P.S - The word for naukri in Bengali is Chaakri. Also, I plan to add some more to this article...I dont rest beyond 15 minutes in office. Mehnat ki kamaat hun yaaro.

Hindi Medium Review: Man lage mora yaar fakiri men

Sabse pehle to main chaar gali nikaal leta hun film ko...then I will share the class it has.

Very poorly edited film...in fact you can make out that they didnt even care about the story. Any novice will find that out. I am sure it was too long and cut out some parts without thinking. I think there was a jazzy 'jagraata' in the film...that has been cut out as well. Also, the scenes which probably etch the husband wife characters have been deleted as well. Should fire the editor.

The story is good though its difficult to imagine a couple going to the length of shifting to a low income neighbourhood for the sake of admission of a kid.

Anyways...let me tell you about the classic bit.

The entire story is around a business class couple wanting their kid to join a top school...which is hard to come around. They finally try and get the admission through the RTE quota for poor people by forging themselves to be a poor couple.

Though initially it seems the film is making fun of an important issue like poverty...which is sacriligeous...but the director has been able to pull it off with class.

Remember the scene from 3 idiots in black and white, when the three friends go out to have dinner the poor friend's house. It was on the verge of being inappropriate but people enjoyed it.

This film makes a point without making anyone wrong.

So, when this couple moves into the low income neighbourhood...the film transforms...and the film is all about Deepak Dobriyal after that. He has carried the entire film I guess. Deepak is their neighbour and helps them out becomes a trusted friend.

There are multiple scenes when the films talks about important poverty issues and make it a comedy.
A director who can make a comedy with poverty in background... is a good director. Its a good test.

See, Rajkumar Hirani...made Lage Raho...a comedy on Gandhi...can anybody think about it...and yet he doesnt dilute Gandhian philosophy even minutely.

By the way...who is the Director...let me google and check.

So...its Saket Choudhary...he directed Pyaar ke side effects...which was a good movie too. If I am not bad at predicting future. Expect some good stuff from this Director in future.

Good choice of music too...I have been writing this blog listening to a song of the film playing in the background....Man lage mero yaar Garibi men...man lage mero yaar Fakiri men

Found out that it is a old couplet from Kabir. Zabardast gaana hai. Found out that its sung by Neeraj Arya...who has formed a band some years ago. Another fellow to keep track of.

Gaana suno yehan:

Anyways...lets come back to Deepak Dobriyal...aise yaad nahi ayega... See his picture along with Madhavan.

By the way...I also didnt know his name...just knew him by face. The guy from Tanu weds Manu.

He has given his best performance until now.

One hilarious scene and the entire hall was in splits....and by the way he wasnt event on the screen while delivering the dialogue...

"Yeh to nai nai gareeb hue hain...hum to khandaani gareeb hain...mera dada gareeb...mere pitaji gareeb and aur main bhi gareeb"

Another hilarious scene is when he lands up at Irfan Khan's house.

Irfan Khan has given his usual best...nothing remarkable about it...apart fro the inaugural scene where he is showing saris to ladies in his shop.

Saba Qamar ..the Pakistani heroine is beautiful and has shown promise including a wannabe sensuous scene. Cant think of any particular scene. But you can of course notice the apt Urdu talafuzz, wherever required. She was much more noticeable than the big release Mahira Khan in Raeez. Should get more roles to show her talent...but what I could notice is that she seems versatile...doing homely roles like getting the child ready, shouting on the lady in the water queue, cuddling with Irfan in the new house etc.

Another character who has done the role well is the school admission consultant. Good acting. You start hating her soon. Job done...expect to see her in character roles in other films too.

Thats a soup of review...but I felt it writing in this mad way this time. I feel thats my natural style of conversation.

On second thoughts...I feel why are these film reviews so serious and academic. Hindi cinema aur serious review....doesnt match. Hindi films are reviewed like Hollywood films. I can understand that you are writing in English...but kuch to Indian cinema ki izzat kar lo yaar.

Another final thought...Hindi Medium is a wrong title for this film. I would have titled 'Admission Open'

Ek aur point yaad aa gaye.

Irfan's final speech on the stage and no one clapped...Wow! good thinking by the writer. No one would.

Baar Baar Dekho

I wasnt interested in watching Baar Baar dekho because of its star cast...but my wife insisted...I watched the trailor...and thought...hmmm...looks interesting. lets go and check out.

Went to watch it without much expectation but was pleasantly surprised. Its a very deep film in terms of its content and its also a film which matches Hollywood standards in many ways. But one wonders why they named it Baar Baar dekho?

The film is a story of a young mathematician (Sidharth Malhotra) getting married to an art person (Katrina). The day of marriage he has a fight with his lady love and falls asleep. The movie is all about him waking up at different stages of his life (in future) and getting surprised about whats happening around. To see what happens and how he comes back to present is something you will have to watch.

The script of the film is very fresh and the way it portrays future is amazing..its believable and not overdone...though they could have tried a different way of taking the person into future. But it works fine.

The things I liked about the film:

1. The story - The story is very contemporary and has been done very well.
2.The message - if you can get to it OR if the Director really intended one. For me it was the key...some dialogues...have the entire world in them...You cannot live the same day again...Tum ek hi din dobara se nahi jee sakte...Choti cheezon ko pakdo. This film has the capability to alter life if you catch it.
3. The portrayal of future - As the lead character goes into future...its created in a very believable manner. The classroom in his university. The 25% tint in the cars.The cell phones and the bedroom of 2047 is very believable. The buildings are also believable.
4. Acting - Sidhharth is good and the best thing is that the story shows Katrina is born in London...so she can carry her natural accent as well. Good thinking. It must also be the first film where we can see Katrina as an old woman...she still looks young with grey hair.

Its a film of a different kind. Go..give it a chance.


P.S - Baad men pata chala that it is a directorial debut by Nitya Mehra. Great film on a debut and we can see your class lady.

Tuesdays with Morrie

My HR department at Career Launcher gave me this book long time back...and I happened to read it now.

Tuesdays with Morrie is the story of a busy sports reporter, Mitch, who reconnects with his graduate Professor Morrie, who is diagnosed with ALS (lateral sclerosis). As the professor counts his days, Mitch comes and meets him on Tuesdays to listen to the last few lectures of his professor  on life. Life as he experiences when he nears his death.

I cried twice while reading this book. Incidentally I started this book on a Tuesday and completed it on a Tuesday...today. Moreover, one day before I started this book, I was listening to an old time favourite gurbani song... Jind meriye, mitti di teriye...ek din chalna i.e Oh my Life! a mound of earth, will have to go one day.

There are two key messages I really like in the book apart from the many.

1. The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesnt work, dont buy it...So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, evenwhen they're busy doing things they think are important. This is becuase they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.
2. Love each other or perish. One has to read this in the context of the book, otherwise its hard to understand. He writes, " As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love that you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on- in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here"

Thats it!

PK movie review

Though the title says review but this is no professional review. This is a musafir review. You can close the window if you want. Ha ha. Anyways I write for fun on this blog.

I had gone to watch the film without any clue of the story or without any story based reviews. I guess I will have to keep the suspense here as I dont intend to share the script with you.


Mr Hirani has the ability to make a film on a sensitive issue and yet let it sound totally uncontroversial. To make a film on Gandhi in India and not have any public unrest is phenomenal. In PK, he draws an amazing script on an issue as difficult as religion...and gets away with it. No protests till now.

The most phenomenal thing in the film is that everything is questioned within the film...including the origin of the hero. You dont have to believe in the story but gradually you start believing in the origin of the hero...and then you are in for a ride as the protagonist asks questions and goes to the origin of religions in a very organic manner. An enquiry so deep and yet so simple that any common audience would relate to it. The fact that the protagonist happens to choose Bhojpuri accent by accident is a part of the script I guess.

Though the film has the conventional Hindi film drama and melodrama but it is amazing in what it does and delivers.

Aamir is as usualy but I think an actor like Pankaj Kapur or Shahnawaaz could have made the film 10 times more powerful. But I guess, the fact that a mainstream super actor chooses to do such a film is in itself a nice thing.

I happen to see the film with an upcoming AD of a film and we both agree that it takes a lot of friendship between Vidhu Vinod and Hirani to produce such films.

If you have some interest in communal harmony...this film will appeal you.

The tears of a woman

I was speaking to a dear friend and colleague this morning and he shared a very profound thing as I complimented him about he was looking today. I told jhim any woman would fall for him today if he proposes.

He is already in a committed relationship as I presume. He said: One should never play with women as if you hurt a woman, her tears remain with you for life"

I agreed completely.

But as I sit to write this blog...I realised that even for men its true. Men dont cry but even their thoughts perhaps would emit the same radiation if played with.

I think the gospel would then be that no matter its a woman or a man...dont play with anyone.