My date with an astrologer

Confession time! Even though I don't "believe" in astrology, I am definitely curious about this business. I am one of those who love to read the 'Bombay Times' (now Delhi Times!)astrology section every day for fun and now out of habit and our dear old Mr Bejan Daruwalla's section every Sunday. Okay to cut the long story short, I really don't believe in them but I am very very curious to always know what's written and what's being spoken at the fortune teller's shop!

So when I came back to Delhi, one of my aunts couldn't stop praising this astrologer that she has been meeting. According to her, the astrologer had a proven track record in narrating her personality traits and her past, present and yes, even her future "afflictions". So I thought that this is the best time to make use of my dozens of free hours and ennui! I took my "horoscope" and then me and my aunt headed to meet the supreme power. These are the excerpts of the conversation:

Guruji (After looking at my horoscope for about 10-15 minutes): Have you hurt yourself lately?
Me: No
Guruji: Are you sure that you haven't hurt yourself recently?
Me: NO
Guruji: Ok. Then you might have a little accident in the near future. Nothing to worry about. You have rahu ki dasha on you. It generally lasts for about 16 years. But I assure you that you will be really happy post 2016
Me (in my thought bubble): WTF
Guruji continues the monologue: Your coming year will be really bad. Even after that some more years will be bad. But post 2016, everything will be ok.
Me (in my thought bubble) : Wow. I am so grateful
Aunt: Guruji,please tell her where will she be based in the near future. She has just shifted to Delhi for some time but she likes Mumbai.
Guruji: For some time, she will stay in Delhi and then she will move to Bombay
Aunt: When will she get a good job?
Guruji: She should keep trying. She will definitely get a good job. Its there in her kundali!
Me (couldn't control myself): Giggle
Aunt: Will she get married?
Guruji (after a long pause and an intense look at my horoscope): Yes, I am positive. She will get married.
Me (in a thought bubble): Wow. Revelation!!! I am relieved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There were more inane questions and more great revealing answers. But I guess, you get the picture...hehehe

My Name is Red

“Time doesn’t flow if you don’t dream.”

The first thing that built my relationship with this book was the titles of its chapters. Before I even read a page of it, I knew this was something which would be enchanting. Now how many times do you see chapters like “I am a Corpse”, “I am a Dog”, "I am Red" and “I am a Gold Coin”!

I had never read Pamuk before this but had read a lot about him which had intrigued me. For starters, he writes on Istanbul, a country I have always been fascinated with (where I would go for my honeymoon, if I ever decide to get married :p)

“If you stare long enough your mind enters the time of the painting. All time had now become this time.”

The book revolves around the lives of miniaturists in ancient Istanbul. It is a fantasy fiction fable which has intricate layers of a murder mystery and a love story. I loved the entire journey throughout the book. The book is interspersed with a lot of mythic legends like Shirin and Khusrev which is truly delightful.

“For if a lover’s face survives emblazoned on your heart, the world is still your home.”

Each chapter is a point of view of a character, living and sometimes “non-living”.
By the time I had reached the climax I did not really care to find out who the murderer was because I was so bloody immersed in the world of the artists and their fables and notions about art. And I absolutely loved the way the book ends. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the last line of the book.

“For the sake of a delightful and convincing story, there isn’t a lie Orhan wouldn’t deign to tell.”

Par excellence.

Aisha

The promos had made me believe that it will be a good looking movie. The promos absolutely lived upto my expectations. It was surely a good looking movie and by "good looking' I don’t only mean the zillions of beautiful, exquisite, quirky and sometimes funny costumes adorned by the ladies in the film. I liked the overall look of the film. It was shot pretty well. The music was superb. Loved almost all of it.

Now let’s get to the part where I wanted to scream the hell out and slap Sonam Kapoor. May be I am being too bitchy here but seriously there is something very screechy about her, if you know what I mean. She could not really bring the character alive on screen. However, to put the complete blame of the movie not exactly working for me would be wrong and unfair. The scriptwriter has got to take some blame here please. The script was wayyyy too confused. Everything went pretty haywire after the intermission including the wannabe feisty Ms Kapoor.

Anyways, there were some pretty interesting and well played out charcxters there though including the typical delhi ka rich munda (boy) Ranbir Gambhir played by Cyrus Sahukar, the super quirky Pinky Bose played by Ira Dubey and last but not the least Bahadurgarh’s gift to Delhi, Shefalee, played by Amrita Puri.

And poor Abhay Deol. Felt bad for him almost throughout the film!

8 ½

"I really have nothing to say, but I want to say it all the same."

It’s just a coincidence that I recently saw 'Wicker Park' which has a funny reference to Federico Fellini’s masterpiece 8 ½ as it happens to the shoe size of the leading lady in the movie. Josh Hartnett, who plays the lead, cracks an intended non-funny joke linking the shoe-size to Fellini. Just a day and a half later, I got my hands on Fellini’s movie.

According to the way I understand the concept of surrealism, I would call this movie a surrealistic expedition. Well, those of you who are familiar with the movie would know that the title comes from the number of movies that Fellini had directed till then. This movie was supposed be his 8 1/2 th movie.

I, as usual, would not delve into the story of the movie as that would be a complete injustice to it. The only thing I can say is that it is a semi autobiographical movie based on the “life” of a director and the movie project that he has currently undertaken.

The opening scene where the spirit leaves the cocooned and claustrophobic car to reach the sky and then to be pulled down again is enough to make you sit back and absorb the screen.

The construction and narration of the movie are a part of each other and are inseparable. The movie flows backward, forward and into the subconscious and sometimes into the really deep dark worlds. There are themes of personal conflicts, people that the director is associated with, spirituality and vague and distinct childhood memories.

After a long time, I have watched a movie which has left an indelible mark on me. I really fell in love with it. Must watch.

"And how do you benefit from stringing together the tattered pieces of your life? Your vague memories, the faces of people that you were never able to love..."

Leave this space for me
It is truly mine
I have earned it
With my heart and my soul
I was born to be here
To live in this vacant space
Full of vibrant air

Don’t make a book for me
I know how to write too
I am not a good writer
But I can read you
My soul might be empty
But I don’t believe in souls
I need to breathe as much as I can

Don’t you dare compartmentalize
I am not a part of your little vain world
I know I am forever struggling
But deep down
I don’t belong
I belong to this insanely beautiful space
Leave it for me

Let me say whatever I want to
Let me climb the mountain of mirth
Let me fall flat on my face

Enough of those words
I am sick of them
I need to write gibberish
I need not talk anymore

I have confessed enough to people I love
Some try to love me
One I wait for, in vain

I am weaving a dream
The curses have passed through it all
Now it’s time to move on
It is a beautiful painting
I fight existence and walk into the dream

Bombay to Dilli

I think one of the toughest and bravest decisions I have taken in my life so far is to move back from Bombay to Delhi after five years. I started my work life in Bombay after doing my post grad from Xavier's! It sounds like a cliche now but I feel I have actually grown up in Bombay. I have had the most good times and some of the most bad times in Bombay.

Not that Delhi did not offer me its share of experiences. After all, I have been born and brought up in this city. However, may be I was too cocooned and too naive till the time I was in Delhi. Bombay made me grow up and learn things on my own. The last five years have introduced me to so many interesting and so many weird people. Some of the people from each category will be friends for life.

This blog post is not exactly supposed to be a nostalgic trip to the past. This is to look forward to my time in Delhi. I want to explore the "artistic" and creative side of Delhi which I have not explored till now. I want to make the most of this "comeback". Excited!

New love

It was the day for new love
Fresh like water drops on cherries
Crispy red and gorgeous
I met him after ages
I knew I will be in love all over again
I was in love
All over again
It wasn't the same though
It was a mended heart
It was a broken heart
The world seemed to be snoring around me
Or so I wished
It was just the night and me
And my love
New Love
Strange and natural as night dreams