Vishal's Blog

2012-02-16T01:24:00.001-08:00

The BIG Fight - Published in December'10 issue of Black & Gold - The Bombay Gymkhana magazine

The Big Fight -

2011-12-06T05:04:00.000-08:00

THE MIRACLE MAN - LANCE ARMSTRONG
Published in Black and Gold - Bombay Gymkhana Magazine

The Miracle Man - Lance Armstrong -

2011-10-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Celebrating the Spirit of Rugby - Published in Black and Gold - September'2011

Celebrating the Spirit of Rugby - ">

2011-07-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the memories, Scholesy.

In 2008 while Manchester United, the defending Premier League champions were on course to their third Premier League victory on the trot, Sir Alex Ferguson set his eyes firmly on winning the Champions League that year. However, FC Barcelona was to be tackled in the semi final which boasted of players like Messi, Iniesta and Xavi. The winner of the semi final was supposed to set up a dream clash with either Liverpool or Chelsea. United’s hopes were slightly dented as Wayne Rooney was side lined due to hip injury, but in his absence their best player stood up and delivered. It was none other than the one whom Xavi Hernandez recently designated the best midfielder for the last 20 years - Paul Scholes. In the 14th minute of the match, Cristiano Ronaldo lost the ball when tackled by Gianluca Zambrotta, who in turn lost it to Paul Scholes about 25 yards from the goal post. This was a perfect position for him, who thrived on it and rightly put the ball into the top right corner away from Victor Valdes, the Barcelona goalkeeper who was left contemplating the scene.

Paul Scholes affectionately called The Ginger Prince, born in Salford, Great Manchester, England excelled in both Cricket and Football before eventually choosing Football. In the year 1992, he signed a contract with Manchester United. At the start of his career he played as a support striker, and later on was pushed further back from where he literally has been pulling the strings of Manchester United mid field for more than a decade and setting up goals for the forwards. The important quality of this one-club player was his ability to score goals from the minutest possible scoring opportunities around him. He not only had pace, power, control and cunningness but also possessed deep technical knowledge of the game. The United defense blessed by the ethereal presence of the legend now looks pathetically inadequate after his retirement. He was unlike a Ronaldo who would carry the ball away from a pack of defenders and score big goals, but in spite of that continuously kept posing questions in the mid-field which made him unique in his own way. His guile earned him a place in the England squad in 1997 and he made his world cup debut in 1998. He was however fed up in his wide left role in the England team and retired in 2004. At United however, the lethal understanding he developed with Roy Keane and the partnership he forged with Beckham and Giggs took United to unfathomable horizons in the Premier League.

In Champions League 2011, the United fans wanted him to repeat his performance against Barcelona in 2008, it was not to be. Barcelona eventually won 3-1. Post match he handed over his shirt to Iniesta, disappointing players like Messi and Xavi when they were told that the shirt was already taken over. This loyal player finally hung his boots only a couple of days after the loss to Barcelona in a low key manner. He signed off with an incredible 676 matches of United under his belt. Away from the spotlight in a typical way he played football, the player announced with finality that he would be a part of Manchester United Football club not as a player but as one of the coaches. Summing up this game of this great English player in the words of Barcelona’s Xavi, “He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more.”

2011-07-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Same Story

Published in Black and Gold (136th Anniversary edition) - Bombay Gymkhana

EPL -

2011-07-10T00:37:00.000-07:00

In Ladakh – On Monastery trail (Pictures by Dr. Dinesh Maskeri)

Leh Monastery entrance

Maitreya Buddha in Thiksey Monastery

Prayer hall in Thiksey Monastery

Beautiful evening at Thiksey

Shey Palace entry

Alchi Monastery

My inquisitiveness to travel to mysterious destinations took me to Ladakh, a place which remains completely shrouded in mystery for most part of the year. An amazing contrast is how Ladakhis choose to live their life happily with bare minimum in spite of the harsh weather and barren lands. Even then every person you meet greets you with a smile. The happiness quotient of the people in Ladakh is very high and perhaps this has a lot to do with their religion. Most people are Buddhists which t eaches one to be happy and content even in adversity. When Lord Buddha attained Nirvana, it was a victory of good over evil and the numerous idols in every monastery depict such pictures. The rituals followed by the monks appear complex but the sight of a meditating monk is when you feel the time has stopped and as if is an indication that though religion may differ with people, man’s need for communion with God remains constant.

While in Ladakh this time around, it was snowing intermittently and was chilling to such an extent that it would freeze tears on the cheeks and we therefore had to restrict ourselves to only visiting monasteries around Leh. It began with a visit to one of the oldest and aesthetically pleasing monastery - Shey Gompa (monastery). A damp and chilling early morning breeze blew lashing at a few dry leaves. While we glanced admiringly at a magnificent statue of Lord Buddha, in a meditative mudra inside the Gompa which I felt was a divine sight and at the same time was also enjoying the solitude of a great silent place, it was suddenly reverberated with the sounds of “Om Namo Padme Hum” chanted by quite a number of monks. It is believed that all the teachings of Buddhism are contained in this mantra.

Next we visited the Alchi monastery. A visit to incredibly picturesque Alchi monastery is a trip back to time. Alchi is an ideal place of retreat for souls tormented by doubt. Some charming kid monks were playfully running around in the corridor. We also got an opportunity to discuss religion and the Ladakhi culture with an elderly Lama dressed in dark red ochres commonly wore by the religious people in Ladakh. In addition to the unique paintings hanging on the walls, the beautiful sight of Indus flowing behind the monastery has potential to make up your day. Attached to the Alchi Gompa is a magnificent Manjusri temple. A common thing in all the monasteries is a brilliant collection of Dalai Lama’s writings and his numerous pictures.

While in the car on the way to Hemis monastery, the driver at the sight of a few falling pebbles from the adjacent hillock stopped the vehicle and astonishingly kept staring at the top of the hill. On enquiring he said that since Ladakh is prone to frequent landslides and therefore it is necessary to exercise caution. Fortunately for us, they were only a few falling pebbles. Soon we reached the Hemis monastery which I felt completely rejected the mad frenetic life we live in cities. This Gompa has a beautiful temple of goddess Dorje Chenmo also known as Lakhang Nyerma. The distinguishing feature of this monastery is the 15 meter tall Buddha statue which happens to be the biggest in Ladakh. This Gompa is the richest of all monasteries and also has Stupas (an object of veneration) made of Gold and Silver. It also is a venue to Hemis festival held in the month of July which is a tribute to Guru Padamsambhava also known as Guru Rimpoche known to have laid the foundation of Buddhism in Tibet.

Next on our list was the Thiksey monastery and when we reached the Thiksey town, the driver pointed at the monastery situated on a hillock. I glanced admiringly at the building which was built in the 15^th century and is a house to a few hundred monks. A huge 14 meter high Maitreya Buddha in one of the prayer halls covers two floors. We noticed some monks deep in meditation amidst some mysterious music. The serenity on the monk’s face would definitely make one want to live here forever rather than be just a visitor.

Though my sojourn this time around was restricted to visiting monasteries only, Ladakh is such a beautiful place where I would always want to come back. I have an awesome affection for this place and would keep coming here.. time and again.

2011-06-21T08:51:00.001-07:00

A trek to Sandakphu is a trek to paradise

Yours Truly

Was it a Bird or a Plane?

The road to the summit

The Clint Eastwood Vehicle. Was outdated in 1950's but still being driven here

That is where we gotta go.. Sandakphu !!!

No better feeling than travelling on endless roads..

Yeh Kahan aa gaye hum???

On Cloud no. 9

To Maney Bhajang

Destiny's child

Don't they look happier than us??

On the way to Kali Pokhri

Kanchan Dzonga - View from Tumling

While we were in Darjeeling preparing for a trek to Sandakphu, it was raining continuously. Rajan, our guide said November is usually cold but not wet. Perhaps, I thought, this was how nature chose to respond to human attempts to dominate her as if serving a reminder of her existence. Suddenly a credible thought crossed my mind. If it is raining in Darjeeling, it may be snowing in Sandakphu. I prayed to the almighty to not to throw any surprises on my first ever trek in high altitude. Pray but be prepared was our mantra and hence armed with all means to meet such surprises, 53 of us stretched our ambitions to a height of about 3636m, decided to take uncertainties head-on and were ready to scale the only corner in North- East India which provides a 180 degree view of four of the five most formidable peaks in the world namely Mt Everest, Kanchen Dzonga, Makalu and Lhotse peaks.

We started off from an incredibly picturesque village called Dhotrey. Bright white monasteries greeted us providing an insight into the mountainous civilization. We kept walking as desultory and dangling conversation prevailed amidst dazzling surroundings. We also passed through the Singalila National Park where the elusive Red Panda lives freely in serenity. The walk slowly turned into an arduous climb. Finally we reached Neelu Didi’s Shikhar lodge at Tumling situated at a height of about 3070m after crossing into Nepal and had a cup of hot soup to keep ourselves warm. Fresh breeze blew past us and huge white clouds sailed in the clearest of skies. It was pitch dark by 5 PM. By about 7.30 PM, there was a huge gathering of fellow diners near the hearth as bright flames kept dancing into it. Post dinner, weariness had begun to weigh on the eyelids and soon we abandoned ourselves to sleep.

After a lip smacking breakfast, we were off to our next camp at Kali Pokhri (Kali, in Nepalese dialect means Black and Pokhri means Pond). The road is full of ups and downs and taxing on the knees but is beautiful, fully laden with Bamboo and Rhododendron forests. Clear skies accompanied us most of the time but we knew that change is constant in mystical Himalayas. In no time, we were once again walking into mist. The heart kept hammering into the chest as we kept climbing up. After an assiduous walk, we reached Kali Pokhri. By about 3.30 PM, it was really cold and dark. Once again we had an early dinner and were off to bed.

Next day amidst clear skies we started walking skywards - towards Sandakphu. The dazzling blue sky, the lovely mountains, the chirping of birds, the cold breeze blowing with an immense roar, everything seemed eternally lovely. The road is resplendent with ethereal beauty of Magnolias, Rhododendrons, Primulas and other sub-alpine flowers. It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to describe the walk to the climax. You got to be at the place to experience the feeling which no words can describe. If you belong to the concrete jungle and your heart is a chaotic battlefield every day, this is an ideal place to be. We hoped the weather stayed as it is and not deteriorate. But as they say Man proposes and God disposes. The fog returned. The weather which looked like a beautiful lady now appeared an evil witch eager to rob us from the post card perfect views around. When we reached Sandakphu, the wind was blowing with an unrestrained rage and thick fog had blocked the view of the mountain ranges. Soon we made ourselves comfortable in the cozy room inside Sherpa Chalet lodge. I had a headache and was gasping for breath due to thin air. In spite of the mountain sickness most of us had a question in our hearts. Would the weather Gods allow us a glimpse of the mountain ranges tomorrow?

All night the winds kept howling. I got up at 5 AM, took a stroll outside to catch the rising sun but it hid itself behind thick wall of fog. I waited like a fisherman does after throwing his bait but to no avail. The formidable obstacles we cleared to reach the top now started appearing futile. There was a ray of hope though which made us stare at the huge white wall which wasn’t ready to budge. At about 8 AM, it was time to leave for our next camp at Gurdum.

After only a few steps down, fate sprung a pleasant surprise. Strong winds started pushing the fog away as if revealing a mystery. A huge white mountain appeared miraculously from nowhere putting a blossomed smile on our faces. This was it! We awaited the revelation of an amazing truth and only a few seconds later we glanced admiringly at the gigantic Kanchan Dzonga. I was speechless, unable to distinguish dream from reality. I kept staring at the angel white ranges with reverence. Further contemplation of the scene made it appear like the beautiful woman, who looks depressing and unattainable.

A few moments later, the fog was back turning our hearts into ice. We only got a chance to see the imposing Kanchan Dzonga and nothing else and hence I thought the visit wasn’t completely doomed. I looked up to thank the almighty and got a feeling of déjà-vu. Some faded images came back to life and I recalled standing at about 5487m at Khardung La in Ladakh wondering how much higher the sky would be. I wonder about it every time standing at great heights. Later with utmost agony, we started our trek downwards as we had to reach Gurdum. The limbs were ready but the soul was reluctant to leave such a wonderful place. The beautiful memories of Sandakphu had squeezed itself into the heart. This place definitely is a distinct path to heaven. My mind immediately made a decision to come back for a complete view of the mountain ranges and to experience the solitude of Sandakphu once again.

2011-05-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

The Inimitable Indian Sports - Published in Pulse - Kotak Mahindra Employee Magazine

Inimitable Indian Sports -

inimitablesport_1_ -

2011-03-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Karate-The Perfect Weapon

The best martial artist of all time Bruce Lee once said “While I point a finger to the moon, do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all the heavenly glory”. To many people, Karate is learnt to inflict damage to an opponent. But those who think that way are concentrating on the finger and missing the heavenly glory of the moon. Karate is primarily learnt for self-defence and the punching, blocking, kicking and striking techniques taught in it can injure a person to such an extent that there are chances of him getting killed. However, history suggests that during the early sixteenth century its spiritual principles came into being adding a dynamic and profound dimension to the art. The Zen element began appearing in Karate and it was thus named Karate-do. Karate means ‘Empty Hands’ and do means ‘The Way’. Hence Karate and other forms of martial arts were given the ending – do which means the way to enlightenment, self realization and understanding one self.

Kyoshi Sensei Rajesh L. Thakkar — a 7th degree Black Belt and President & Chief Instructor of the Okinawa Meibukan Goju-Ryu Karate Do — says that in today’s times of nerve shredding pressures it is essential to face difficult situations with discipline. And Karate teaches you how to carry discipline from the training centre into your daily life. In a dojo (meaning a school in Japanese) a student has to confront an opponent, a partner to help him attain further level of perfection by drawing him out of his comfort zone. When one trains alone, this opponent could be his own fear, anxiety, anger and illusion. Sensei Thakkar says that learning the Zen principles through Karate is like meeting the inherent you on a daily basis and the conflicts the student learns to handle in a dojo enable him to face graver conflicts in the outside world. The master key to this is the attitude of the student and the right attitude is one quality that is looked at closely, by the teacher during Karate training.

Ask Sensei how has his experience been teaching and learning Karate for such a long time and he affably says: “To know how sugar tastes, it is essential that you taste it and discover it for yourself”.

The Chinese Connection

A famous legend says that Bodhi Dharma who is traditionally acclaimed for giving Zen to China was an Indian monk who travelled from the south of India to teach the principles of Buddhism to the Chinese Liang dynasty. He discovered that the monks engrossed in deep meditation were not physically strong. Since he was equipped with the knowledge of theories and concepts of martial arts, he induced physical and mental disciplinary practices amongst his students. He knew that to make the mind tougher, it is essential to strengthen the body. Slowly the students transformed themselves into formidable fighters. This art today in China is known as Shaolin-szu – The way of the fist. Okinawa, located in the south of Japan is very close to China and is therefore known to have imported the Chinese culture. Another story of its origin is that King Hashi, the ruler of the famous Japanese Okinawa dynasty succeeded in uniting the once separate RyuKyu Islands. To avoid a revolt, he imposed a severe law which disallowed his subjects to possess weapons. The people of Okinawa hence turned their attention to learning to fight without any weapons and thus Karate progressed.

Modern Karate as we now know it to be was reworked, refined and introduced to the world in the year 1920 by Master Gichin Funakoshi who found Shotokan Karate (Shoto -Pine Waves, a pen name of the master and Kan - hall) and Master Chojun Miyagi was also responsible for the emergence of Goju-Ryu (Hard & Soft) style in the year 1929.

Metamorphosis in Karate

In olden days an amateur student of Karate would wear a White belt, a symbol of innocence. Years of hard work and training would change the colour of the belt to Brown and then slowly into Black. With even more use and due to wear and tear the belt changes into White again which is a sign of the student’s returning to innocence. This in Zen is a characteristic of perfection. Today as students pass through the ranks taking grading examinations they are awarded with different coloured belts. The common order followed in Karate is White, Yellow, Orange, Green, Brown and Black. This system was first developed in Judo and later adopted across other martial arts.

Judo V/S Karate

Both Judo and Karate are Japanese martial arts but represent entirely different approaches towards the art of fighting. Judo adopts a gentle but firm defensive attitude where your body and the way balanced vis-à-vis the opponent lets you get the upper hand. It is more effective in dealing with a single opponent.
Karate on the other hand has a more aggressive approach in which you boldly block the opponent’s moves and attack him vigorously with your hands and legs. Karate is very effective for dealing with more than one opponent and hence an ideal option for the more vulnerable sex-Women.

Women kicking higher and higher

Sensei Thakkar says only a few years back the girl to boy ratio was 1:9 but today 40-45% of his students are women and this number is increasing every year. Off late there have been innumerable cases of rape, eve teasing and sexual harassment against women. Karate is therefore a must learn activity for them. It can sometimes help in saving your own life or the life of your family members.

Each of us needs to look ahead, to delve deep and to make the best out of the situation that presents itself and that is what Karate teaches you. The key is to not only keep the body fit, but keeping the mind fit as well. Sensei Thakkar insists that people trained in Karate should not be unconscious of its essence and involve in fights unnecessarily. More power indeed brings more responsibility, he says. To sum up the point in Bruce Lee’s words from the famous film Enter the Dragon, “A martial artist should perfect the art of fighting without fighting”.

2011-03-19T03:55:00.000-07:00

The Spirit of Mumbai Cricket-Published in Black and Gold-Magazine of Bombay Gymkhana

The Magic of Mumbai Cricket - ">

2011-02-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

Classic Kerala - Published in the Premium Travel Magazine - Flylite

2010-12-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

On the Courts

Published in Black and Gold-Bombay Gymkhana Magazine

On the Courts -

2010-11-27T21:02:00.000-08:00

Tracking a Lion in Sasan Gir – A “wow” experience

Published in "Pulse"-Employee Magazine of Kotak Securities

Tracking a Lion at Sasan Gir -

2010-11-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

Movie Review - Dabbangg
Published on www.mastradio.com on 12Sept'2010

Well, the way Dabangg was being promoted, I am sure you would have already booked your tickets for watching the film this week end itself rather than wait for reading its review and watch it may be, the next week end. I too did exactly the same thing. Also, Salman Khan while promoting the film also appeared super confident about Dabanng. The Eid week end has always worked wonders for him and this year too it has made him happy. Arbaaz Khan’s maiden production Dabangg is already dubbed a Super Hit, all credit to his Dabangg brother Salman Khan.

The film deposits its hopes on Salman Khan and he has delivered, without any doubt. It has everything that we as viewers would expect in a Salman Khan film. Hard hitting action, foot tapping music, an item number and one of Salman’s brother in the film (Arbaaz has a role in the film). Believe me, the film has everything that I have mentioned above and more so, it has Salman Khan, Salman Khan and more of him. The Khan’s of the film industry are known to carry an entire film on their shoulders alone and Salman Khan as Chulbul Pandey does exactly that.

Chulbul Pandey is a corrupt but Dabangg cop in a Lalganj town of Uttar Pradesh. He is a step son of Prajapati Pandey (Vinod Khanna) who hates him to the core of his heart. His chemistry with Makhi (Arbaaz Khan), the step brother too isn’t great. Chulbul lives with them because of his mother (Dimple Kapadia). Chulbul grows into a hard hitting and a fearless cop. He steals from the rich and powerful and gives it away to the poor and therefore keeps coming into the way of the local goon Chhedi Singh (Sonu Sood). The story of the film is totally predictable as Chhedi keeps losing every fight with Chulbul. Chulbul finds love in the potter girl Rajjo (Sonakshi Sinha), the daughter of a drunkard. Chhedi tries to take an advantage of the rift between the two brothers to kill Chulbul. But as it happens in most of the masala films, in the end, Chulbul not only succeeds in teaching Chhedi and his gang a lesson but also succeeds in putting his house in order. You can call this film an old wine in a new bottle, because that’s what the story of Dabangg is. But the way the film is presented to the viewers is just too good. It is surprising to see debutant director Abhinav Kashyap, brother of Anurag Kashyap come up with a bollywood potboiler rather than a hard hitting story line for which Anurag is known for. But he surely succeeds in delivering a hit out of an ordinary story line. The director also gives ample opportunities to Salman Khan to stamp his authority on the film and do what he does the best, connect with his fans. Salman Khan once again reinforces his claim of being the most loved star. The dialogues of the film also deserve a special mention, especially the one in which Chulbul says Itne Chhedd Karunga.

S. Vijayan’s stunts go well with Salman Khan. Sajid-Wajid have succeeded in connecting with the listeners and the songs in the film are very hummable. Debutant Sonakshi Sinha appears neat and confident on screen. Actors like Anupam Kher, Om Puri, Vinod Khanna and Dimple Kapadia unfortunately do not have much to do in the film. Sonu Sood too has done well as Chhedi Singh. Malaika too sizzles in the Munni song.

Dabangg is definitely a must watch even if you are not a Salman Khan fan. More so, it is a confirmation of Salman Khan’s longevity. I would rate it as 3 on a scale of 5but Salman deserves 5 out of 5. Watch it for Salman Khan.

2010-05-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

What lies in store for Michael Schumacher?

Michael Schumacher's return to the adrenaline filled high speed world of Formula One at the start of the 2010 season delighted the hearts of many. The competition in Formula One had only increased since his retirement, and everyone expected a ferocious slugfest of a living legend, Michael Schumacher with the likes of Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel. However, after a subdued re-start to Schumacher’s Formula One career, these days an oracle pops up at every nook and corner to write his obituary. Negativity is being assiduously searched and presented. One such writer, about Schumacher’s comeback decision says "the vain folly of a middle-aged man...who made the mistake of kidding himself that he still has that old magic.” Others feel that after his finishes at 6th and 10th place in the first two races in Bahrain and Australia, the intimacy, the enigma and the ineffable passion with which he drove till the end of 2006 season are missing. It seems ‘triumph’, Schumacher’s companion on most occasions prior to his retirement, has several appointments elsewhere these days. In the recently concluded race at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain, he managed to finish 4th. The images of the old Schumacher who was never willing to give an inch flashed for a few moments during the qualifying sessions as he went 3rd fastest during both the sessions. Later, he expressed his confidence in his car but his critics weren’t convinced. The chinks in Schumacher’s armory were revealed at the Chinese grand prix when Lewis Hamilton was chasing him. Both were placed at the 6th and 7th positions respectively and a comfortable gap of 8 seconds separated the two. By the end of lap 14, Hamilton was at a touching distance and was already looking for an opening. A few laps later he eventually managed to get better off Schumacher. In the end, Hamilton finished 2nd while Schumacher managed to earn only a solitary point by finishing 10th. Sebestian Vettel and Felipe Massa also went past Schumacher in that race. The Ferrari which he drove till his retirement in 2006 was designed specifically keeping Schumacher in mind. The two looked inseparable. It appeared that with the Mercedes, he is just not able find his balance and rhythm.

Schumacher in his hey days consistently regained the World Championship for Ferrari, and stood on the podium as a World Champion not once or twice but 7 times. He thus established a legacy of excellence and was right there amongst the legends of Formula One. He was 37 and at his prime when he retired. It was a well made decision to retire when he was racing well considering all sportsmen want to be remembered forever and therefore they choose to retire during their peak. Then why did he come back? Legends are humans too, and it is a tendency of humans to want more. The healthy competition between drivers in this season and the urge to prove his mettle once again would have made him change his mind. Nicky Lauda too like Schumacher made a comeback and won the world championship by a mere half point way back in 1984. Schumacher should look to pull out a leaf from Lauda’s book. His performance so far has only earned him wiggling eyebrows. But he has been through the vim and vigor of Formula One before and is capable of recalling optimism from the ruins it lies under.

So, what lies in store of Schumacher? This would largely depend upon the fight he is willing to put in. His fans believe he has it in him to silence his critics. But when would that happen? No innuendo. And whether Ross Brawn and Mercedes have that much patience remains to be seen.

2010-05-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Chelsea – The deserving champions

Chelsea eventually became the English Premier League champion last week end. They are without any doubt, the deserving winners this year. Didier Drogba, the epitome of Chelsea’s iron will won this year’s Golden boot award for scoring maximum number of goals (29) this season. The only team which came close to Chelsea was the team who won the championship for three consecutive years, Manchester United. They lost by only a solitary point. As expected, the title race went down to the wire. Many however feel that Manchester United’s title dreams ended when Chelsea won against Liverpool the previous weekend. Manchester United, were left stranded and have themselves to blame as they were unable to win important matches like the one they lost against Burnley at the start of the season. They also lost against Chelsea both at home and at Stamford Bridge, which were considered to be important matches of the season. The most experienced manager of the Premier League, Sir Alex Ferguson as if letting the moment pass aware that he can own the next one, hinted at possibilities of buying new players to ensure they are in a better position next year. Manchester United desperately needs a striker like Ronaldo who can score goals and can win matches. They seemed a one man army this year as they looked hopeful of winning a successive fourth title only when Rooney was playing and scoring. His addition to the injury list was a signal of fluttering butterflies. The fans seek change this time around and to be honest change isn’t always bad.

Another team who should look at a complete revamp next year is Arsenal. They not only need a good player who can score goals but also need a better goal keeper. Both Lukasz Fabianski and Manuel Almunia looked out of sorts this year. Till last year, Premier League was only about 4 team’s viz., Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. The performances of Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa this year have added a new dimension to the competition. These teams who used to languish at mid-table position or at the bottom of the table are going to only improve from here on and therefore the top teams like Arsenal cannot afford to rest.

It appeared Liverpool were under ominous astrological influence for the entire season and now have a mountain to climb as the club’s finances are in a mess. Injuries to the key players like Gerard and Torres made matters worse. Recent reports of Real Madrid trying to buy Steven Gerard and Rafael Benitez planning his career in Italy are a cause of concern for fans. The solution to Liverpool’s problems would once again depend upon how much money they would be spending buying players before the next season begins.

2010-04-17T03:15:00.000-07:00

Returning to where I belong-The Kutch trip'10

A couple of shops selling a variety of Kutchi arts and crafts, blooming with vibrant colours, playing Kutchi and Gujarati folk music warmly welcome you to the Narayan Sarovar village. Whilst travelling from Bhuj to Narayan Sarovar, the tyres of the vehicle in which we were travelling went flat near Kanauj. The chances of getting another vehicle seemed remote and therefore we decided to walk the distance of about 3 kilometres to the village. Barren stretches which mostly grow Cactus surround the curvy roads that lead to Narayan Sarovar. In between those barren lands, are green pastures, a blessing for animals. These arid thorn-forests are also a home to the famous Chinkara deers, the desert foxes and the Great Indian Bustard. One does not normally encounter these animals on roads during the day time. We however, got lucky as we encountered a fox on the road which on seeing us quickly disappeared in a nearby bush. The forest also has plant species like the Babul. We also spotted the famous Indian Bustard and a few rabbits as well. This tranquil sanctuary is an attraction for nature lovers. The place is a combo of a holy place and an animal sanctuary. I came across a familiar face, a villager whom I had met on my last visit on the way and was wondering what to say to break the ice. He was the first to seize initiative, I was expecting a “Kin Ayo” which means “How are you?” in the Kutchi dialect, but got a ‘Hari Om’ instead which brought a smile on my face.

We were tired when we reached the village. Accomodation is not a problem here, because it has a dharamshala called Ann-Kshetra where one can live and eat free of cost. The next day, we visited the temples in the village. This place is also known for its temples and owes its prosperity to tourism. The village is situated on the banks of the lake “Narayan” (a name of Lord Vishnu). It is said that the lake emerged from the ground after the Lord hit an arrow in the ground. It is among the five holiest lakes in our country. The beautiful and sacred Shree Tri VikramRai, Shree Laxmi Narayan and Adi Narayan temples were constructed on the banks of the lake. The architecture of these temples is simply breath taking. Narayan Sarovar finds its name mentioned in the Bhagvad Gita. It is also known as the 64th pilgrimage according to the Hindu tradition. If you visit the others and fail to take a dip in the Narayan lake, the pilgrimage gets you no fruits. The place is a blessing for bird watchers as well. The presence of the lake too attracts a lot of different species of birds. Oppurtunity to click the birds keeps presenting itself which is a delight for photographers.

Once upon a time Ravana, the king of Lanka and a devotee of Lord Shiva wanted to take a Shiva ling to Lanka to eventually become immortal. Ravana promised the Lord that he would not drop the Ling anywhere on the way and take utmost care of it. He however dropped the Ling on the way to help a cow stuck in the mud. It immediately turned into millions of such Lings. When he came back, he was confused upon which one was the original Shiva Ling and he picked up a duplicate one. The original Ling stayed at Koteshwar which is about 2 km’s from the village. The temple has a huge complex. The Karachi port in Pakistan is only a few 100 km’s from Koteshwar and therefore strict vigilance is a must here. This place is therefore guarded by the Border Security Force. This is the last place in India where the sun sets. The beautiful sun-set is a treat to watch from the temple complex. The migratory Flamingoes which are spotted in the wet lands of Mumbai during summer, are originally from here.

Also present here is the famous Shri MahaPrabhuji’s Baithak. It is said that Lord Shiva himself had descended from heavens to listen to the Shri Maha Prabhuji preaching under a tree which is centuries old. Next to the Baithak, is a garden called Upvan which has about 1000 trees where one feels like a heaven when temperatures soar. Upvan also has a small room where Shri Morari Bapu stayed during his brief visit to the place.

Hindus and Muslims live together here. People here feel that caste matters only to people who live in big cities. This place with its colourful people and historic temples has attracted many visitors. Just like any other place in Kutch, this place too has plenty of cows. The villagers have themselves created sheds at the far end of the village to provide food, water and shelter for the cows. These sheds are a home to more than 1,000 cows today. The arrangement of a movie show in the village attracts one and all. It is indeed wonderful to watch the old and the young come together to enjoy the movie show.

Every local you meet here greets you with a smile; this speaks a lot about the resilience of the Kutchi people. An amazing contrast is how they choose to live their life full of colours in spite of the barren lands and harsh weather. They teach us a lot by making the best use of resources, as nature has given them so little.

Always ready to guard us, The Indian Army

Nice Pose

Stranded on an island

The Kingfisher. Ideal Setting

Deja-Vu

Egret-Busy Fishing

Looking over the fence

2010-01-18T07:46:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Fitness

BEST WRITER AWARD - TIMES OF CMB - HSBC

Looking back into the history of the entire mankind, we can easily infer that the only civilization which is responsible for creation of ugliness to an extremely unfathomable extent is ours. Riots, Bomb Blasts, Gun firings, rapes, murders etc are common occurrences today. Jealousy, greed and ignominy have become human nature. The multiplication of such events, only means one thing and that is the human nature will not change, so it was, so it is and so it shall be. Seldom has any other civilization created such chaos. The need of the hour is Spiritual Fitness; the word conjures up an idea of some super human accomplishment which is not the case.

Being a Karate student actually helps in understanding this concept. What Japanese call “Zen” is “Dhyan” in Sanskrit. Bodhidharma, an Indian who is traditionally credited to transmit Zen to China, discovered that the monks engrossed in deep meditation were not physically strong to withstand its severities. And since he was equipped with the knowledge of theories and concepts of martial arts, he became their teacher. He knew it was all about strengthening one’s mind and to have such a strong mind, one should have a strong body and thus be spiritually fit. Martial artists believe that attaining the Kuro Obi or black belt is not the end of the journey but only a start, and a contributing factor which establishes a fact that you are ready for the spiritual quest.

The solution to the problems we face today lies in strengthening the body and then the mind. Bruce Lee’s quest to be the greatest martial artist of all time could be understood only if you too want to be physically and spiritually best like him. Unfortunately there are not many who would be interested!!!

2010-01-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

3 Idiots – Film Review
Published on http://www.mastradio.com/

3 Idiots is a must watch film because it carries a message for everyone and touches the problems our education system is facing today. The elegance personified director Rajkumar Hirani like his previous movies like the Munnabhai series and the perfectionist Amir like his movie Taare Zameen Par once again successfully delivers a strong but simple message. The film tells you that education is not about getting good marks and achieving success but it is all about craving for excellence. And it is important to be passionate about whatever you choose to do in life. These are simple, philosophical thoughts everyone is aware of, but they are remarkably depicted in the film. I, too like everyone else came out of the theatre with just one line on my lips “Bhaiya, All is well”.

The story begins with Farhan Qureshi (R. Madhavan) and Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi) looking for their friend Rancho (Amir Khan) who goes missing after graduation. It has been years since they have met Rancho and the story unfolds in flash back with both the friends thinking about Rancho. The trio meets at the country’s number one engineering college and become great buddies. They meet Rancho who is their roommate and discover his unique and inquisitive nature when he starts questioning his professors for everything they teach in the class. Rancho always tells them to pursue excellence and success would automatically follow. But while doing so he enters into the bad books of the college director Viru Sahasrabuddhe (Boman Irani) and in good books of his daughter Pia (Kareena Kapoor).

Every inch of the film is intensely and thoroughly thought upon. The director wonderfully touches upon delicate aspects like the peer pressure our education system puts upon the students, parents pushing their children into a field they are not keen to join and student suicides. There are delicate, poignant and heart touching moments in the film. There is a striking similarity in this film which has Amir Khan questioning the dean of the college, just like it happens in the director’s previous endeavor Munnabhai. However, the film is gripping and unpredictable to such an extent that those similarities are not noticed easily. The film has comedy, romance, fun and basically everything that keeps you glued for more than 180 minutes of the film. 3 Idiots is loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel Five Point Someone but again, the pace of the film doesn’t let you ponder over it. The movie is shot at beautiful locations of North India especially Ladakh. I always wonder why are Bollywood films shot at exclusive locations across the world when there are beautiful places like Ladakh already present in India.

Amir Khan is brilliant in the film. He clearly stands apart in the film as expected. Other actors like Sharman Joshi and Madhavan are not at all overshadowed by the presence of Amir Khan in the film. They too have their own space and are too good. Kareena is the female version of Rolls-Royce and you’d know after watching this film that she is one of the best actresses we have today. Boman Irani is marvellous.
All in all, 3 Idiots is an inspirational, cinematic and a delightful film. It is the best film that would ever be made in years to come. Unbelievable but true.

2009-12-05T20:58:00.000-08:00

Paa-Film review

With Paa, Amitabh Bacchan has chartered those unchartered territories where no one else has dared to charter before. He’s stepped into the shoes of a 13 year old, named Auro who has a rare genetic disorder called Progeria which fastens up the ageing process. This means though Auro is 13, but due to ageing, his body is of a person who may be five times his age. And we don’t see Amitabh at all in the film because in Auro’s skin he is simply unrecognizable. Yes, unbelievable but true. His acting today has reached a pinnacle of near insurmountable standards. After about 40 years in the film industry and already a legend like status, Amitabh is such a genius who is not willing to rest on his laurels. With such a top performer, belief and reality always merge. With Paa, Balki too, was looking at risk differently. He has taken a road less travelled but has broad shoulders of Amitabh Bachhan to bank upon and he does not disappoint.

The film opens up with the little Auro who lives with a single mother Vidya (Vidya Balan), a gynecologist winning an award for being the most creative kid in school. The politician who presents this award to Auro is Amol Arte (Abhishek Bacchhan), the proverbial do-gooder politician and a member of parliament. Auro becomes famous as the media is after him and wants to catch a glimpse of him, making him uncomfortable. When Amol comes to know about Auro’s problems he ensures that Auro is no longer haunted by the media. Auro puts forth a wish to see the Rashtrapati Bhavan and Amol obliges. Auro then discovers that Amol is his own father and thus, he conspires and ensures that his mother and father live together ever after.

Amitabh as Auro, takes over the film, the moment he is introduced, however the story of the slum redevelopment and the media bashing is a hindrance. The moment the film concentrates on something else on the film, everyone wonders where Auro is. Auro’s school friends too deserve applause as they are very good in the film. The scene when the little girl from whom Auro keeps running away, hands him a sorry card is touching. However, the way Amitabh conducts himself in the film; his looks, the way he speaks and his infectious laugh are simply astounding.

Balki never wanted this to be a film which would concentrate on an individual suffering from a rare disease and is about to die. He therefore chose to emphasize on the relationship between a father and son. He is hugely successful in the film as the chemistry between Abhishek and Amitabh is too good.

Abhishek Bacchan, as a politician has a look which is a mixture of Rahul Gandhi and Sachin Pilot and he settles well in the role of such a rare politician whose only intention is to do better for the country and tell everyone that politics is not a bad profession. With such a role, we are in for a big surprise as we have never seen such a dedicated guy before, even in films. Vidya Balan (looks like million bucks) in the role of a single mother is subtle and overwhelming. Paresh Rawal doesn’t have to do much in the film. Arundhati Naag as Auro’s grandmother is impressive. The film however belongs to Amitabh Bacchhan. He is simply glorious, magnificient, supra human, greater and much bigger than all the current actors put together. The dialogues by Balki are witty and creative. Music by Illayaraj is delicious. The make-up of Auro by Christian Tinsley and Domini Till requires a special mention as they have done wonderfully well.

Overall, Paa is an exhilarting experience which has taken Amitabh’s acting to unchallenged heights. And with Paa too, he keeps the audiences guessing, what next? Watch Paa with your entire family.

2009-11-29T05:41:00.000-08:00

KURBAAN
(Published on www.mastradio.com)

Kurbaan which released in theatres on Friday is a thought provoking and a powerful movie which has hit theatres in the year 2009. With this movie, Karan Johar provides the thoughtful and intense Indian cine goers paisa vasool entertainment. In a way, this film is as fresh as a wind that easily blows the old thoughts away and it tells us that Karan Johar has an eye for history. The Indian audiences asked for a change and honestly speaking, this film was a honest and a better one. It looks as if Rensil Desilva, the director of the Kurbaan is more like a scientist to whom every drop of titration matters, as every minute of the film is hard hitting and succeeds in gripping the audiences thoroughly. We don’t have to look very far but only as far as early 2009, with Kurbaan its three hits in a row for Karan Johar as a producer (Dostana, Wake Up Sid and now Kurbaan) and he is set for more with My name is Khan to be released in early 2010. Karan succeeds to raise the Dharma Productions banner flying high. The film is based on the backdrop of terrorism. It taps specifically the life in the United States of India after 9/11 and clearly succeeds in doing that.

Kareena Kapoor plays Avantika in the film, a university teacher and falls in love with another professor from the same university, Ahsaan Khan (Saif Ali Khan). They marry and shift to New York in the United States. They buy a house next to a Muslim family and move in. The Muslim family invites them for a dinner together and that’s when things start changing for Avantika. One of the women of the Muslim family Salma (Nauheed Cyrusi) tells Avantika that her life is in danger and she needs help. What happens later on in the film is simply unpredictable and unthinkable. Avantika digs deep and realizes that unknowingly she has been a part of a huge conspiracy. She secretly gets help from news reporter Riyaaz (Vivek Oberoi) and plans to foil the terror plan.

Rensil is a delicate and poignant story teller and brings in all his 18 years experience of writing in this film. He succeeds in superbly catching the chemistry of a couple who are actually in love with each other. Secondly, he also succeeds in catching the psyche of people who think and feel deeply for their religion and how they think they ought to fight for it. Above all, he has superbly captured the mindset of people who actually go through the entire ordeal. The climax of the film is simply unthinkable.

Saif Ali Khan has succeeded in showing how wonderfully versatile he is, whereas Kareena (looks like million bucks) is exhilarating and shows why she is a top notch actor and amongst the best today. Vivek Oberoi whose career was more uncertain than even a stock broker, comes back on his own after a long lull. Kurbaan is a ray of optimism for him and could really be a defining film of his career. Om Puri is a unique actor who has a unique ability to communicate very well with the audiences. Kiron Kher too comes out of her usual self of a boisterous Punjabi mother and settles well with the Afghani accent. The music by Salim Suleiman needs a special mention as he succeeds in enthralling the audience with two wonderful songs “Shukran Allah” and “Ali Maula”. Overall the film is a sensitive one and succeeds in meeting the fundamental expectations of the audiences which is - a return for money.

2009-11-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

SD Burman - The musical legend

(Published on mastradio.com - 04Nov2009)

Sachin Dev Burman or SD Burman or SD or just Sachinda was a legendary personality. He was an elegance personified and the finest music directors of all time. “Sachinda was one of the most cultured and sophisticated music directors I have ever encountered” Dev Anand once said. Sachin Tendulkar the great Indian cricket player was named after Sachin dev Burman.

Sachinda belonged to an aristocratic pedigree. He was born in a princely family of Tripura. Money never impressed him; nothing seemed bigger than music for the great SD Burman. He was also a brilliant and skilful classical singer, singing enhanced his passion for music; it helped him in creating some unforgettable and soulful music. He started his musical career in films from Kolkata. He has sung for more than 200 songs (filmy and non filmy) in Hindi and Bengali. In his hey days as a music composer, he used to phone call singers like Mukesh and Mohammad Rafi in the early morning hours to test their vocal cords.

In Sachinda’s erstwhile years, he always wanted to live in Kolkata but was destined to come to Mumbai. He moved to Mumbai and composed music for two films Shikari and Aath Din. He was never able to adjust in Mumbai and was annoyed by its materialistic nature. Soon he decided it was enough and decided
to move back to Kolkata. He was working on Ashok Kumar starrer Mashaal at that point in time. Ashok Kumar was very close to Sachinda and he requested him to continue but all his pleas were futile and meaningless. Finally, Dada Moni requested him to complete the music of that film before leaving. The music of Mashaal was a hit. Sachinda thus decided to stay back.

Dev Anand, a man with a keen ear for music appointed Sachinda as the music director of his own venture Navketan Films after the success of his film Baazi which had a song with an inescapable magic Tadbir se Bigdi hui Taqdeer Bana de. Later on, Sachinda composed music for another film of Navketan banner which was Afsar, the music of which was also a big hit. His camaraderie with Dev Anand was due to Sachinda’s uncompromising commitment towards perfection. With Navketan, he composed music for hit films like Tere Ghar Ke Saamne and Jewel Thief. In 1965 Dev Anand released Guide for which Sachinda weaved his magic once again. With Hum Bekhudi mein tumko, he worked wonders. The other super hit songs from Guide were Gaata rahe mera dil, Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai and Wahan Kaun Hai Tera which was sung by Sachinda himself.

Before his partnership with Dev Saab, he had a nice little partnership with Guru Dutt and wrote music for his famous movies like Pyaasa and Kaagaz ke Phool. He also wrote music for Kishore Kumar film Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi which was a huge hit. With his musical composition Jalte Hain Jiske Liye sung by Talat Mahmood, he simply stole the nation’s soul.

In 1979, he came up with incredible tunes for a film titled Aradhana which was a runaway hit and which was a life line for play back singer Kishore Kumar and superstardom for Rajesh Khanna. The music of Aradhana provided unbridled exhilarations to fans. Sachinda in spite of being a master never believed he was invincible. He therefore consciously tried to forget his own creations so that he doesn’t repeat himself in the next one. This quality of Sachinda distinguished him from the rest. This quality is no longer found in the current music directors, who are always ready to steal their competitor’s tunes.

October 1st was Sachinda’s birthday and October 31st is his death anniversary but there is timelessness about the great man. He passed away but immortalised himself in the heart of his lovers. He is and will always be remembered the Legendary Music Director, who gave a different dimension to the Music Industry!!

2009-10-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

Film Review – Blue (Rating 1 out of 5)

The director of Blue, Anthony D’souza wanted to paint the nation Azure during the Diwali festival. He therefore sought the most expensive star cast in Bollywood – Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta and Zayed Khan in addition to some great underwater shots and an imported dame in Kylie Minogue. The 100 Crore film, an opulent spectacle, is a dampener though. The credit should be given to the marketing team of Shree Ashtavinayak films for creating a hype and hysteria around the film that it succeeded in accumulating 16 Crores in the first week itself. I too was a victim of the hype and saw the film on the Diwali day.

Blue was supposed to be a jaw-dropping tryst, the first Bollywood underwater film with a huge array of under the sea stunts. However, these stunts by Pete Zuccarini (Pirates of the Caribbean fame) are not as fascinating as predicted and seem straight out of some Discovery channel show.

The plot is desultory and dangling too. Sagar (Sanjay Dutt) a thoughtful and intense guy, lives in Bahamas and knows about a hidden treasure buried in the sea off a sunken ship years back. He is the only friend of Aarav (Akshay Kumar), an entrepreneur and his employer who is so mean that he never gives an inch. Sagar wants to live a peaceful life with Mona (Lara Dutta) and rejects offers by Aarav to look for the treasure buried deep in the sea because he had lost his father for the want of it. Aarav like a fisherman keeps waiting for the right opportunity after throwing his bait.

Sam (Zayed Khan), an owner of a cluttered mind and Sagar’s errant brother lives in Bangkok. He is a champion biker but unknowingly falls into a trap by a gangster Gulshan (Rahul Dev) who wants to kill Sam. Sam has a choice to either get killed or pay up 50 million dollars to Gulshan. Sagar finally agrees to search the treasure buried in the sea along with Aarav to save his brother Sam.

The climax a lame one, has some daring underwater stunts by all the actors but they somewhat disappoint to the core. According to Sagar the area where the treasure lies is a dangerous place as it is infested by sharks. Surprisingly none of the underwater creatures attack them when they are searching the treasure; and it is only the goons who attack the three protagonists. And the three men manage to find the treasure without any hassles at all.

The music by the Oscar Winner A. R. Rehman fails to score a point as the only hummable number is the Kylie Minogue starrer Chiggy Wiggy. The vanilla flavored Lara Dutta can boast of some good underwater stunts but only has her skin to flaunt. Katrina Kaif looks like a fresh air and has about seven minutes in the film. It was surprising to see the huge paunch of once supremely fit Sanjay Dutt in one of the scenes. Sanju Baba also disappoints in Blue, especially because of the high standards set in his previous hit films like the Munnabhai series etc.

Overall, after watching Blue I feel it is difficult to recall optimism from the ruins it lies under as it fails to meet even the fundamental expectations of its viewers. The film is not even worthy of the ticket price. A flood of memories overwhelms me while watching Blue. This one too is an over hyped Akshay Kumar movie just like his previous so called super hit movies like Kambakth Ishq, Chandni Chowk to China, Welcome et al. For Blue, I would say we had great expectations but were served with great disappointment.

2009-09-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Trek to Naneghat - An Ideal Week end Get away

Published in The Times of India - Chembur Ghatkopar Plus on 26th Sept2009

We started our journey from Mumbai at 630 am and reached the base of Naneghat by 930 am. The place is about 2 hours from Kalyan (approximately 55 kms). Since it had started raining while we were in Mumbai, we knew we were in for a treat at Naneghat. It is essential to have a nice breakfast before starting the trek and we did just that. This is important because it provides a lot of energy required for the trek and secondly the trek doesn’t offer any food on the way. What Naneghat offers is lush greenery and abundance of natural beauty. It was drizzling when we started moving upwards. A few minutes’ later clouds allowed us to view the glorious and the magnificent thumb shaped peak of Naneghat and next to it was the V-shaped Naneghat pass. We stared at them with reverence and anticipation. In a way, it also appeared like the beautiful woman, who appears unattainable and thus depressing.

We, however, a group of 19 decided to stretch our ambitions to 3000 feet (as that’s where the pinnacle lies), take the uncertainties head-on and started moving slowly, steadily and firmly amidst dazzling surroundings. Most of us were first timers and were in awe of the amazing landscape this place was offering us. The trek is labeled easy but an amateur has to be cautious because of the slippery surface. Moments later it started pouring again and as if it was time to shut the doors to the magical view on the top, the zinc colored clouds covered it. We continued moving forward amidst desultory and dangling conversation, and exploring the post card worthy landscapes around.

As we continued our pursuit, the slightly wider road turned itself into a much narrower one. Since it was raining heavily, the path upwards was completely water laden, with the water hardly allowing us to view the rocks beneath it to step on them. It was alike walking amidst a waterfall. The decision to step on any rock was based on sheer intuition. The path may not have been difficult otherwise. The flowing water did two things to us; firstly it slowed us down and secondly it robbed us from watching the breathtaking views around.

The perseverance ultimately paid off as we reached the top of Naneghat and were in for a big surprise. Little did we know that the path on which we were walking assiduously was of historical importance. The cave’s on the top has scriptures written on its walls in Brahmi language and the V-shaped pass was once upon a time used for trade. It belonged to the famous Satavahana rulers and the presence of a huge pot made of rocks confirms this. It is believed that the traders using this path used to insert a gold coin in the pot as toll. It seemed like a chapter straight out of one of those history text books. It was an enthralling experience for us knowing how unknowingly we stumbled upon such a historically significant landmark. It was a trip back to time. The isolation of such a beautiful place was however a bit aching.

After lunch, we started moving skywards - towards the top of “The Thumb” - a cliff from one side and accessible from the other. The valley had however decided to not let us view it and therefore remained enveloped in the fog. Standing at 3000 feet, I got a feeling of déjà-vu. I recalled standing at 18000 feet at Khardung La in Ladakh last year wondering how much higher, the sky could be. I wonder about it every time standing at great heights.

We shared a few unforgettable moments of solitude; away from the crushing monotony the urban life offers, till it was time to head back. As we started moving downwards we realized that the water was flowing downwards at a great speed making it difficult for us to walk. However, as the rain stopped and the water receded we started moving more comfortably. The thick dark clouds which tested us earlier also parted and we were in for a magnificent view around the ghats. We were thus able to view top of the famous Kalsubai, Bhimashankar, Harishchandraghad and Siddhaghad. The mountain ranges of Matheran also were peeping amidst the clouds.

We finally reached the place where we had begun and soon started heading home. While the vehicle moved, I kept staring at the Naneghat, with a feeling of conquest. The reverence before the journey had turned into a meaningless ego, a trait that resides in every human. To my surprise, the mountain quite at peace with itself smiled back at me, as if it was happy to let me conquer it. So powerful yet so humble, I told myself. Suddenly the ego seemed trivial, and I stared at the peak again, this time with affection and bid it good-bye.

Trek To Naneghat -

2009-09-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Monza - 2009

It was a day of huge anticipation for Force India. After the superb performance at the Belgium circuit where Fisichella managed a podium finish, a lot was expected of them. Adrian Sutil, who was never touched by history before, didn’t disappoint. It was a professional performance from the German but he got the rough end of the pineapple. He finished 4th and was denied a podium finish by the Brawn GP who pulled off a 1-2 finish. The bar for this race wasn’t raised too much but Sutil will definitely agree that sometimes the difference between the best and the rest is a matter of only a few seconds. He unfortunately lost 2 valuable seconds because of a small error in the pit stop when he lost control over the brakes slightly knocking out two pit crew. He managed to earn points because Hamilton spun his car in the second last lap.

Rubens Barichhello the eventual winner of the race managed to reduce the lead from 16 to 14 for the driver’s championship. Kimi Raikonnen continued his fine form by finishing third, though the difference was between Ferrari and Force India was only paper thin.

This race once again showed us how crucial the KERS is. Both Hamilton and Raikonnen used it to their advantage to keep their cars adrift from Adrian Sutil who was driving exceedingly well in his KERS less car. Sutil never gambled, but his duel with Raikonnen was the highlight of the race.

Earlier, Hamilton also ensured he take a maximum advantage of the pole position. He drove the McLaren wonderfully well and looked set for earning points till the penultimate lap when he lost control on the car and hit the side walls, thus bringing out the safety car on the track. This ensured the Brawn win and there were no more challenges for Sutil.

Sutil’s partner Liuzzi looked aggressive throughout and looked set for points, but a mechanical failure ensured he retired after 22 laps. Giancarlo Fisichella had a quite race but managed to finish 9th eventually and Fernando Alonso of Renault came 5th.

The race belonged to Force India who has shown that the win last week was not a fluke and from now on would be taken seriously by the leaders. It is a wonderful phase for the team which comes rarely and hope they consolidate because it would be good not only for them but also for the longevity of the sport in our country.

2009-09-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Getting Green

I woke up with a feeling of relaxation, envisaging a lazy day. The thoughts from the previous day at work were still there. They normally stay with me for the entire day, at times ensuring I am only physically present at home, not mentally. In the evening, I reached the dojo – my Karate school, which to me is a perfect get away from the stress of the entire week. The thoughts I had made me oblivious of the proceedings at the dojo. After the regular jimi ondo session in which we warm up our body and ready it for the arduous training, Sensei Bahadur announced my name. I suddenly realized I was going to get a Vidori Obi - the Green Belt. I passed the Ro Kyu, the 6th test a couple of days back and when the results were announced I was told I did pretty well.

Having left the training midway 5 years back, the Green Belt to me appeared as attainable as a Film Fare award to Vivek Oberoi. Sensei Mahesh told me I was a half Kuro Obi – a Black Belt. I felt his words would act as a catalyst for me to yearn for more and so I told him this was indeed a huge motivation. Of course, the next goal would be an Ik kyu – the coveted Brown Belt and then the glorious, the magnificent and my ultimate dream - a Sho dan, The Black Belt. To me there is romance associated with Karate and thus with a glimmer in the eye, I took off the orange belt and wore the new Green Belt. I felt I was the centre of the universe with every student staring at me and clapping enthusiastically. I still hear the sharp echo while I write this article (it was the first time I received a belt in front of the entire dojo). The journey was thrilling so far and the testimonial convinced me of my own skills. The anger and deprivation that I may have carried from the daily disappointments of the previous week appeared trivial and the new belt seemed soothing like a balm. Being pertinacious paid off. I would now be setting an example for the younger lot. They’d be looking up to me as a senior. In other words I felt like a super-star, conscious of the significant landmark of my life. I was ecstatic.

I was soon asked to initiate the training where the senior students normally train in the dojo. The senior’s stood in a row facing the junior students so that they can watch them and emulate.

While training, a delicious thought passed my mind. I realized that
I was doing the same things that I did last week and perhaps weeks before. The new senior student testimonial had not made much of a difference.

After the ephemeral ecstasy of the acquisition of the new belt downed itself, I realized that inspite of being a senior student now; I was still learning and trying to perfect the basics. Sensei ensured that we learn new things but still remain in touch with the basics. This was an inescapable fact. We kept doing the standard Tzuki Waza, punching basics and Geri Waza, kicking techniques not once or twice but hundreds of times till we became energetically bankrupt, weary with the battle at hand and the next conquest seemed daunting, but we still continued. I thought I always knew this but was amazed at the way I re-discovered it.

I realized that in Karate and in life, this balance is a key to success. Every time we have to explore unchartered territories, learn new things, and acquire new skills while remaining grounded. Many things are to be learned from here on, I told myself. I would however need to be aware of the high flying thoughts popping up every now and then, capable of distracting my mind and would need to shoot them down. The training would become stringent and I would need to break physical, mental and emotional barriers, set by none other but myself. With the Green already in the kitty, the real act begins now.

2009-08-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Patriotic Poet

How do Indians show their patriotism? They say it with a song. Many singers and poets have gloriously conquered the psyche of the Indians with their work. One such artist who had the ineluctable creativity and power to do it consistently was Kavi Pradeep. Enslaved by the fervid love for the country, he wrote many songs which captured the imagination of the nation like Chal Chal Re Naujawan (film - Bandhan), Aao Bacchon Tumhe Dikhayein (film - Jagriti), and Upar Gagan Vishal (film - Mashaal).

During the Quit India movement, the ebullient poet wrote a song "Dur Hato Ae Duniya Waalon" (film - Kismet) out of sheer gumption and aplomb which echoed the sharp cry of the freedom struggle and acted as a catalyst to motivate the people. When the British government understood the underlying meaning of this song, they issued an arrest warrant for Pradeep, who was then forced to go underground.

The song written for the film Jagriti in the year 1954 "Dedi hamein azaadi bina khadag bina dhaal" dedicated to the Father of the Nation was a major hit.

In the year 1962, when we were attacked by China, one of our soldier- Param Veer Major Shaitan Singh Bhati fought valiantly with the enemy and laid down his life. Moved by his valor, the doughty poet penned “Ae mere watan ke Logon”. Lata Mangeshkar poured forth her ineffable and melodious voice from the crucible of her throat for the song. This song soon became patriotic opium of the masses. Jawaharlal Nehru had a soul stirring experience hearing Lataji render it. The song is bestowed as the greatest patriotic Indian song ever. Even after decades it still brings tears even in the eyes of pimply teenagers.

Some people have an ability to make other people happy. Kavi Pradeep was definitely one of the possessors of such ability. He, in fact, was truly a sui-generis.

2009-08-16T02:09:00.000-07:00

Sports
(Published in the CMB News Letter - HSBC)

Bhaichung Bhutia, Vishwanathan Anand, Geet Sethi, Karnam Malleswari et al are the names who have avoided ghettoization of our country in the field of sports. The Olympic medals to Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh last year seemed as infrequent as strawberry jam in wartime. Unlike Indian cricketers these are names we find difficult to put into our collective memory. Things are changing now.. to a certain extent.

We are a country of 100 billion with rich and diverse culture but a handful of sports heroes. The hosting of Common Wealth Games next year can give the Indian Sports a fresh lease of life. The new logo of the Common Wealth (Ashok Chakra moving upwards) also symbolizes India’s rise as a global power, though the slow-mo preparation for the games make us ponder over the future of other sports in India. However, it’s an opportunity to portray India’s strengths and also showcase the performances of Indian athletes.

It is widely believed in our country that Cricket is killing other games; it’s time now to prove otherwise. We as spectators too are collectively responsible for the lackadaisical approach of government agencies towards other sports. It is also true that people like Bhutia, Bindra et al have defied the ignorance of the government; the hay-stack sized ego’s of Babu’s who run sports in the country and won accolades more out of self belief and positive attitude. Indeed we have a thing or two to learn from Cricket as well. The government can rework and refine the concept of the IPL to develop similar concepts for other games. The lack of governmental support has been primarily responsible for the ignorance of other games but its commitment for IPL like concepts for all games could work wonders. It’d be redemption for Indian sports.

2009-06-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

The 84th Problem

A farmer once went to Lord Buddha and asked him to solve his problems. Buddha asked him what his problems were. The farmer said his problem was sometimes it doesn’t rain, sometimes it rains too much, and sometimes the crops were eaten away by termites. He continued saying he had a nagging wife, his children were showing no gratitude to him and he had gossip mongers in his neighborhood. He thus listed 83 problems. Buddha calmly told him that there was no solution to his problems. On further insistence from the farmer, the Lord told him that he can’t help the farmer solve his problems but can solve his 84th problem. The farmer curiously asked him which the 84th problem was and Lord said the 84th problem is that he doesn’t want any problem.

Well, to a large extent our life and its wants and desires too are like that of the farmer’s. In these times when the markets are shrinking and pink slips are common, the good news is that the no of people visiting sacred places like Shirdi to offer prayers has increased. Prayers send powerful vibrations into the cosmos and create a magnetic field to attract the objects of our prayers. People are however still unhappy, even after their prayers. Most of us want a better boss, a bigger car, a better vacation, an understanding husband/wife so on and so forth. The list is endless just like the 83 problems of the farmer. And when we do not get what we want, even after offering prayers, we become unhappy and instigate suffering. We operate out of our foul, sticky, dirty karma and its residual pain. We do not understand that our karma’s are the reason for our suffering. We would get only what we deserve and not what we ask for. The problem is that our minds are already made up for what we want. We therefore keep tugging at the God’s garment and keep asking for what we think would make our life perfect.

King Ravana was a great follower of Lord Shiva. He did everything to please the Lord. When the Lord was happy, Ravana asked for great power and all the richness of the world. He thought he would become immortal with the great power he got as a blessing from Lord Shiva. The great God had his way though. Ravana was killed by the prince of Ayodhya – Rama in spite of being so powerful. Thus, it is essential to sacrifice everything that we want, for what God wants and let him choose for us. The choices we make with our limited viewpoints make us unhappy and moreover are driven from desire to make ourselves free from difficulty. We avoid things that we think would hurt us and would give us pain.

It is essential that whatever comes tomorrow, we accept it with a smile because that is what God has planned for us. How can the great God be wrong? This however doesn’t mean that we give up. We ought to strive hard through righteousness for what we want because ‘To work we have the right, but not the fruits thereof’ says Krishna in Bhagvad Gita.

We ought to delve deeper to honor and cherish ‘The Tomorrow’ as it’s a gift God has chosen for us, even if he gives it to us with stone face intent. Let us thus evolve ourselves from the tyranny of impoverished thinking and its collective insanity. Enlightenment is not pursuing something. Enlightenment is dropping your pursuit.

2009-06-14T00:28:00.000-07:00

Turkey 2009

Qualifying

History beckons Vettel. Historically, whoever has started on pole in Turkey has won the race. Vettel started on pole in the two podium finishes so far in his career. He was on pole once again today and had a glimmer in his eye, rightly so. It’s difficult to say who would win tomorrow, however Button who is leading the championship table this year and qualified behind Vettel would ensure he stays in the hunt to get closer to the world title. Rubbens Barrichello finished behind Vettel. A strong performance by Mark Webber brought him as close as fourth.
Jarno Trulli for Toyota disappointed after his performance in Monaco made amends to reach 5th this time. The Ferrari’s who seemed lost till the races before Monaco where Raikkonen finished 3rd carried on their good performances to finish 6th and 7th respectively with Kimi leading the pack.

Mclaren’s Lewis Hamilton and his partner Heikki Kovalainen weren’t effective with their car this time around finished 14th and 16th.

Race Day

Vettel had a dream qualifying session but not a dream race. He started well from the pole but Button required only a single opportunity which Vettel provided him and was gleefully accepted by the wanna be world champion. The difference in the number of points scored between him and his compatriot Barrichello is 26 points now. This was his 6th win in 7 races so far.
Mark Webber of the Red Bull finished second. Truly this season has been that of the David’s and the Goliath’s are struggling like never before. Turkey traditionally belonged to Ferrari as Massa had won three previous races here in a row. Ferrari was expecting the history would repeat itself but it was not to be. Massa finished 6th.

Robert Kubica confirmed BMW Sauber’s revival after a disappointing start to the season, by finishing seventh ahead of German Timo Glock in the second Toyota. Defending drivers’ champion Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren Mercedes started from 16th on the grid and battled his way through to finish 13th.

2009-05-28T03:48:00.000-07:00

Man United loses Champions League title

The clash between the two best football teams in Europe has to be a big ticket event. The fans expected the match between the two teams Barcelona and Manchester United in Champions league final 2009 would be of a ferocious one. With the best players in either team available to play in the final, it was expected to be a lip smacking encounter. But more often than not, big tickets are often a big letdown. Even this one was as Manchester United was easily and comprehensively beaten by the more agile Barcelona team in the final played in Rome yesterday.

With two successive titles already in their kitty, United was looking for a third title this year and wanted to be the first team to do so. However, they appeared a tad numb on the big occasion compared to their opponents who appeared exhilaratingly alive. Barcelona defenders were spot on to deny any freedom to Ronaldo and Rooney whereas serious defense errors by the Man United defenders cost them not only the match but also the championship. There were a few goal scoring opportunities for United early on but they weren’t able to capitalize.

Barcelona seized the first available opportunity in the 9th minute when Samuel E’to opened the scoring with his artistic touch by easily beating the unbeatable Van Der Sar. Post the first goal, United surprisingly never upped the tempo of their game and looked sluggish giving away many opportunities only to be saved by the brilliance of their goal keeper. However, they failed to read one superb pass by Xavi in the 70th minute and allowed the Barca fire power Messi to get away by scoring a header. There was no Ferdinand, no O’shea nearby when Messi strolled in United area. Soon the game was out of reach.

The United Manager Sir Alex Fergusson made important substitutions by bringing in Tevez and Berbatov but both of them appeared a mere shadow of their previous selves. A flood of memories overwhelms me when exactly a year back, United looked unbeatable and what a match they played against Chelsea to retain the title. This explains the improbable nature of triumph. This was a third trophy for the Barcelona team. A few players were seen shedding tears of joy after touching the trophy. The master tactician Sir Alex lost out against the 38 year old Barca coach Pep Guardialo this time. Sir Alex meanwhile has already his eyes set upon the trophies next year and for sure Man United is a team to watch out for next season as well.

2009-05-24T02:43:00.000-07:00

May 24, 2009 – Monaco

Qualifying

Imagine what is two hundredths of a second? That was the difference between Button who eventually got to the pole before Kimi Raikonnen on a track which offers a maximum down force of all the Formula One tracks. Monaco is considered to be the world’s greatest and most challenging circuit. Nelson Piquet once remarked “Racing on this track is like flying a helicopter in your living room.” That is how difficult this track is. Button delivered a best time of 1 minute and 14.902 seconds to get his fourth pole in 6 races this year. He has already won 4 out of the 5 races. As far as Ferrari is concerned, this was the best start to finish so far in this year. Massa finished 5th. The 37 year old Rubbens Barrichello finished third ahead of Sebastian Vettel of the Red Bull.

The week that has led to the Monaco has been action packed with Ferrari threatening to leave the Formula One arena if the cap on technological investments was not removed and they appear serious when they sued the Formula One management over this issue. However, the ruling went against Ferrari. Ferrari who has taken part in the every Formula One race so far is an integral part of it and Formula One sans Ferrari would be unimaginable. Ferrari, a part of Fiat has been munificent in their spending so far. If however, Ferrari has to bog down to the demands of the F1 bosses, then this could be the last year of premier car racing.

Race Day

If someone’d have told Jenson Button before the start of the 2009 season that he’d win the first 5 out of 6 races, I am sure he would have died laughing. No one would have imagined that at the first place and to ask him this question. Most of us were happy to have Brawn on the grid after Honda pulled off after the last season as that made up the numbers. They were however written off by most of the F1 pundits. And here is the Briton, on the podium once again and leading the driver’s championship race.

The Monaco track is considered to be the most difficult track but Button by his flawless driving has more or less opened the gates of not only the driver’s championship but also the constructor’s championship as well. The way he drove today showed us how matured he is as a driver. I loved watching him drive today and was disappointed when the race was over. This win has lifted his tally to 51 points, 16 points clear off his own team mate Rubbens Barrichello who finished 2nd today after beating Kimi Raikkonen at the starting line.

The good news however came for the Ferrari team. Kimi Raikkonen had a podium finish today as he finished 3rd after Barrichello. And it was a delight for Massa who drove well and finished behind his team mate at no 4 position. The duo was able to make amends in their worst ever performance so far this year. The modifications (revised front wing) in their new F60 seemed to be working well.

The Red Bull star Mark Webber managed to finish 5th after Sebastian Vettel had a bad crash. Williams – Rosberg came close at 6th position. It has been a not-so-good year for Lewis Hamilton the current champion who managed to finish only 13th.

2009-05-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

Pangong Tso – The most beautiful lake in the World

We were up early that day for a visit to the world famous Pangong Tso (Tso means a lake in the Ladakhi dialect) which is situated at a height of about 14200 feet above sea level. We had spent 8 days in Ladakh and were habituated to bad roads, but the roads this time were not just bad, they were pathetic. These roads are maintained by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) who does a commendable job in maintaining the roads but the frequent landslides, a common occurrence in this area irreparably damage the roads. However, the 160 km journey from Leh to Pangong Tso is an experience in itself. The drive took us through the villages of Karu, Tangste and Lukung giving us glimpses of the Ladakhi culture.

The car kept climbing upwards on curvaceous roads and soon we reached the third highest motor able road in the world, the Chang la (La means a Pass) situated at 17800 feet. Since we were nearing the Indo-China border, there was Indian army everywhere. At Chang La we realized what it is to be an Indian Army Jawan. The temperatures here are very low and breathing is very difficult. And in such biting cold, they smilingly welcome every traveler and are ready to pose for photographs. Some of them also welcomed us for a cup of tea. We befriended a jawan named Swamy from Karnataka. He told us that he had never been posted at such a high altitude before and his previous posting was in Rajasthan. It was difficult for him also to get used to such conditions. He also told us that Chang La was mostly frequented by foreigners and therefore he was happy to see Indian faces. We thanked him for the tea and moved forward. The road down passes through Tangste and many other small villages. We kept moving ahead and soon realized ours was the only car moving on that road and I must tell you there is no better feeling than travelling on endless roads.

Paagal Nala-The Crazy Stream

This is perhaps the biggest hurdle in reaching Pangong Tso and was one of the reasons why our driver, Thilley wouldn’t stop the vehicle on the way for us to take pictures. The scenery along the way was amazing and at one point of time we were angry at his reluctance to stop the car. We realized the problem when we actually reached here. The Paagal Nala is a stream of water running from melting glaciers. There is less water in the stream in the morning which keeps on increasing as the day progresses and therefore it is advisable to cross it early. Thilley told us that the dreaded Nala has stopped many travelers from visiting Pangong Lake and we were lucky since there was not much water when we reached. We were able to easily cross the cursed Nala easily.

The first glimpse

While we were about 4 kilometers away from Pangong Tso, a road sign read – The first glimpse of World Famous Pangong Lake. The glimpse of the lake itself was divine and beyond imagination. I immediately realized that this place had to be spectacular after all it was one of the nominations for the Seven Wonders of the earth competition last year. After taking few pictures, we headed towards the lake.

Pangong Lake- A Paragon of beauty

The Pangong Lake is about 135 kilometers long situated in the Changtang plateau of Ladakh. About One third of the lake lies in the Indian Territory and the rest of it in Tibet. It freezes completely in the winter season in spite of being a salt water lake. The water is crystal clear, and from a distance the unique combo of the sun and the water makes the pebbles inside resemble jewels. The pulchritude color of the lake is royal blue and presents a delightful sight. You look in any direction around the lake and you’d find a breath taking view. While we kept marveling the beauty, majesty and sacredness of nature; the sunrays painted different shades of blue and green on the lake as if there was a rainbow in the water. From further distance, the lake glistened like a path of diamonds. This was something we had never ever seen before. It was a fascinating phenomenon, a soul stirring experience. We felt it was God’s imagination at its best. It is a perfect get away for spiritual seekers who wish to step away from the complex world of continuous problems and conflicts. The beauty of the lake appeared formless, limitless and unfathomable. It created a million opportunities for us to capture the different shades and we merrily grabbed it. We took more than fifty pictures of the place. It was lunch time and we were carrying packed lunch with us. We had the expedient of having lunch in the car, by the lake-side, something that we would cherish our entire life.

The way back

After lunch we spent some moments of tranquility sitting at the banks of the lake and then Thilley sprung into action once again. He wanted to leave immediately as the Paagal Nala would overflow whereas we wanted to sit there to explore the post card worthy landscapes. We did perambulate through the ice cold water for some more time and pondered over some imponderables sitting there after which we reluctantly headed back and while the car kept speeding away, we kept looking back towards the lake, ogling at its beauty. The feelings were ineffable.

When we reached the Paagal Nala, the small stream that we had seen in the morning had become quite large. There were few cars already standing there before us who weren’t too keen on crossing it, neither was Thilley. Perhaps now we understood why he kept asking us to leave. We waited for about an hour doing nothing but the water in the stream kept increasing. Soon an army truck arrived. The driver of the truck without thinking too much took a plunge in the water and slowly began crossing the stream. Watching him Thilley also got excited and was ready to do the same. The car was stuck mid-way but thanks to his excellent driving skills, we managed to cross the stream and soon reached Leh. Next day we were to leave for New Delhi, but our minds were still thinking Blue. If I were a painter, I’d have painted the scene today also. I so vividly remember it. Pangong Tso has become a part of our collective memory.

2009-05-02T05:22:00.000-07:00

Journey from Manali to Leh: A breath taking experience
Published in Chembur Ghatkopar Plus - Times of India on 8thMay09

We opted for a road trip from Manali to Leh. After an overnight halt at Manali, our next destination was Jispa. Jispa is 140 Kms from Manali and a little over 300 kms from Leh. We had to leave early to reach Jispa before sunset; the drive is very bumpy because the roads are not well built. The Manali-Leh highway is known as The Bikers Paradise. The journey is very adventurous and exhilarating. The weather was excellent as the car drove alongside the Beas River. The river was so clean and clear that we could easily see the pebbles through the water. We experienced varied level of temperatures as we moved through the scenic mountains; we took many small breaks to capture the beauty in our cameras.

Our first break was at a little distance from Manali- Rohtang Pass, a well known tourist destination. The roads leading to the pass are dangerously curvaceous and narrow; there is always some amount of traffic on the roads. Driving has to be with a lot of caution; there have been many incidents of accidents on that highway. Our driver showed us the spot where a military truck had slid down just a day before. On hearing this we requested him to drive slowly; he assured us that we were safe. He was of the opinion that the military men were not locals, so they were not well trained to drive on such ghats whereas he being a local knows to drive better. Soon we reached Rohtang pass. The place is totally surrounded by snow-capped mountains and has a breathtaking view. Just like many other tourist places in India, Rohtang pass lacked maintenance of the place and we felt that commercialization has taken its toll. Thick fog had enveloped the pass when we reached there; it was difficult to locate our car in parking lot; we also lost our way once. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful experience. The pass has featured in many Hindi films; off late “Yeh ishq hai” song of Jab we met was shot there. We missed the yak riding and ice-skiing in the pass due to lack of time; but we manage to sneak in sometime to experience the famous hot and spicy maggi noodles.

As we moved further, the traffic seemed to lessen. The highway roads are built and maintained by the Border Roads Organization (BRO). Our driver, Pannalal told us that the BRO does a good job every year but the landslides (a common occurrence in these areas) damage the roads to a large extent. We struck a good conversation; I asked him about his job. He told me he has been working as a driver since 7 years. He started at an age of 28 and regularly transported people from Manali to Leh. On knowing that we were from Mumbai, he told us he had been to Mumbai once but was unable to cope with the heat of the city and returned home earlier than planned. The more we kept moving ahead, the more we discovered beautiful landscapes. The car sputtered, hiccupped and groaned but kept moving over near-vertical lifts and gravity defying bends. Thoughts of car skidding down those bends were unavoidable, and I kept telling myself that I am not afraid of death. Because of the high altitude and extreme heat during the day; fatigue and giddiness were inevitable. At one stage, it became so bad that I had to ask Pannalal to stop as I felt like vomiting. It is advisable to drink a lot of water to keep the giddiness away. Weariness had already started creeping in as we kept dragging on; resisting toilet breaks. Each passing kilometer seemed like a blessing.

Sleepy Jispa

Jispa is a remote, sleepy village amidst dazzling mountains. It is very densely populated. There is only one Hotel in Jispa. When we entered the rooms of the hotel Jispa we were in for a big surprise. No television, No fan and a STD phone booth was not a possibility in the village. When we enquired about the fan, we were told that there is no need of a fan since the temperature falls in the night to near zero degrees. Fearing a power cut, we ensured that our mobile batteries were full on reaching the hotel. The scenery around the hotel was spectacular but we were too tired to venture out. We had the dinner at 8 pm and soon went to sleep. Almost every hotel in Leh offers vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food. The hotel staff was not friendly; it was more like “self-service”. We woke up early and were ready to leave for Sarchu which is 4 hrs drive from Jispa. We made good use of the extra time before we left. We pondered to explore the little village and took many photographs of the exotic river, Buddhist temple, and Stupa. Since it was early morning, the shops in the village were shut. This place is normally promoted as enroute to Leh since it helps in acclimatization to high altitudes. Jispa is located at about 11000 feet above sea level and is situated on the banks of Bhaga River. The place is primitive but a real beauty.

Sleepless in Sarchu

Soon after the breakfast we headed towards Sarchu. The road from Jispa to Sarchu was not as bad. We had a good night’s sleep but we still slept most of the time in the car unmindful of the beautiful views around. When we reached Sarchu which is located further up at an altitude of 14300 feet (more than Leh), it was well past noon. We were warmly greeted by the manager of the Gold Rop camp. We had to stay overnight in a tent. It was very windy. We took a small nap after lunch. I woke up with a strong head ache and had to apply balm to cure it. Soon we realized uneasiness in breathing because of the high altitude. The arrangements at the tent were too basic; than what we expected it to be. There was a huge bed in the middle of the tent, a small table and an attached bathroom with a bucket and a tap. We were given a battery run fluorescent light as there was no electricity. There was nothing much to do at the camp, except roaming around the plain and taking a few pictures as remembrance. We discovered that we were the only ones staying at tent. We had our dinner as early as 7 pm and were happy to see a group of Israelis join us at the dinner. Since we practically had nothing to do, we slept quite early. Though awaken quite a few times by the sound of the flowing winds. At one time I felt that the winds may blow the tent away but that was just a wild imagination of a person sleeping in the tent for the first time. I don’t think I really slept that night.

We got up early next morning and were surprised to see an unexpected visitor at the door. It was a Marmot. As we stepped out of the tent we saw plenty of them ready to pose in front of camera. It was a nice experience, we politely obliged by taking their pictures.

We left Sarchu at about 8 am for Leh with an assurance from Pannalal that the road to Leh would not be as bad but deep down we were reluctant to believe him. Soon the car reached the Himachal Pradesh-Jammu-Kashmir border and we were in for a treat as nature offered panoramic view. We then moved ahead and most of the time kept racing with tankers on dusty roads. A lot of bikers on the road dared to ride with their bikes on rough roads. I kept wondering what they would do in case the tyres of their bike gave away. Pannalal told me that most of these bikers were well equipped to handle such situations. Bikes were available on rent both in Leh and Manali and most of the foreign nationals opt for an adventurous bike ride.

The following road was rough as expected but soon our car was moving at a speed of about 100 kmph as the difficult mountain passes gave way to high altitude plains. There are no road side stalls on the highway to buy food or water. We made good arrangements for food and water before leaving from sarchu. To cope with the altitude sickness, we drank more and more water and the opportunity to buy water seemed limited. As we neared Leh, the roads first became better and then great. Pannalal told us that the roads in and around Leh were managed by the Indian army who had its presence everywhere in Leh. The houses and structures in and around Leh are laden with prayer flags which are culturally significant landmarks of Ladakh. And there are Gompa’s (Buddhist Temples) everywhere. We also came across Lama’s on the way. Soon we reached our hotel in Leh with a feeling of relief after a long and tiring journey. We were pleased to be in Leh after the most exhilarating and challenging journey of my life so far.

2009-04-30T00:30:00.000-07:00

Bahrain 2009

Qualifying

Amidst talks of the Ferrari head honchos to not to panic, it was another forgettable day for the Ferrari’s even after making a few changes in the car. The two Ferrari’s only managed to finish 8th and 10th respectively with Massa leading. For the first time ever the two Toyota’s would be starting at the pole. Jarno Trulli led his team mate Timo Glock to the pole. The winner of the Chinese Grand Prix and the new kid on the block Sebastian Vettel finished 3rd. The reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton managed to finish 5th.

The temperature shot to 40 plus degree Celsius at the track, one of Narayan Karthikeyan’s favorite tracks made it difficult for the drivers. The car tyres also proved to be a big challenge at this track in the Qualifying sessions.

Race Day

There was a stark contrast between the races held last Sunday at Shanghai and today at Bahrain. It was pouring last week end and this one would be a dry race. The Brawn GP and the Red Bull were lanes ahead of others last week and the question is, can they still put their stamp of authority at the Sakhir circuit as well? The Brawn and Red Bull cars for sure are the teams to watch out for this season as they have been consistently present on the podium in the first three races. The performances of these cars especially Brawn GP have proved that they are going to give the erstwhile champion a run for their money. The champions have thus known that only change is permanent and winning is not ephemeral.

In the opening lap itself Jenson Button managed to place himself to 3rd position from 5th and eventually got hold of another podium finish but he paid a price. The temperatures in his cockpit were so high that he burnt his left buttock. Nevertheless the sweet smell of success would have lessened the pain to a large extent. The bumptious Button said at the press conference that this was the best race of his career so far. It is still early to predict the top driver this season but the propinquity of Brawn GP to the crown looks interesting as the tumultuous crowd at Sakhir proved this when Button jumped on the podium. Button has a championship lead of 22 points.

Sebastian Vettel was unlucky to finish second and has the tyres to blame. The tyres degraded quickly and while he was in the pit, he lost some precious seconds. A nice show in the end though. Jarno Trulli managed to finish 3rd and was close to Vettel.

It was a good race for Mclaren who also have other worries off the field (their peccadilloes at the Australian grand prix and its hearing being scheduled this week). Hamilton however drove nicely and most of the time was 4th and managed to bring his car home on the same position.

There was good news for Ferrari as they finally managed to score some vital points this season. Kimi who at one point was leading the race finished 6th and scored 3 points. Massa had a disappointing race after he broke the front wing. On the other hand, Alonso was 8th most of the time and finished on that position.

Vijay Mallya the owner of the Force India car said before the start of the season that his team would look for points this year but they have appeared somnolent so far. They finished 15th and 16th in Bahrain and appeared feckless.

Chinese Grand Prix’2009

2009-04-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Qualifying

Can it be a Déjà vu? It was once again Sebastian Vettel who took the pole position today. He took the pole in Monza last year and won. This time he is followed by none other than Fernando Alonso. Mark Webber and Rubbens Barichello were fraction of seconds away from Alonso and very close to challenge him. The poster boy of Formula One and the winner of two previous races Jenson Button was fifth.

Ferrari’s bad luck continued in spite of Kimi pulling out the best of the new car F60. Massa said that not having KERS would definitely be a handicap, however it seemed the current problems for Ferrari are more related to the diffusers and not KERS. Kimi was 8th on the grid with Hamilton behind him on 9th.

Race Day

While the IPL match between Delhi and Chandigarh started late in South Africa, the race in China started on time while it was still drizzling. For the first few laps behind the safety car it was very difficult for drivers to control the car as they kept spinning. After 8 laps the action started on a completely drenched track.

While Vettel continued to lead from the front, we saw a glimpse of excellent racing with Hamilton trying to overtake Raikkonen. He kept racing ahead before his car spun 360 degrees and he lost his place. The two Ferrari’s however had a forgettable day and yes, a forgettable season so far. Massa’s car came to a grinding halt while following the safety car while Kimi finished 10th. Force India’s Adrian Sutil aiming for points was in contention till the 6th lap from finish.

The day belonged to the pole position holder Sebastian Vettel who won the second race of his career while race leader Brawn GP was in for a pit stop. Team mate Mark Webber managed to bring home his Red Bull behind Vettel to finish 2nd. Button finished 3rd and thus managed to extend the championship lead from Barrichello by 6 points.

Mushin-What is it?

2009-04-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

Last week I went for a Bowling session with some friends. After a couple of chances, I was scoring well and was racing ahead. While I was getting ready for the next game one of my friends was in awe, and mentioned that I was the only best performer amongst all who were playing and he also said he was sure I am going to win. With a big smile on my face, I rolled the ball. But to everyone’s surprise the ball rolled into the next lane. The next two chances hardly fetched me any points while others did well. I finished second. I lost a game I was winning.

Yesterday, in one of my Karate sessions, Sensei Jayesh was talking about Mushin which in Japanese literally means ‘No Mind’. Joe Hyams the celebrated Writer and a student of the immortal Bruce Lee also mentions about it in his book - Zen in the Martial Arts. Sensei said there are certain things that we do in our daily life without thinking much about it, for example when a fly sits on the nose, the hand automatically moves in that direction. The actions that we perform unknowingly are handled by the sub-conscious mind. After the session, I asked him about the experience I had at bowling. He smiled and said that while I was performing well at bowling, Mushin was working well for me. After the compliments I received from my friends, negative thoughts crept in my mind and I failed. According to him, you should allow your mind to flow freely. Practice is the key to make Mushin work for you.

Joe Hyams says keep your training vigorous which would make you act self-consciously rather than intellectually. Then it is automatic-it is Mushin. Well, this can be summarized by the ancient Zen saying “When you seek it, you cannot find it”.

Wonderful Wai

2009-04-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

After site-seeing in Mahabaleshwar, the cabbie enquired if we wanted to visit Wai which is situated about 35 kilometers from Mahabaleshwar. Post lunch we practically had nothing to do and therefore decided to visit the temple town. Wai is known for its ghats, especially the Ganapati Ghat at the banks of river Krishna. Perhaps, one of the attractions to visit Wai, was to visit this Ghat where movies like Swades and Gangajal were shot.

So, we were off to Wai, enjoying the strawberries available everywhere. Suddenly the air was cooler and dark clouds kept hovering over us. It was raining in short time. We were a bit tentative to move forward as it was raining and asked the cabbie if we can go back to Mahabaleshwar. He suggested that the highway was very good and there should not be any problem in driving the car on the Ghats even if it rained heavily. And thus we moved further exploring the postcard worthy landscapes.

The Sahyadri range looked beautiful amidst silky white clouds. The road was completely wet in a few minutes. The car kept speeding towards Wai as we kept exploring the brown mountains around the highway. The cabbie was a local and soon we found out that with him talk was never at a discount. He was a Maharastrian and just like others was proud heritage of the Sahyadri mountains which speaks volumes about the valor of the great Maratha ruler Shivaji.

Soon we reached Wai, while it was still drizzling. The Ganesh temple has a huge verandah and equally big and colorful is the idol of the Lord. The adjacent Shiva temple too has a beautiful architectural flourish and a mesmerizing charm. It seemed a visit back to time. After the darshan, we spent some time on the Ganpati Ghat and got a chance to relive the moments of the movie Swades where SRK performs a wrestling fight with the village postman who is a professional wrestler.

Wai is an ideal place for spiritual searchers who wish to step out of the fast life and share a few moments of calm. A visit to Wai - Always recommended.

Film Review-The Little Zizou

2009-04-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

There was much anticipation about this film directed by Sooni Taraporevala who has been the screen-play writer of award winning movies such as Salaam Bombay and The Namesake. Secondly, the Hindi Film industry has too many talent Parsi actors and therefore this all Parsi film was expected to win hearts with its light humor. It does to a large extent.

The film is a story of a little boy Xerxes Khodaiji (Jahan Bativala) who is a motherless child and is called Zizou because of his admiration for the football star Zinedine Zidane who is nicknamed Zizou. Xerxes is the son of Cyrus Khodaiji (Sohrab Ardeshir) who calls himself the religious leader and healer of all sins of the Parsi community. Xerxes’s uncle Boman Presswalla (Boman Irani) is opposed to Cyrus Khodaiji and publicly announces his dislike. Xerxes has an elder brother Artaxerxes (Imaad Shah) finds peace in caricatures and love in Boman’s elder daughter Zenobia (Dilshad Patel) who however loves Arjun (John Abraham in a special appearance). Liana (Iyanah Bativala) the younger sister of Zenobia hates Xerxes as she thinks her own mom is fond of Xerxes than her.

Cyrus Khodaiji soon with the help of local politicians shuts down Boman’s press. Boman meanwhile suffers a heart attack and suddenly gets unexpected support from some of his community mates and Cyrus has to retreat.

The film takes a cue from whatever is happening in our country today and takes a pot shot at the religious fundamentalism in our society with the Parsi Community in the backdrop which gives the film an added dimension of depth. The mood of the film is lighthearted and subtle in approach. Boman Irani is superb and full of pep. The good humored and affable Cyrus Brocha and Kunal Vijaykar are amusing as well in their short appearances. Liana’s grandmother’s affection with her so-called Majestic hotel which actually is a dilipated sea-facing hotel is full of fun. As all the actors are Parsi’s, adapting the habits and mannerisms required in their roles comes easily. Always the name of the film is adopted from what the movie is based on. But amidst too much focus on the ways and behavior of the Parsi people, the focus on Zizou simply vanishes. The stunning Kamal Sidhu appears only at the end of the movie and doesn’t have much to do.

While Zizou visits neighboring Bangladesh and flies off to his own country without visiting India, Xerxes’s dream of meeting his hero doesn’t come true much to our disappointment. The audience expected much more from the director’s artistic touch but that was not to be.

Malaysia'2009

2009-04-05T10:05:00.001-07:00

Qualifying

With the Brawn GP doing good last week end and Ferrari doing well on Friday, we thought the gates were wide open for a thoroughly entertaining 2009. But that was not to be. Saturday was another petty day for Ferrari after a remarkable practice session on Friday. Kimi said that the new F60 lacks only grip, but the ever optimistic fans know that the start itself is not satisfying. Kimi would start 7th on the grid and Felipe 16th.

Jenson Button led once again from the front to take pole position for the second consecutive week after a not so good practice session on Friday. His partner Barrichello encountered a gear box problem which needed a replacement and therefore lost 5 places on the grid to start 8th.

Jarno Trulli was sensational and clearly look inspired from the mid-week result ruling of the Australian GP in his favour. He was 2nd on the grid. Timo Glock was 3rd. Force India were not able to do a great deal except to meet the numbers. They would start 18th and 19th.

Race Day – April5’2009

I was in Mahabaleshwar today and thought I’d miss the action as the race was supposed to start at 3 PM IST and we started off from there at about 10 AM. I thought I’d try to catch some action on the way when the bus would halt for sometime midway but that was not to be as there was hardly anyone whom I met as desperate as me to catch the race. I reached Bombay by 430 and immediately switched on the television set only to realise that the race had been called off and Button yet again was the eventual winner. It seems Brawn GP has a brush with divinity. The top finishers were however awarded half the points because heavy showers made it impossible for the drivers to race even after the safety car. The rains however did not bring any rainbows for the two Ferrari’s as they once again let go Friday’s advantage.

By the time when half the race was over, Button was still leading having tasted the sweet smell of success at Melbourne, followed by Nico Rosberg, Jarno Trulli, and Rubens Barrichello challenging him. When the rain started coming down heavily, it was decided to call it off and since the race wasn’t 75% complete, the drivers were given only half the points.

As far as Ferrari is concerned, it seems that Brawn (previously Honda) has exchanged places with them. The new season has been a complete upside-down for the Ferrari team. They are simply unable to match up to the speed of the Brawn GP team. Even the Ferrari fans are superlative dreamers as they can dream of only podium finishes for the car. But Ferrari is currently not even able to match up the fundamental expectations of a superlative dreamer.

In the end, it was a disappointing race for the fans.

Melbourne’2009

2009-03-29T06:39:00.000-07:00

Qualifying

Is Ross Brawn a magician? Yes, indeed. Michael Schumacher knows it and now the world has got a glimpse of his brilliance. A few months back, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello were literally unemployed. They might have surely been into an existential dilemma. There was a big question mark on their F1 career. In came Brawn (the new owner of Brawn GP) and the Honda team got a new life. This was a destiny meeting for sure.

Well, when Felipe was asked who he would rate the foremost competitor of Ferrari this year, most of us would have expected he’d say McLaren Mercedes. But to everyone’s surprise he mentioned the name of the new kids on the block – Brawn GP. And his words may just come true as this car would start at the pole position this year at the Melbourne GP.

The presence of Schumacher in the Ferrari camp was heartening. However, they could not just match up with the speed of the Brawn car and finished 7th and 9th respectively. Kimi had to encounter a hydraulic problem in his car and wasn’t able to race at all for Q3. He said that they were fortunate as this problem occurred on a Saturday (qualifying) rather than Sunday (race day). What does Sunday have in store for them, is yet to be seen.

Race day-March 29’09

Well, some people expected this after the sensational performance in the Qualifiers. The race day was no less sensational. Jenson Button was the race leader from the start itself and eventually became the first driver to lead his car to the chequered flag on its debut. He was brilliant, skilful and sustained. His partner Barichello who lost on an advantage at the kick-off starting 2nd, got a fresh leash of life in the dying stages of the race and finished just behind Button. Sebastian Vettel of the Red Bull Renault did not give up after a horrifying practice session to finish 3rd.

It was a bad day for Ferrari. Unbelievable but true. Both Massa and Kimi struggled. Massa had to slow down due to a mechanical failure whereas Kimi struggled with the tyre wear, spun and was out of contention.

Hamilton on the other hand who faced a gear box problem in the qualifying session had to replace the gear box and had to start 18th on the grid. He however managed to finish 4th collecting important championship points and was promoted to 3rd after the stewards gave 25 seconds penalty to Jarno Trulli. Force India’s Adrian Sutil managed to finish 10th and his team mate Giancarlo Fisichella finished 14th. Sutil was going good and was 8th in contention till his second break.

The Formula One season which was dominated by only 2 teams last year is thrown wide open after the very first race. There are many other teams apart from Ferrari and McLaren who performed well today. Perhaps, the law of impermanence came into effect today. The magic word however for the Brawn GP team would be consistency. They would need to sustain this performance of today. The fans would keep their fingers crossed and expect some serious action from here on.

KERS IN FORMULA ONE - WHAT IS IT?

2009-03-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

Submitted - Chembur-Ghatkopar Plus (Times of India)

March 29, 2009 is the day when Formula One would re-emerge, re-confer and re-start to enchant us with its mesmerising charm. Just like the last year, this year too promises to be a king size entertainer. The global slowdown has made the organisers scratch their heads in bewilderment though. Team Honda has announced that they would be pulling out of Formula One due to financial problems. Keeping in mind the interests of the sponsors, new rules have been introduced to bring down costs. These rules are mostly focussed on introducing new technology in the car which would also make the Formula One cars "greener" and more energy efficient. The new rule which has raised most eye brows is the introduction of the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). This would however be optional for teams. Most of the teams have radiated their disapproval about using KERS though, but are preparing their cars to race with it as well. No one would want its advantage fizzle away. This technology is still in its nascent stage but teams are expected to ramp up its use in years to come. Many believe that the decision of its introduction has been taken in a hurry and teams have not got a better chance to test it.

Let us, however, explore this phenomenon. KERS is based on the first law of Thermodynamics which states that Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it can however be converted from one form into another. When brakes are applied to a running car, a lot of fuel is wasted and energy is lost in the form of heat. With KERS the drivers can store this heat in the form of electric current and can utilise it to improve the cars performance during the race.

This is the fundamental expectation from KERS. The heat can be stored either in lithium batteries or in the fly wheel and would be available to the drivers via a boost button in set amounts per lap. Most of the teams have opted for the former (storing in batteries). Sounds good, till now! There are a lot of problems teams have encountered with KERS. First and foremost, it has made the car a lot heavier. Drivers are also worried about using lithium batteries in their car which is dangerous as they heat up at high temperatures. Recent reports claim that a BMW engineer got an electric shock while testing it. Additionally, if the car comes to a halt during the race in the pit lane, the heat would have to be discharged immediately as it may pose a danger to the mechanics. Williams, who are working on developing KERS into the flywheel have already ruled out using it in the inaugural race at Melbourne. KERS is expected to save fuel but since the technology is in its nascent stage, it'd not be able to save more than 2 litres of petrol per race this year. Racing teams have spent a lot of money on KERS for gaining an advantage over their opponents but the returns are marginal. Renault are said to have spent 8.5 million Euros. It is not going to be easy on others pockets too. Ferrari too has announced that KERS is going against their plans to save money.

One of the aims of people who control Formula One in introducing superior technologies is to make it available to common people like you and me. This seems impossible in the current scenario. The costs at which the teams operate are not only huge but also out of reach of the common man and they have continuously gone up in the recent years. There are many hurdles in transferring such an advanced technology like KERS to the common man. The relentless fight to provide access of superior technology to the common people has been going on for ages but questions still remain unanswered. The fight is going to continue further for sure. And the availability of the superior technology to us remains a distant dream. More cuts may happen next year in Formula One with a view of solving problems being faced today and whether they make the sport interesting or not is yet to be seen. Nevertheless, the razzmatazz of Formula One has the power to pump up the adrenaline.

Formula One 2009 - What Lies in Store?

2009-03-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

Submitted - Zig Wheels (Times of India)

The Formula One season kicks off on March 29. The fans would once again find a reason to keep themselves busy on weekends with the race and again on week days with its discussions. Hamilton’s performance last year has provided the much required spark to Formula One after Michael Schumacher’s retirement. He has thus proved that his performance on debut was not a fluke. Ferrari has to pull up their socks this time around. With Fernando Alonso too coming good in the few races last year, it seems that the number of title contenders may increase this year. Force India team has entered into an agreement with Mclaren (for the supply of engines) and expect a turnaround in their fortunes. 2009 season promises to be an exciting season. Much depends on how the drivers cope up with expectations. We analyse what lies in store for them at the ground zero at the various venues around the world.

March 29, 2009 – Melbourne

Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is a beautiful track around the Albert Park Lake. There are very few circuits in the world which are situated around water. The track gives a stunning view of the lake. Ferrari has a special liking for this circuit as Michael Schumacher has won here four times.

Melbourne track is considered to be a relatively easy track to drive on. The track runs on a public road. The corners are placed at a consistent distance on this track which enables the driver to plan their moves to overtake. The length of the circuit is about 5.3 kilo metres and there are 16 turns, but not a single one is a right angle turn. Most teams term this race at Melbourne, a crucial one because it marks the start of the season and everyone wants to have an advantage over its rivals by starting well.

The pressure of hosting a night race has been mounting on the event organisers so that the spectators in Europe can watch it. However, it is confirmed that the race may not be held at night but it would start at 5 pm this year.

Formula one racing in Melbourne started in 1996. Prior to Melbourne, it was the track in Adelaide where races were held. Many still believe that Melbourne usurped Adelaide’s right to host a race. There are therefore demonstrations and protests held every year in Melbourne prior to the race. The number of protestors, however, has come down drastically.

April 05, 2009 – Sepang

The Sepang International Circuit is the pride of Malaysia, a growing economy today. The circuit boasts of world class facilities as it is a venue which not only holds F1 races but also A1 races and the Malaysian Moto GP.

It is one of the longest, complicated and the most challenging circuit in the world. The track has 3 corners and 2 straights (hair pin shapes). The climatic conditions are extreme (35 plus degree temperature). Due to these straights of a kilo-metre each and an extreme temperature, the drivers find it very difficult to prevent the tyres from bursting. The tyre manufacturers have a task at their hand on this venue. The corners are slow though.

The spectator seating’s are superb. Around 80,000 spectators can be accommodated at this circuit at a time.

April 19’2009 – Chinese Grand Prix

The building of a Formula One circuit here started only in April 2003 and a marshy swamp land was turned into a superb formula one track only in 18 months. This boasts of the economic prowess of China.

The Formula One races in China started in the year 2004. The circuit has a length of about 5.45 kilo metres and a very long straight of about 1.175 kilo metres. There divers have to negotiate 7 right hand, 7 left hand corners and two long straights. The straights can take drivers to a speed as high as 325kms/hr. The track is sufficiently wide so as to enable drivers to smoothly overtake.

April’26, 2009 – Bahrain

The length of the Sakhir F1circuit is about 5.4 kilometres. This venue was the first host of a formula one race in the middle-east region. There are 4 left hand corners and 7 right hand corners. The track can accommodate 50,000 spectators at a time.

The Bahrain Circuit hosted its first formula one race way back in 2004. It has a beautiful track and a stadium situated right in the middle of a desert. Way back in 2004, the hosts were worried about hosting the race as the track wasn’t ready. They requested Formula One officials to cancel the race but the permission was not granted. The race, however, was hosted at the same venue and on time. The organisers were also worried that a sand storm may be a spoil sport but the hosts took proper care and the race wasn’t disrupted. The speciality of this race is that since alcoholic drinks are not allowed in Bahrain, the traditional champagne is not sprayed by the winners. Instead a rose water drink is used. Additionally, special care has been taken by planting trees around the circuit to meet the water requirements during the race as well.

May 10, 2009 - Spain

Spain has been hosting races here since 1991 and there have been a lot of changes done to the track since then. Most of these changes have been done to increase safety on the tracks. A chicane has been the latest addition to the track before the final two corners. This has so far made the track a bit easier to drive on. Many pre-season tests are carried on this circuit and therefore the track is known to most of the drivers.

Fernando Alonso can take all the credit to make Formula One popular in this country. There are fears that the Spaniards may lose interest in Formula One racing after the retirement of Alonso. The adrenaline of Formula one is always missing on this track and the race looks dull. The 2008 year race also was marred by controversy when Lewis Hamilton was jeered with racist comments.

May 24, 2009 – Monaco

Most drivers dream of a podium finish on this track. Even a tiny error on the track can lead to a disqualification. Nelson Piquet once remarked “Racing on this track is like flying a helicopter in your living room.” That is how difficult this track is. The chances of over-taking on this track are - Zero.

The Monaco circuit tests the competencies of the drivers to the core. There are tight corners on the track which would allow a speed as low as 50 kmph and as high as 250 kmph respectively. The very famous tunnel section on the track under the Fairmont Hotel is the most difficult to negotiate because the cars move from light to dark and again into the light. It is very important for teams to take pole position here due to very less chances of overtaking on the track.

Jun 07, 2009 – Istanbul

The very first race was hosted here just recently in 2005. The Istanbul circuit is one of the best, with a seating capacity of 130,000 in the adjoining stadium. The track is about 5.3 km long and has 14 corners. Most drivers do not consider this one as a great track and several attempts to modify it to create overtaking opportunities have been unsuccessful.

June 21, 2009 – Silver Stone

Silverstone track is one of the oldest Formula one track. The drivers have a sense of achievement after winning at this circuit because the track is as old as Formula One itself and is as famous as the Wimbledon tennis tournament. It has been hosting races since 1948. The track is about 5.1 kilometres long and has 17 corners. Silverstone’s contract to host the formula one race ends in 2009 and therefore the chances of this track hold racing again are grim at the moment. Overtaking on this circuit is difficult.

July 21, 2009 – Germany

This is one of the oldest venues which hosted motor racing. But it was only in the 90’s that the track was modified into what it is today. But fans feel that the new stadium is a mere shadow of the previous track. The locals were losing interest in formula one racing but one man changed the complete picture. This was none other than the man himself-Michael Schumacher. His rise to such heights in formula one made the Germans to sit back and think on bringing back Formula One to this circuit. This track is about 5.1 km long and provides ample opportunities to competent drives to balance their cars.

July 26, 2009 - Hungary

This venue is situated amidst beautiful mountains. Therefore the Hungarian Grand Prix is a major tourist attraction. Fans enjoy every moment of the race here. Since there are hardly any scoring opportunities, his track is the second toughest after the Monaco circuit. It has an offering of the second lowest speed corner after Monaco which is about 60 kmph. This one too tests the ability and skills of drivers. Perhaps that’s why the Hunagaroring circuit is liked by some drivers and disliked by some as well.

August 23, 2009 – Europe (Valencia)

This track is a bit easier compared to the others in Europe. Drivers can fly at a speed of about 300 kmph on this track. However, controlling of the cars at the turns is difficult. The track offers 25 such turns and is about 5.4 km long. There have been a few changes on the track to ensure more safety and providing more opportunities for overtaking.

August 30, 2009 – Belgium

This is the longest track (about 7 kms). The track is hilly and unpredictable. Ever since races are held here, the drivers face problems with unpredictable weather. It may be sunny at one end of the circuit and rainy and slippery at the other. This poses a challenge of completely different kind. Drivers like Schumacher, Alonso, Raikonnen and Hamilton who have a nice grip and control on the car have done well here.

The scenic beauty around the circuit is a major attraction for the tourists as well. However, for the drivers even a slight lack of concentration can spell a doom.

September 13, 2009 - Italy

The Monza track has been one of the most beautiful tracks in the world since a long time. The road is built up of concrete and looks the same old every time, even though there have been a few changes on it. This track was once known for its best corners which have been altered for changes to ensure driver safety. The track is about 5.7 kilometres long and offers a maximum speed of about 350 kmph. The locals call it a Magic Track.

September 27, 2009 – Singapore

Formula one returns to Asia once again at the Marina Bay in Singapore. It was the first circuit to hold a night race last year in 2008 which was eventually won by Fernando Alonso. The track however is a bit bumpy and had invited a lot of criticisms by the drivers. Additionally the warm climate adds to drivers woes. The track met with some severe criticism from Lewis Hamilton who said that negotiating with the bumps on the track in Singapore was twice as difficult as Monaco. He termed this track as extremely dangerous, following which the track is to be modified this year.

October 04, 2009 – Japan

The Suzuka circuit in Japan is one of the beautiful arenas in the world. Just like the Hungarian track, it is situated amidst beautiful mountains. The scenery around the circuit is breathtaking. Just like Monaco, it is one of the difficult tracks of formula one too. One of the sections on the 5.8 km long track actually intersects itself and passes over. The terrain is so difficult that there have been a lot of fatal accidents here as well.

October 18, 2009 – Brazil

This track has been named after the Formula One driver Jose Carlos Pace who died in an air crash in early 1977. The notorious bumps and anti-clockwise circuit demands mature driving on this track. This race has a lot of importance just like the previous year when Lewis Hamilton sealed his fate here because the race is normally held at the end of the season following the ups and downs of Formula One. In 2009, however, this may not be the last race of the season.

November 01, 2009 – Abu Dhabi

The Yas Marina circuit has been under constructions since 2007. It would host its inaugural formula one race this year. This race would surely be of utmost importance as it is the last race of this season. Hotels and resorts are being built around the track as well.

2009-02-28T06:55:00.000-08:00

River Rafting in Leh

Published on the HSBC Intranet

With temperatures rising in Bombay, I along with my wife headed to Leh to beat the heat. Leh is very famous for its white water river rafting. We had never done rafting earlier; it was our first, surely not the last. There are many options for river rafting in Leh Ladakh; We chose to raft from Phey to Nimu (a stretch of 3 hrs). On the bank of the river, I was filled with thrill, excitement and fear. Traversing through the deep waters amidst deep canyons and soaring snow-covered peaks we reached ‘Nimu’, where the Zanskar river confluences with Indus. The river is graded as class III/IV. The water was freezing cold. There were 3 teams rafting together. We were 8 people on the boat; me, my wife, a family of 5(foreigners) and our instructor.

We performed exciting river rafting. It made me feel very proud of myself that I could raft well in spite of rafting for the first time. I later realised that rafting is a team effort. We had a nice team. The foreigners had experience in rafting and they gave us tips on how to handle rough waters while rafting. Their tips came in handy. Our team was the first to arrive at Nimu.

Foreigners made me realise that, experienced members should guide the inexperienced members for successful team performance. Rafting has taught me an important lesson of my life- “A successful team has all the performing members”. Hence rafting has become a memorable experience to forget.

An Interesting Experience

2009-02-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

Many people have an uncanny habit of listening to other people’s conversation. I have it. Though I may not be very keen to do that, but it happens unknowingly. It may not be polite but a few times (mostly while travelling) I have come across situations when I was inadvertently listening to my neighbours’ conversation, trying to make the morbid journey interesting.

Last Friday on my way back home, while getting down from the train I over-heard two ladies discussing with each other about an interesting experience. As I was looking forward to get down from the train, I was away from them in a moment to hear their discussion further.

After getting down from the train, the walk down the road to my house was full of anticipation. I kept wondering what that interesting experience could have been. A movie, a meeting, a friend, a boy-friend, a lover, a travel experience? I probably may never know because I never knew them at the first place.

These ladies too may never know how their harmless gossip made a stranger wonder, what it was all about. Was it an interesting experience for me? Yes, it was. As this surely pulled me out of the monotonous journey and diverted my attention in a different direction. I thought, it’d have been better if I’d have listened to the complete conversation and put a full stop to those incomplete thoughts. Men feel gossip is for women, but men do contribute to the gossip in a rather non-participative way.

After reaching home, while watching the cricket match I kept thinking if ever I instigated someone to think about what I said. I had a doubt.

Ferrari 2009 – The New F60

2009-02-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One boss feels modern technology (in F1) owes ecology an apology. There is a global-crisis which has affected Formula One as well. He has therefore proposed a few regulations this year to provide 'responsible entertainment' to fans by reducing both the emissions and the team spendings. The teams according to him also have to think about the drastic dip in revenues of their sponsors and accordingly cut costs. Various teams were at loggerheads with him on the cost-cutting issue but now it seems the dark clouds have parted as these teams have started unveiling their cars for the new season.

Losing is inevitable. But the smart ones never forget the lesson. And that is what Ferrari is doing. After a heart-breaking and nerve-wrecking defeat by a solitary point to the nearest rival Mclaren in the driver's championship category, instead of resting on its laurels they have taken the initiative and unveiled its new car before their rivals for the year 2009. They thus have proved that they are keen to resume their title contention, are aiming to win the technological battle with other teams and are looking to get the most out of the new modifications.

Ferrari is the only team to have taken part in all the races since 1950. Since this was its 60th year, the car is called F60. This is its 55th Ferrari overall which would be used in Formula One. Thus, the number one racing team has many things to prove in the new season and surely has a big-role to play in shaping the future of Formula One.

There was a slight aberration though. The unleashing of the new car takes place every year in Fiorano, but the heavy snowfall there made the Ferrari officials change their minds. The place finalised this time was their Mugello track in Italy.

The new car carried a lot of modifications which are mostly on the aerodynamics aspect of the car which are in line with the new rule agreed by all teams to enable more overtaking on the track. The front wings looked wider than before and the rear wings higher. The entire layout of the car has been modelled in order to achieve proper weight distribution.

Another superb modification in the new car is a feature of Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) which has been developed in collaboration with Magneti Marelli, an Italian automotive company which deals in the development of high-end components. KERS would also play a big role in reducing the amount of carbon-dioxide (a green house gas) released in the atmosphere. Ferrari technicians however were unsure of how the car would react after these changes and are following a wait and watch policy as they were to study the response of the new engine after the tests. The elegant Felipe Massa wasn’t able to hide his surprise. He said he was expecting a larger car but to him this was too smaller. It seemed a Formula 3 car to him.

With 8 Constructor’s Championships in the last decade, Ferrari is easily the best team so far. And since it is the only car to come this far (since last 60 years), it can be said that the fortunes of Formula one racing are inter-twined with that of Ferrari. With 8 trophies in the kitty it is heartening to see the pride in the team which has kept it still unsatisfied and it wants to win more trophies.

Murphy’s Law states that if something goes wrong, it usually will. Ferrari team is well aware of this and is looking forward to keep the errors down which cost it the driver’s championship last year. But the biggest challenge is to reduce the human errors like the one that happened at Marina Bay in Singapore when the fuel hose stuck in Felipe’s car while refilling which eventually lost him the race and the championship.

To Ferrari’s claim that they would win both the trophies this year, we, the fans tell you that we are with you. We, as fans, can go through the wall for you.

In the New Year the preparations for the new season have to start. Felipe Massa got a chance to test the new F60. The Brazilian was present at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain to test the new car. The test however was delayed due to bad weather. He however appeared to be satisfied with the test and mentioned that the car has behaved better than his test at the Mugello circuit last month.

While Massa remained confined due to bad weather, he was able to catch the friendly football match between Brazil and Italy. He would be handing over the charge of the new car to team mate Kimi Raikonnen for testing.

Kimi Raikkonen tested the new F60 at the Mugello circuit. Last week Mclaren tested their own car and their new car got a Thumbs Up from Lewis Hamilton. It was now Ferrari’s chance to respond. The conditions were damp but in wet conditions, Kimi tested the car for 54 laps and was satisfied with the performance.

On the otherhand, Mclaren driver Lewis Hamilton commented that the Mclaren car this year may not be as good as one he used the last year with which he won the driver’s championship. This seems like a word of caution for his team. While the decision makers and fans are involved in heated decisions on whether the new rule (Driver winning most races would be the eventual Champion) be introduced or not, the focus of every driver would be on his car and its behaviour. Last year, Lewis was the World Champion as he won the championship by a single point, however he won few races than Ferrari’s Massa.

There are rumours of Lewis Hamilton moving to Team Ferrari next season to drive along side Massa. He would be paid double of the salary he is getting currently with Mclaren. If he joins Ferrari, what about Kimi? He won only 2 races last season compared to Massa’s 6. Would it be a bye-bye to Kimi? I hope not. He is too good a driver. I am sure he would silence his critics by his performance this year.

The drivers, the cars, the head-honchos, the media and the attention of the common man may right now be in Melbourne, at the inaugural race. Hope the new season start with a bang!

Truimph Over Tragedy

2009-02-12T04:47:00.000-08:00

My phone rang and when I picked it up, I heard a happy voice at the other end. It was Samir, my friend Raj’s younger brother who was a fresher and was looking for a job. Raj who is in the UK, called me a few days back and requested me to help his younger brother find a job. Samir, therefore used to call me regularly to check if I could help him. But that day was a different day as he had found himself a decent job in a leading pharmaceutical company in Mumbai. The salary offered was good and the company was located in Andheri (a suburb in Mumbai) which wasn’t too far from where Samir lived, which excited him as he didn’t have to travel much to office.

Samir used to ride his bike to work, much to the dislike of his parents because they felt it was unsafe for young people. His argument was that, it helped him save a lot of time. I distinctly remember that day he wanted to meet me and thank me for trying to help him find a job. I told him that he doesn’t have to thank me for doing that, but he was adamant. So, we decided to meet at lunch. We kept discussing his work when we met, soon after which he left.
While I was busy working my mobile rang again, it was Samir. It was just 15 minutes back he had left. I heard him crying on the phone and was begging for help. He met with an accident at a place near my office and was lying on the road. I rushed to the spot immediately only to find a few blood stains and his shattered motor cycle lying on one side of the road. I was told by a few onlookers, that the boy who met with an accident has been taken to the Aditya hospital by some people, that Samir had rammed into a truck and that the accident was serious. I rushed to the Aditya hospital to find out that the doctors were planning to operate him immediately. After finishing the admission formalities, I rang up Samir’s parents who were shocked to hear the news. By the time they reached the hospital, Samir was out of danger. He was lying in the Intensive Care Unit with bandages all over. The doctors informed his parents that there was a major crack in the bone of his left leg and it would take a lot of time to heal. At the same time, he would require adequate care which would only help him recover faster. His parents were inconsolable. As Raj wasn’t here, I told them that they would get all the possible help from me.

A month passed, but Samir still wasn’t able to walk properly. His parents were really worried for their son. Raj too had to come here. Samir just wanted to get up and start walking but just cannot do that, maybe he was trying too early. He kept complaining that his legs weren’t able bear the weight of his body. Even the doctors were worried at this outcome of their treatment. Samir’s parents were really losing their patience and therefore they consulted Dr. Anil Mehta who is one of the leading doctors in Mumbai. Post their meeting; Samir was shifted to Dr. Mehta’s hospital. After some days, Dr. Mehta confirmed that Samir would never be able to walk properly again. The left leg wasn’t responding to any of his treatments. The right leg may heal with proper medication, though it may take some time. It was hard to console Samir’s parents, specially his mother who kept crying day and night. Samir too was devastated and was more worried about his career which had just begun. A few days later he was discharged from the hospital. Slowly Samir started walking with the help of crutches as the other leg improved after treatment. But he seemed a shadow of the effervescent person I knew.

I was out of Mumbai for almost 2 months for some urgent official work and did not get a chance to speak to Samir at all. The moment my flight landed, I immediately called him up to know how he was. His mother informed me that Samir had found himself a job and was away to work. He didn’t want to sit idle at home and was eager to take up the opportunity he came across. I met him later that evening and he informed me that he found himself a job with one of the leading business outsourcing companies in Mumbai and was very happy. In the induction training programme, he was told that his performance was a major criterion and he would be treated equally as his colleagues despite the fact that he was disabled. I was happy for Samir because it seemed he was desperate to make up for what he had lost after the accident. He wanted to work hard just like other friends of his and earn both name and fame.

Soon a year passed. Every time I met him, I found that his effervescence which was lost was coming back. He was promoted as a Senior Advisor in the same company; soon he was a Team leader and now is a Team Manager. It was his second coming, his resurrection. A lot has been written about the call centre industry but most of it is negative. Perhaps none of those media men focussed on the positives of this industry. One of those positives is these companies are giving a chance to the people like Samir who have lost themselves to time for some or the other reason. It is the nothing-is-impossible attitude of such people who defy everything and take the life along the way they want to go.

Samir also found himself a life partner, Sunidhi. She is a subordinate to Samir, is a smart, intelligent and good looking female. On the day when they of their marriage I asked Samir how it feels and he said “I have dreams and nightmares. I overcame the nightmares because of my dreams.” It seemed he never wanted to let his past affect his present and the future. It was truly a triumph over tragedy.

Quantum of Solace - Review

2009-02-12T04:35:00.000-08:00

Daniel Craig in one of his movie pre-release interviews mentioned that he wanted the Indians to watch the movie before the Americans. There was an anticipation for this movie before it was released because of this. A superb performance by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale was the reason why this movie too received such a stupendous welcome. A sequel to Casino Royale, Bond this time fights with Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) who heads the Quantum gang, poses as an environmentalist but actually wants to take control of the Bolivian water supplies. Chasing the bad guys across Austria, Chile, Italy and Austria, Bond wants to take revenge of the killing of his love interest Vesper Lynd who was killed.
The movie begins with Bond being chased by a few henchmen who are eventually killed by him. One of the trusted aides of Madam M, who turned a traitor, is killed by Bond. The search for another lead-Edmund takes him to Haiti and is killed again. Annoyed by the constant killing of such important leads, M seeks explanation from Bond. He then poses as Edmund and meets the devastatingly gorgeous Camille (Olga Kurylenko). Chasing Camille, he comes
across Greene who had plotted to murder Camille. Bond rescues Camille from the clutches of Greene in a boat fight. Bond manages to get hold of the photographs of the members of the Quantum gang and sends them to M. He then reunites with his old friend Rene Mathais and manages to reach Bolivia to confront Greene and kills him in the Bolivian desert.
In the pre-release interview, Craig famously was quoted saying “I’ve added emotions to Bond” (a tear was seen in eye of the normally iron-willed detective in Casino Royale on the death of her lady love). Both Craig and director Marc Foster have tried to change the Bond image. There are no smart tuxedos in the film wore by James Bond, or his supra automatic cars and unbelievably true, no Bond’s delectable style signature statement “My name is Bond” as well. This one is an action packed movie, just like one of our own Bollywood ones.
Expectations are preconceived disappointments. Craig as Bond disappoints this time and Camille is good too but cannot be compared to the unnaturally good looking tan skinned beauty Halle Barry from Die another Day. The plot is clumsy and loose, doesn’t promise the king-size entertainment like his previous one. In the end, you feel let down by this big-ticket movie.

The Yin-Yang way of life

2009-02-12T04:31:00.001-08:00

Humans are born with discrete levels of zest and trait. Every human life goes through cyclical ups and downs. Birth and Death are the irrevocable extremes. Extremes are inevitable truth of life; and they define each other’s existence. Nature also exhibits different extremes- Hot and Cold, Day and Night, etc. The Chinese call such polar forces as “Yin” and “Yang”. Yin represents “darkness” and Yang represents “brightness”. Yin and Yang are thus; two sides of the same coin and are always associated with each other. The underlying principle of our life is based on these unparallel forces.

Being a Goju-Ryu (Japanese) style Karate student, the above principle is easy to understand. In Japanese dialect, the name Goju means Hard and Ryu means Soft. It is also referred to as the Hard and Soft style. This style is based on synchronization of two extreme forces such as, Hard and Soft. A hard blow by opponent is blocked by a comparatively softer force and vice-versa. This style helps in conserving energy which can be later utilized to attack with full force, like a spring.

Many martial Art forms are based on the Ying-Yang principle. In the Kung Fu style of fighting, the two important elements are strength and gentleness. At an advanced level of Kung Fu, it is believed that gentleness does overcome strength. Tai-Chi form of martial art is also based on the same concept. Bruce Lee the famous martial arts hero, found a new style of combat - Jeet Kune Do (JKD). The symbol of JKD itself represents the Yin-Yang concept; designated as two arrows moving in opposite directions.

Further understanding reveals a series of individual Yin-Yang techniques. These techniques in Karate are known as “Kata”. The basis of Kata is deep breathing. This helps in making the body strong. The motive behind learning Kata is to learn self-control. Most importantly it teaches us to fight against mental monsters like Fear, Anger etc and also helps to come out of the envelope of comfort zone. Moreover, to perform these techniques with perfection, it is essential to stare in the opponent’s eye. This not only enables you to read the opponents mind but also teaches you to be fearless. It is also reflects the level of confidence in the person. Such techniques are meant to spread harmony through physical exercise. In a way, you meditate while practicing them, which is adds a different dimension for learning them.
Meditation makes the body mentally sound and alert. It is rightly said that,
“mind management is an essence to life management”. In an insanely complex world of recurring problems, the prolonged use of these techniques will have a significant positive impact on the mind.

The teachers of such skills stress on the importance of learning these principles with the underlying skills and practices. At the same time, much emphasis is given to persistence. It is believed that when we persist in practicing them, they become easier not because they become easier, but our ability to do them increases. They also improve concentration and teach us never to give up in life.
The great master Chojun Miyagi of Goju-Ryu Karate summarized his learning from the Yin-Yang techniques by saying- “When your temper rises, lower your fists – when your fists rise, lower your temper.”

Slum Dog Millionaire-Review

2009-02-12T04:29:00.000-08:00

Slum Dog Millionaire was released in India amidst its share of glories and controversies. After the golden globes bursts, it not only received Oscar nominations but also was criticised by someone who on any day can easily be a brand ambassador of Bollywood – Amitabh Bachchan. There was, therefore a lot of curiosity for this movie.

Danny Boyle’s Slum Dog Millionaire is a soul-stirring, fast, entertaining and a rags-to-riches story of a boy who can be easily written off as one from the slums but eventually goes on to become a millionaire on the “Who wants to be a millionaire” show hosted by Anil Kapoor. The movie is very enthralling and delves into the darker side of our own Mumbai. One may feel a bit odd watching the English version of the movie hearing the kids in the movie speaking a high accent English language.

The story begins with the main character of the movie Jamal Malik enjoying his life as a child in our own Dharavi along with his brother. They belong to a family who cannot even afford a smile on a daily basis. Everything goes well till his mother is killed in a danga. The two kids soon are all on themselves, have nowhere to go and fall in the hands of a beggar mafia. Soon the irrepressible and street smart Salim, the elder of the two brothers discovers that those people have actually planned to notch the eyes of his very own little brother. This particular scene in the movie is heartrendingly impactful when the eyes of a little one are notched with a spoon. The duo manages to run away leaving Jamal’s love interest Latika behind. Soon they reach another city and since they do not have anyone to take care, earn their living the way they know.

Destiny brings the brothers back to Mumbai and Jamal starts looking for Latika. The search takes them back to the same people – those who run the beggar mafia. The story takes a sudden turn when Jamal watches his elder brother committing a murder and taking away his girlfriend. He is then left all alone by himself. He works as a chai wallah in a call centre. He manages to track his brother and through him meets Latika once again, who is now a keep of a local don – Javed Bhai (Mahesh Manjrekar). The love birds are once again separated but Jamal doesn’t give up. He participates in a popular show of Kaun Banega Crorepati hosted by a mean host Anil Kapoor who tries to demoralise Jamaal every time. This he does to find Latika who is a fan of the show too. Jamal answers all the questions correctly by a matter of great coincidence because all the questions asked to him actually correspond to some or the other event from his life. Anil Kapoor suspects that a chai wallah cannot know all the answers and hands him to the police. But the circumstantially challenged underdog returns for a redemption not only for winning the prize money, but also his love interest.

There are no surprises in the movie and the plot is predictable but the speed with which the movie goes is very enthralling. The teen Jamal played by Dev Patel and Latika played by Frieda Pinto are eminently watchable. One of my favourite scenes is young Jamal jumping and emerging from a shit-pit with shit all over his body, only because he wants an autograph of his favourite movie star – Amitabh. It’s easy to lapse into a gush watching the scene.
A R Rehman too deserves a lot of credit for his musical touch and a superb song Jai Ho shot at a railway station. The movie no doubt has been directed by a British director but has an Indian heart to which every movie goer can relate to. The Oscar nominations are only add icing to the cake. Amidst criticisms, nevertheless, go grab some fun.

2009-02-12T04:27:00.000-08:00

LIFE IS LIKE A GAME OF FOOTBALL
BY VISHAL JOSHI

Published in The Times of India under The Speaking Tree section on 25th Apr'07

Life is a game of Football -

2009-02-12T04:23:00.000-08:00

Mystic Ladakh

(published in Chembur-Ghatkopar Plus-Times of India)

After a long, adventurous and tiring journey from Manali; we arrived at our hotel in Leh. Since we wanted to acclimatise to the high altitude of Leh, we did not cover 475 kilometres at one go. The altitude made us feel giddy and also made difficult to breathe. The best way to avoid altitude sickness is to keep drinking water at intervals of 15-20 mins. It is also advisable to keep a bag of munchies along with you. The car on the way to Leh sputtered, hiccupped and groaned but kept moving over near-vertical lifts and gravity defying bends. The Manali-Leh highway is known as “The Bikers Paradise”. A lot of people opt for a bike ride; it gives them a opportunity to explore nature and the leisure to travel.

The first day in Leh began with a visit to the famous and the aesthetically pleasing Shey Palace. Shey Palace and Gompa (temple) are one of the oldest in Ladakh. Shey, like every other Gompa in Ladakh is situated on a hill with coloured prayer flags fluttering on the top of the building. This is common to all the structures in Ladakh. The magnificent statue of Lord Gautama Buddha, in a meditative mudra inside the Gompa was a divine sight.

Our next stop was the “Stok Palace”; where the present King of Ladakh resides. While we proceeded towards the palace museum, we were stopped by the caretaker at the entrance. It was sort of a stalemate. I greeted him, saying “Namaste” (that’s what a foreigner had told me a few minutes back when came face to face) and he said “50 rupees-Entrance fees”. We paid the fees and entered the museum; which has a big verandah with beautiful collection of Buddhist artefacts, weapons, jewellery etc. It also displays the beautiful head dresses of the previous queens of Ladakh, made from expensive gems like turquoise and gold.

After our visit to the Stok palace, while driving downhill, our driver pointed to a distant white structure. That was it, the Shanti Stupa our next stop. It is magnificent as the word “Shanti” is in itself. It was built to celebrate 2500 years of Buddhism by a Japanese organisation and was inaugurated by none other than the Dalai Lama himself.
It is a milky white structure and a realm of great stillness and peace. Shanti Stupa is a gift of the mankind. The breathtaking view of Shanti Stupa made us add more and more pictures of the structure.

By now, it was afternoon and we were hungry. We drove back to the hotel and had a delicious lunch which included the Ladakhi delicacy –“Momos”. In the evening we were to visit the Leh palace and Samkar Gompa.

The Leh palace is a magnificent monument and was an erstwhile home to the kings of Ladakh till the 18th century. The monument has been modelled on the Potala palace in Tibet which is the residence of the present Dalai Lama IV. However, the building is in a very poor state. The prime attraction of Leh palace is the beautiful idol of Lord Buddha known as Maitreya (compassion) Buddha.

Next, we went to the Samkar Gompa. It was shut. Our driver knocked a few doors around the Gompa, requested one of the Lamaji’s of the temple to open it. The Lama smilingly (just like most other Ladakhis) opened it for us. The walls of the structure depict beautiful pictures of Gautam Buddha. There were the three pictures of him representing the past, present and the future Buddha’s.

Later we went to the market - Shopping. Leh boasts of a huge market place buzzing with activity. The speciality of Ladakh culture, sold here are Buddhist scriptures, Thangka paintings, Carpets and Ladakhi jewellery. The must visit markets are the Tibetan markets and the Moti market near the Leh bus stand. The vendors in the market are nice and friendly but quote unrealistic prices for any item. After a few exchange of words with them, we had a feeling of “déjà-vu”. It brought the good-bad experiences of shopping at the Fashion Street in Mumbai into play and learnt that we were not too bad at bargaining.

The next day we got up early, with excitement as we were to go for “Rafting” in the river Indus. We were the first people to arrive at Phey, start point. A few minutes later, a big group of about 20 people and a few other Europeans arrived. After a briefing on Do’s and Don’ts of rafting by the instructors, we joined the foreigners in one of the rafts who were experienced rafters. We lifted the raft and pushed it in the water.

A little later we were on our way riding on the mischievous waves of the Indus. Rafting is a superb experience, and I kept cursing myself for not having it done before. Our raft instructor Babu, was from Nepal. He was sitting right behind me and was giving us loud and clear instructions. We kept moving ahead hitting the waves with our rafts sometimes softly and sometimes with all our might and force. As we moved through the mountains, the scene was stupendous. The currents in the water were not the same throughout our rafting. At places of high currents, the water came splashing on us. The water was ice-cold, nearly 3-4 degrees. The next time we were in the region of high currents we used to paddle hard so as to avoid getting drenched in the freezing water. After a short relaxation mid way, we continued rafting. We’d have moved a few kilometres, we came across ‘Sangam’ where river Zanskar meets river Indus. Since the raft was in control , I got a chance to take a break in between and enjoy the scenic beauty around Sangam. After about 3 hours of rafting, we reached our base camp at Nimo where hot lunch awaited us. After lunch, we bid good bye to our friends and moved to Alchi where we were to visit another monastery.

Alchi, situated at about 70 kilometres from Leh, is very calm and an ideal place to retreat. We were told that the sculptors and wood carvers were brought from Kashmir to build this magnificent structure. Attached with the Alchi Gompa is a beautiful Manjusri temple, reciting the Buddhist culture

The next day we were scheduled to visit the “Nubra Valley” (popularly known as the valley of flowers), around 120 kilometres from Leh. It is famous for the white sand dunes and the Camel safari. We passed through the world famous Khardung La, at the height of 18300 ft; the highest motorable road in the world. We experienced a little difficulty in breathing because of the high altitude; but this was compensated by the panoramic view of the mountains. After passing through a whirlpool of bends, we reached Diskit by afternoon. We took hot lunch at the guest house; followed by a short nap. In the evening we went to Hunder, for the Camel Safari. The Bactrian camels are unique, they have two humps. The safari was exhilarating.

After returning from the safari, we visited the Diskit Gompa. The next day we departed from Diskit, as early as 5.a.m. to avoid the scorching heat during the day.

While on our way back, we visited the Thiksey and the Hemis monasteries. Thiksey Gompa was the most beautiful monastery of Ladakh, situated on a hill top. The monastery also has a temple of goddess Dorje Chenmo which is known as Lakhang Nyerma. The distinguishing feature of this Gompa is the 15 meter tall statue of Lord Buddha which happens to be the biggest in Ladakh. This too represents the Maitreya (compassionate) Buddha. The main feature is the “Wheel of Life”. This wheel has pictures of snake, bird, and a pig which symbolizes greed, desire and ignorance respectively. The Lamukhang temple, is prohibited for women.

Hemis Gompa is the richest monastery of Ladakh which is situated in the Hemis village surrounded by the mountains. It has a well decorated copper statue of Buddha and Stupas made of Gold and Silver. The Hemis monastery is a venue of the famous Hemis festival held in July. This festival is a tribute to Guru Padamsambhava also known as Guru Rimpoche. He is known to have laid the foundation of Buddhism in Tibet, and the festival marks his birthday celebration.

The following day, we made a visit to the world famous, “Pangong Tso”. It took nearly 5 hours to reach the lake. On the way is the elegance, personified and mighty Chang la which happens to be the third highest motorable road in the world, at 17800 ft. It is so magnanimous, that it runs through both India and China(two-third in China and one- third in India)

The colour of the lake is royal blue and presents a spectacular view. While we kept marvelling at the beauty and majesty of nature; the sunrays painted hues of blue and green on the surface. We captured each moment of colour change. Reluctantly we headed back to our hotel.

Next day we bid Goodbye to Leh, still thinking “Blue”. This ended our romance (of a fairy tale kind) with Ladakh. If I were a painter, I’d have painted those vivid memories of Ladakh. With awesome affection for the place, I would twist and quote what Mark Twain once said “The world is divided between two kinds of people, those who have been to Ladakh and those who haven’t”.