Bollywood Celebrities as shameless as Politicians ?

Today I was watching news channels and for a change they were united in showing the same breaking news - The "Irresponsible behaviour" of UP government and "the Carnival trip" they took across 5 nations when Muzzaffarnagar was still burning and riot victims were suffering in cold and misery of losing everything they had, including loved ones and livelihood.

Seriously, as one of my teachers Mr.D used to advocate, these Shameless politicians deserved the harsh Sharia law to be imposed on them and be publicly prosecuted. Often I felt that maybe my professor was being harsh but now it does not seem so, when the government can be so apathetic towards death of more than 80 children and many more suffering in those camps which lack basic amenities for human survival.

Ok, Agreed, as an Indian, maybe all these acts by poiliticans do not surprise me ... But what about the so called privileged Bollywood Personalities who took part in the Safai festival ?

1. Will they do anything for money ?
2. Should they not follow all the righteousness and moral values they depict on movies ?
3. If they had committed to take part in the Saifai festival before Muzaffarnagar riots took place, what did they do with the paid money ? Why not donate one show's earnings to those victims for ensuring proper food and shelter in the present winter ?
4. Or Have they become as shameless as the politicians because they know that their films will be a hit no matter what ?
5. Aren't they citizens of this country any more to feel bad for their fans and fellow country mates?

As human beings even bollywood personalities who took part in those celebrations have a moral responsibilty and are equally shameless as our Indian Politicians ! Perhaps it would have been a great example of their character and duty towards this country if they had declined to participate in the Ruling Party's debauchery carnival at such a sensitive time or instead donate the money they got for the Muzaffarnagar victims. Seriously the Bollywood personalities who participated in that Carnival dissappoint us - Some of those so called stars who performed in Saifai festival were - Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit and many others according to news channels. Ashamed of them ! Seriously !

Nice way to begin a New Year !

We met in 2005 when we were around 18 years old. Due to our common entrance test scores, we found ourselves at a new college together. We were unsure of so many things like college culture, teachers, placements etc. But we were lucky to have found the people we liked and who made the journey of 4 years a pleasurable and enjoyable learning experience.

In first year, all group formation stages happened i.e Initial meetings, getting-to-know-each-other periods, forming of opinions, judging, small silly fights, times spent in studying together, eating together, roaming and shopping etc. helped in creating a bond and trust between us girls.
We understood and accepted our idiosyncrasies and enjoyed them by pulling each others legs about it !

The peer learning that I had in this group was amazing. Every person helped directly or indirectly to help others improve on their weak points ! And it is a learning that continues even today ! We have been together for almost 9 years and in constant touch even when life's pressure of Job and Marriage are on us !

A best way to start a new year is to meet old friends ! Meeting them assures us of the existence and nurturing of a bond that humans need and should value ! They help us to assess our growth in terms of maturity, physical changes, changes in our method of thinking, our distractions, our priorities and changes that have happened in us for good or bad and provide us a great source of emotional resilience to face any kind of challenge.

Thanks to Shwe, Nee and Sou, this bond is continuing even today and hope it continues for a long long time ! Thanks for a wonderful new start to a new year girls and the continuing tradition of Shwe's gifts for us for each new year !! Love you all !!!

Friends....

 Friends drift into our lives like unknown flowers from the wind. Without them you don't know who you would have been or who you actually are. They shape you for good and prepare you for the bad. Like different flowers for different seasons you have different friends for different reasons.The degree of closeness that you share with them will definitely differ and most of the times it is directly proportional to the number of adversities you have faced together(sorry but could not resist using the science jargon here). Of course, after sometime those flowers are again blown away from you by the forces of nature, reminding you that life after-all has to move on. And If you are lucky, a few flowers stays with you to keep you grounded and constantly reminds you that life is a gift to be valued, enjoyed and nurtured. Let's hope that different bright colourful flowers drift into our lives and let those flowers which we really need, stay on with us forever !!!!!

Bolo Na....

I was going through my friend's new phone when I re-discovered this song. This song is sung by Sona Mohapatra and was a huge hit when it was released. Was nice to hear it after a long time. It's lyrics are very meaningful and written in simple hindi. The music score, especially the guitar, is very soothing. So listen and enjoy !

Thanks Guys !!!

I was sitting in the library today going through a magazine when suddenly 2 hands covered my eyes and another pair of hands confiscated my purse and cell phone. The culprits, Lakshman And Karthek had arrived from Mysore DC yesterday to attend a session for 2 days and today to exhort a treat out of me. We had pizzas and juice and desserts from Amul by which time Sai and Merin too had joined. Had a gala time for 2 hours pulling each other's legs and getting to know latest updates in Lakshman's and Karthek's love lives. These 2 guys along with Rakesh formed the Mysore trio in our gang who had amazing infectious energy which made the whole group come alive even in our Mysore days. Was nice to meet these guys after a long time. And yes they decided to be generous and gave me a gift too ! Thanks for the awesome gift guys ! You made my day ! Love you all :) :) :)

PS : As I expected, these 3 guys started fighting over the chocolates I had sent and Rakesh called up to complain :D

You guys ROCK !!! :)

B2B Awesome Events !

Had 2 back to back awesome events in my company recently.
One was by Prof. Michael Sandel from Harvard University on March 12 and the other was a rock concert by Agam - the Band on March 14.

The first one was an interactive public lecture organised by Infosys Science Foundation titled -
"Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do"? The lecture started off with case studies with some really deep insights and different perspectives about the dilemmas we face in real life. The lecture definitely stimulated our white cells in the brain and was an experience of its kind. Tough questions on contemporary issues were thrown at us and was discussed from different perspectives. A really wonderful lecture series organised by the foundation.


The other was a rock band concert organised by Infosys Sports and Hobbies track. Agam - The Band performed enthralling the audience with their superb mix of Indian classical music and rock genre performance. We didnt know much of this band and me and my team mate sat at the aisles to make a quick exit if it got boring. But that was not required as the band was too good with an unforgettable performance of the song "Har Har Mahadev" !

Sources : Images by Infosys Science Foundation and Infosys Bangalore DC.

The Hindu : Today's Paper / OPINION : What they don't teach you at Indian B-schools

The Hindu : Today's Paper / OPINION : What they don't teach you at Indian B-schools

Nice article !
And yes what better day than today to read and post this article right ?

HAPPY HOLI !!!

Ah, Valentine's Day!

Thanks to the advertising and marketing industry, Valentine’s Day is a much dreaded day for those who are single and also to those who are committed.

To those who are committed, the hassles they have to face are pretty much less. They just have to follow the below 2 golden rules to have a smooth day.

1. Decide on a gift for your GF/BF/Finace and

2. Spend a lot of money apart form gifts on lunch/dinner/movie/party and you can be assured of having a smooth sail for the day.

It’s we singles who face the brunt of all that marketing blitzkrieg and our woes starts right from morning –

1. First we must choose a dress that doesn’t singularly denote any of the below colors. Better to wear a dress with multiple colors or patterns because, according to some-idiots-definition, the following colours stand for the following reasons –

Pink color dress - Going to propose (you will be thought of as someone desperate)
Orange color dress - Already in love (you will be thought of someone who is too easy to get)
Blue color dress - Applications welcomed (the most dangerous option)
Black color dress - Not interested in love (again a bad option, Trust me)
Yellow color dress - Failure in love (actually looks like a safe option, but beware you might termed as a loser)
Green color dress - Accepted a love (again judged as too easy to get)
Red color dress - Already booked ( booked ? is this some bus ticket ? )
White color dress - Double sided (Ok even I am not sure what this means)

So if you are one of those brave souls who don’t care about the above rules and can handle the winks/teasings from your friends, Hats off!

And to other mortal normal beings like me, we have to continue to step 2.

2. Ok so once you decide on the dress, make sure you don’t wear any new accessories on that day like watch/earrings/ties/perfumes etc. coz your Frenemies ( on feb 14th the Frenemies list includes friends/team-mates/project-mates/batch mates etc.) because they will have a field day ragging you about it.

3. Don’t ever make the mistake of being seen alone with a friend of opposite sex in a public place even though he/she is your best friend.

4. Always be on alert because on this day, will get a lot of false proposals from unknown mobile numbers/mails etc which would in fact be your friends playing pranks on you. So handle it with Élan and charisma and beat them at their own trick!

5. Never EVER say you are busy working when a friend pings or calls you out for a break! This is the most difficult trap to get out of!

6. And never make the mistake of going home late on a Valentine’s Day on account of work! There will be hell to pay for :)

Song I am listening to: Can't get you out of my head *WINKS*

Million Dollar Baby

Saw the movie Million Dollar Baby today and could not stop tears from rolling down my eyes. It definitely makes it the must-see-movies list. The most unforgettable scene is when Clint Eastwood tells Hilary Swank the meaning of the gaelic word Mo cuishle i.e. "My Darling, My Blood".

What a Journey !!!

I have completed 2 years in my professional life. And this journey has taught me a lot of invaluable lessons for life. The most important thing that I have realized is that its the people who make your journey even more special. Being with them, the good times turned even better and I was able to sail past through the bad times. Today we again stand at a point where in we have a lot of paths to choose from ! Lets hope that our bond still continues to be strong when we embark on our journey through these different paths ! I dedicate this song to all you amazing people who have taught me a lot of things right from Day zero of my training days !

Song : Kar Chalna Shuru tu
Movie : Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

Music: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Singers: Vishal Dadlani , Shilpa Rao



Jo hua hai woh hota hai
Jo hona hai woh hona hai
Jo tere bas mein baatein hain
Unhe khamakha kyun khona hai
Ho jitni bhi hain jitni bhi hain, umeedein leke
Jaayen kahan tak jaayen kahan tak, raaste dekhen
Kar chalna shuru tu
Mud ke na dekh tu
Jaise hain sahin hain
Ek main aur ekk tu

what has happened, happens,
what has to happen, has to happen,
the things that are there in your control
why should you lose them for nothing,
as much as there are, taking (all those) hopes,
how long do we go, the paths see..
you start walking
don't turn and look back,
we are good as we are,
you, and me..

Nazariya dono ka
Mile na mile
Kadar dono ko hai dono ki
Safar tay yeh karen, saath mein bhale hi
Alag hain manzilein dono ki
Tukda tukda dhoop ho
Chaahe chutki bhar ke chhaon bhi
Baraabari se baanTein ho zaroorat jo jis tarah ki

jitni bhi hai jitni bhi hai, koshishein leke
Jaayen kahan tak jaayen kahan tak, raaste dekhen

for both (of us)
whether attitudes match or not,
both value each other..
even if (we) travel on this journey together,
both have different destinations,
there be pieces of sunshine
and we want a pinch of shadow too,
and we divide equitably whatever the need is..

as much as as we can, taking tries,
how long do we go, the paths see..

Kar chalna shuru tu, shuru tu
Mudke naa dekh tu, naa dekh mudke naa dekh tu
Jaise hain sahin hain, sahin hain sahin hain
Ek main aur ekk tu, ek main aur ekk tu

Kar chalna shuru tu
Mud ke naa dekh tu
Jaise hain sahin hain
Ek main aur ekk tu
Ek main aur ekk tu

Jo socha hai kab hota hai
Yehi hamesha ka rona hai
Soche bin mil jaaye jo
Usse khamakha kyun khona hai
Hmm jitni mile jitni mile, raahatein leke
Jaayen kahan tak jaayen kahan tak, raaste dekhen

what we thought, rarely happens,
that's the sorrow always,
if we get something without thinking about it,
why do we have to lose it for no reason..
as much as as we can, taking the relief,
how long do we go, the paths see..

Revolution 2020 - Chetan Bhagat

I neither love nor hate Chetan Bhagat's books. But I certainly like his style of writing with his characteristic simple language and wry sense of humour which arises when he aptly describes situations and emotions which we all Indians go through in our everyday lives.

Revolution 2020 is packaged with all the usual ingredients which makes Chetan Bhagat the most widely read Indian author in Fiction category.

It is about 2 friends who prepare for the entrance exams to study at the IITs, who fall for the same girl, and the results of those competetive exams on their lives and the choices they make later about what they want to do in life.

For me the take away from this book is the admirable way in which the author describes the journey of an average Indian student and the problems plaguing the education system in India, without exagerrating and without becoming hyper-critical.

Verdict : 3.5/5

Read it for the accurate description for problems plaguing the Indian Education System.

What's in a Name ?

What's in a name ? Apparently a lot ! According to numerologists, it even influences your life ;)
Ok coming to the discussion of names, I cringe each time I see my blog's name "MY-FREE-THOUGHTS" in orange and that too bold :(

Way back in 2008, I was looking for something like "Random Thoughts", "Time Pass" etc etc but everything was taken up already and I did not have the patience to come up with new names or experiment with more names :(

So all you people making fun of my "free-thoughts ? are-there-paid-thoughts-as-well ?" blog, please be informed that the blog's name has been henceforth changed (though the url obviously will stick with the old name) and therefore no comments on the oldname will be entertained ;) !

Its Raining Sweets !

From Dussera, our house has been flooded with sweets. Everyone, right from acquaintances to close relatives, have never come empty handed in the last few weeks. At any point in time, there have been atleast 2 variety of sweets available right from the humble Kesari to the exoctic dry fruit varieties and Gullas. Keep It Coming People ! You all are Invited at all times ;) !

Not My Life ... ?

Did you know that by helping begging children, by buying products that are made by children, and by turning your faces away from child rag-pickers, that you are actually helping human trafficking and that it is a part of modern day slavery ?

I saw this documentary movie " Not My Life - Ending Modern Day Slavery " on CNN. Its about Modern day slavery in all its forms and variations. Its not just a problem existing in poor countries in Asia and Africa but in 190 countries(official figures) across the world including the USA and European countries. The movie tells us that its not just poverty which forces people to fall into this hell but a lot of other factors. Modern day slavery thrives today mainly because of the need for cheap labour, child soldiers and brothels.


The most disturbing scene in the documentary was this small hut/shack in Mumbai where
they found 25 girls hidden in a small room in enclosed spaces as small as 5*5 feet and in between false ceilings between the roof and the horrifying fact was that the ages of these girls ranged between 4 and 12 ! And they say in the documentary that the person who was responsible for finding and rescuing these children was killed in an accident within two weeks. There are many more such disturbing stories and incidents from Albania, Ghana, USA and Italy that is shown in the first part of this movie.

The director of this movie, Robert Bilheimer, clearly explains that many of us are not aware of how we indirectly help modern day slavery by thinking that we are not a part of it and hence we are not helping it to thrive.

And the film maker makes us realise that everyone is indirectly helping this slavery to exist. How many of us have helped children begging in the streets without realising that it is another form of human trafficking where children are forced to beg so that someone else can make money ?

How many of us realise that the food we eat or the clothes we wear or the crackers that we burst are often because of the labour of a child and therefore again helping in human trafficking ?


These children, after they attain a certain age, are again transferred from factories to brothels and again after a certain age back to slaving in factories. But usually these children do not live even up to 30 years of age beacause of various diseases, injuries that they get when working or because of the torture that is inflicted on them to make them work.

Did you know that in Albania, from a group of 30 children, 1 is randomly picked and burnt alive, just to show as an example to other children, the fate they will encounter if they try to run away ??

So what can we do to stop this ? How can we help ?

The first step is to understand the forms of human trafficking that exist in the world today and in what all forms it is projected.

Please go through this link and see the movie and facts about it -

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/16/director-we-can-change-the-world/

Once you see the movie and understand what modern day slavery is, you will surely find a way and do your bit in shrinking the size of this hell and pulling people and helping people out of it.

Please do not have the attitude of its "Not My Life" !

Enid Blyton !!

Yesterday, I found all my old storybooks and novels stacked up in a huge cardboard box in the attic. The books mainly consisted of Enid Blyton's Famous Five, Secret Seven, Malory Towers, The Five Find Outers and The Adventurous Four series. The sight of these books brought back a floodgate of memories of my childhood where books played a vital role.

It all started when Dad got me the Famous Five book - "Five Go Down to the Sea". It was during the summer holidays after 5th standard exams and unable to handle my tantrums at home for more Tinkles and Amar Chithra Kathas, he got me this book thinking that it would keep me quiet and busy atleast for a month (Since this book did not have cartoons and had around 200 pages he assumed I would be slow in finishing it). But thanks to Enid Blyton's skilled writing and simple language, I was able to understand and appreciate the story plot and loved the characters in them. The book kept me hooked and I finished the book in 2 days much to the dismay of my parents.

After reading this book, my parents dreaded taking me to any book store or mall or infact any place which had a bookstore in vicinity, because I always ended up with not less than 2 of Enid Blyton's books to buy. I still remember those days when I was oblivious to hunger, sleep and time when I started reading one of Enid's books. She used to bewitch her readers and take us into her world consisting of hot,buttery scones, lemonades, sandwiches, castles, treasure chests, picnics, dogs, friends, secret notes, maps, code words etc. Sigh ! Those were the days when you had no worries, no deadlines and you could just snuggle into a cozy corner and forget the world around you !

Thanks to you Enid, my dormant bookworm gene got triggered on and Thanks for sharing your world with us ! Thanks for making me a bookworm and for being an integral part of my childhood !

I will miss you ! Adieu !

Today I lost you.
In losing you, I have lost a part of myself .

You were everything to me, be it in happiness or sorrow.
You were always there for me !
You were my wellwisher, my friend !

I got to know what grandfatherly love was through you !
I was lucky to have a godfather like you.

You accepted me without conditions and showered love on me without reservations !

I will miss your hugs and kisses !
I will miss your soothing voice which talked sense into me !
I will miss those loving eyes which read and understood my silences !
I will miss your support and guidance !
I will miss the breakfasts, lunches and dinners that we had together !
I will miss those trips where you taught me a lot of things !
I will miss the discussions and arguments that we had !
I will miss those letters and notes which you wrote me !
I will miss the birthday wishes from you !
I will miss the gifts and chocolates that you gave me !
I will miss everything about you ! Everything !

You taught me how to behave and handle every situation !
You guided me through all my important decisons !
You stood for me and by my decisions and convinced everyone !
You taught me to be independent !
You accepted me with all my faults and still loved me !

I will miss your smile of encouragement !
I will miss the words which taught me to pursue my dreams !
I will miss your presence which boosted confidence in me !
I will miss the person who made me to respect myself.

In losing you I will miss the person, who showed me how to live life !

But deep inside, I know you will always be there for me !
I know that you will hold my hand and guide me always !

If you had been present now,
You would have wiped my tears, smiled and said " Stop crying, silly child ! Death is part of life ! I will be there with you always"

But I cannot help it.
I am not able to stop it ! And I know you will forgive me ! And I know you you are still smiling down upon me !

I will miss you, a lot !

Effect of a vacation !

Today I was dragging my feet to go to office after a blissful vacation of 2.5 weeks but the day was nothing as I thought it would be. It was infact the opposite and after a long time I really enjoyed being in office. Things that made my day were -


1. The sense of awe when I saw the beautiful camups of my office with all water fountains fully functioning after such a long time.
2. Colleagues and project mates greeting you with a smile and saying "Welcome Back" !
3. Friends bombarding you with Hi's and questions as soon as you log into your system.
4. Meeting another bunch of friends for lunch and they abusing you for not getting them anything from the place where you went for vacation and immediately demanding a compensatory treat in a 7 star hotel.
5. Mail from Infy scrabble captain saying that I was selected for Infy Scrabble team after playing so many rounds of games.
6. Irene after all did'nt damage NY much as expected and hence no extra work burden from onsite !
7.107 unread mails(thankfully fwds) in my inbox to read !
8.Meeting friends again for snacks and the start of the usual teasings and arguments !
9. Finishing substantial amount of work.
10. And leaving office early with a sense of satisfaction and contentment !!

What's Next ?

The fever pitch in the country is raising by the minute with Anna Hazare's deteriorating health after fasting continuosuly for the past 8 days. The whole country is united for fighting corruption though lines are divided over the dangers of powers demanded in Jan Lokpal bill.

The government again misjudged the crowds and support that Anna Hazare and his cause has, and decided to blink finally. The meeting that took place today at the parliament between the Government(Pranab Mukherjee, Salman Khurshid) and Team Anna(Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Santhosh Bhushan) did not seem to go well by reading the grim expressions and body language of Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi though Mr.Bhushan seemed relaxed and non-chalant.

Again the government is trying to buy time and as Anna's health is deteriorating, we can just hope that this movement still continues to be peaceful and no unfortunate event takes place which would take away the focus from fighting corruption and the need for a better Lokpal Bill.

But as we know, a strong Lokpal bill means a deathknell for all the corrupt politicians and government servants of this country. As a cynic, though I support Anna's good cause, can we really expect this government and parliament to actually pass the bill with the required majority ? What if the deadlock continues? What will happen if Anna refuses to take medications or drips ? What if some unruly elements manipulate the emotions that are running high in the country now ?

Inshaallah nothing like that happens....but still, one can't help wondering what's next?
Definitely history is being made now. But have we learnt from it and will we refrain ourselves from committing the same mistakes ?

Arranged Marriage - A nice video !

Found this Video posted by a friend on FB. Liked the take on arranged marriages in this video !
A very interesting interview !



Of course at the end when the guy says "I felt lost and now have found the way ...." is a bit too filmy! But neverthless a cute and nice video !

The direct link to this video - http://youtu.be/nYHeLoj1H2Q

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara !

Zoya Akhtar, the director of this movie has silenced all her critics and has proved that she was not just lucky with "Luck By Chance" but that she indeed is a powerhouse of talent to reckon with.

For a change we have a director who understands that audience do have a brain and can think.

This movie is about 3 friends on a bachelor's party to Spain and their life changing experiences. The 3 musketeers are Imran(Farhan), Kabir(Abhay) and Arjun(Hrithik).

Abhay Deol's dilemma if he is marrying the right person, Hrithik's obsession with work for the sake of a secure financial life, Farhan's strained relationship with his parents, strikes a chord with all of us.

The best thing about this movie is the way the director has conveyed the meaning and importance of living life fully without preaching and without getting too sentimental.

All the actors have done justice to their roles including Katrina and Kalki. For me the highlights were of course Farhan's expressions in every scene, his antics and the deep intensity of his eyes which expresses a range of emotions.

Some of the scenes that you wont forget for a long time are -

1. The banter of "mantally sick bwouy" between Farhan and Abhay.
2. The scene in the restroom where they start shouting at the same time.
3. The scene where Katrina comments upon Hrithik's pink cell phone.
4. The 15,000 ft bungee jumping scene.
5. The misunderstood proposal scene.
5. The out running of bulls in the last scene.
6.And of course the antics and Shayaris by Farhan.


This movie leaves you feeling good and smiling and thinking of how you are going to live your life fully in the present. And yes you will be humming the songs while you do that.