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Fun

I:  “Did you read my blog?”

You : “No, I don't react to mediocrity.”

I: “Well, that explains why there's no self analysis.”


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To Sir...with love

Gurupoornima is about Gurus and disciples. As a teenager, my mother pushed me into learning Hindustani Classical music. I had been learning the form for some time now. I had not developed a liking for it. I was very apprehensive to approach Prof Malshe. For, I knew that he would have high expectations from his students.Nevertheless, I did meet him one day. Surprisingly, he agreed to teach me. I remember Sir started off with Raga Yaman . After making me sing a few notes, he noted that my voice had that tonal quality required to take up Hindustani Classical music. Thus, began a musical journey that I would cherish for the rest of my life. Every year, Prof Malshe's students (read:shishyas) would organize a Gurupoornima event on the IITB campus. Sir would allot Ragas to each student. It was a common practice, for freshers to start the morning session with "Ishastavana" (an invocation to God) the others would follow as per their respective seniority. In  the evening  Mals

Paus

किती वाट पाहिली तुझी? वाटले, येतोस की नाही.आकाशात ढग दाटले की चाहूल लागते तुझी.मंद गार वारा आणि त्यावर स्वार होऊन येतात त्या धारा. कधी शांत ,अबोध रिमझिम तर कधी दमदार बरसात, तर कधी गंभीर संततधार अशी अनेक रुपं तुझी! कधी थोडा विसावा धेतलास, तर आसमंतात शांतता पसरते. लहानपणी छप्परावर नाचणारा तू, आजही साद घालतोस.छोट्या छोट्या कागदी होड्या बनवून त्या साचलेल्या डबक्यात सोडायच्या. बुडणार त्या हे माहिती असायचे , पण त्यांच्या क्षणभर तरंगण्याचा केवढा आनंद वाटत असे. तुझे स्वागत आईनं केलेल्या भजीने व्हायचे. त्या अल्लड वयात तुझ्या तुषारांचा रोमांच! उफाळून आलेला समुद्र आणि मेघांनी मोहरलेले डोंगर ! कधी अचानक दिसलेले इंद्रधनुष.सगळे अद्भुत. प्रणयाच्या क्षणांना तुझ्या संगीताची साथ! तुझ्या धास्तीने लोकलचा केलेला प्रवास आणि कितीही पैसे मोजून घराकडे घेतलेली धाव,मग  आलं घालून चहा आणि सगळ्यांची विचारपूस. तुझ्या बरोबरीचे अस्थानी पराक्रम आणि तद्नंतर मिळालेला  औषधांचा खुराक,हे कधी चुकले नाही . घरी एकटेच असताना ,तू सोबत करतोस की कुठल्या अनामिक भीतीला निमंत्रण देतोस, हे कळलेच नाही . जितका अल्लहाददायी तितकाच

Dunkirk

Way back in 1952,  Rene Clement directed  Jeux Interdits, a French war film. It was based on Francois Boyer's novel of the same title. The film captures the horrors of the war as it disrupts everyday life, traumatizes children and kills innocence. What happens on a macro cosmic scale in war torn Europe, is reflected in the micro cosmic reality of the central protagonists: Paulette and Michel Dolle. As audience, we live the moments through these two characters. Music overpowers the narrative and haunts one for days. Very similar tonal quality can be sensed in Christopher Nolan's war film: Dunkirk (2017). It is amazing how both Clement and Nolan bring out the essence of human grit, basic survival instinct and an underlining sense of guilt that engulfs us all when we approach: war. For a war movie, Dunkirk is actually eye pleasing. There is hardly any blood to be seen. The beach, water, sky, cliffs all have been shot spectacularly. Yet, we know this is not a holiday experienc