Saturday 20 July 2013

The destroyed dream of acting drunk in a saree.

“Karvatey Badalte Rahe Saari Raat Hum, Aap Ki Kasam! Aap Ki Kasam!”

Out of most of the things I’ve literally died within myself wanting to do, singing this song with Rajesh Khanna in place of Mumtaz. Sigh. Life.

Anyway, here I am in the 21st century, still wondering about how wonderful it would have been at that point of time. The era, the glory, the respect! What life can reward me with is a television with old classics playing, me watching and listening to them, imagining, imagining and imagining! It’s not all that bad though.

Acting is such an amazing thing, something that I could do for free, for the love of it! I’ve hardly made any great advances in it, no one even knows much about it, except for a play in my previous school, and my selection into the dramatics club and then dropping out due to unavoidable reasons! It’s a sad story and maybe I shouldn’t even have an incline towards going on about it. The ‘unavoidable circumstance’ is responsible for many more unavoidable things that came later. Sigh again.

This piece of writing, I mean the post you’re reading is very light hearted and being written just to put across a pretty grievous story of my life. So, take things lightly as you read. It’s just a silly piece of writing.
Now, as one may wonder, “if her love for acting is so huge that it forms such an integral part of this ‘drama-queen’s’ life, why doesn’t she try now?” I have excuses to this too. 

Reason one being the fact that you need to slim down to weigh probably 50 kilos to even reach the screen and be accepted as a good ‘actress’ today. (That is if I go in young.) Yes, sadly, acting in a way is inversely proportional to your weight. Otherwise they would cast Huma Quereshi in place of Katrina Kaif! Back then, during the 90s, you needed to look presentable. That’s it. Chubbiness was accepted. Today you need have a perfect jaw line, have sunken cheeks (that look like concave, very opposite to mine that are pretty convex!), have your beauty bone to be very visible. (Unless I go in like when Kirron Kher did!) And, of course, the saddest thing, for each of those, you need to move your body and eat less. Very sad indeed.

Reason two being that, in order to make people love you even more, more and more you need to wear less. You didn’t need to do the same back then. You could sing a “Hawa Ke Saath Saath, Ghata Ke Sang Sang” with a hot and cute person like Sanjeev Kumar, wearing full pants (that too bell-bottoms) and a full sleeved shirt. You could dance on in “Chup Gaye Sare Nazaare” with Rajesh Khanna wearing a salwar suit and a saree. I could even act drunk in a saree, if you remember "Jai Jai Shiv Shankar"! What could get more decent? You’re doing your job- people are getting entertained, and then you don’t have to get into swimwear to woo people. Everything was so respectable. Unlike now. I couldn’t go in now, maybe because I wouldn’t want to be up there on the ‘bada pardaa’ with everyone whistling. I want to move their hearts, not other parts.

Reason three being; I could pursue true drama then! True crying, intense emotions- love, hatred and so much more. Today, even if I am the main reason why some people couldn’t feel the essence of a movie like ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, I’ll be signed up for ten other films. Why? Because I am a showpiece. Tadaa.

Overall, it’s pretty sad I wasn’t born back then. I know cinema has a lot to offer even today, but somewhere down the lane the respect of a lady has been given up. Walking around on the beaches, playing volleyball, even shopping in bikinis is on the go. Women are being used; they’re passing wrong messages (Item songs, where the blondes don’t even know what they’re dancing to!) Nothing about the present industry even excites any longer. We have smarter directors, but maybe a deteriorated culture. Actors have to be performers today. And even outside the movies, they need to keep advertising to keep them visible. (The most useless thing! Truly! It’s like bribing people.)

I realize that back then also you had a Zeenat Aman who did roughly the same in Satyam Shivam Sundaram, and there was a Helen, but maybe what they did wasn’t mandatory.


Ending things on a pleasant note, here is a picture of a lady romancing one of the best on screen lover, in snow, wearing a fur coat. (Not having drunk packs of beer to bear the cold in her little dress!) 



Thursday 4 July 2013

Because I know you'll be there for me, when the rain starts to pour!

Sometimes when you sit back and procrastinate, think about where you were wrong, silly, smart or witty; unknowingly there are a bunch of people who continue reappearing in every flashback.

They’re there when you have a look at the pictures of how you celebrated your birthday in play school, when you cried over a stolen story in UKG, when you failed an integers test in grade six (they failed too!), when you copied (so effing much) on a civics test, when you became a teenager, when you went mad crushing on every guy as a ‘teenager’, when you cried waterfalls at the end of grade ten.

They were still there when you parted, there were mails in inboxes, letters in the mailbox, calls every Sunday, skyping every weekend! They were there as you grew up. From a toddler to an adult. They were there- for encouragement, for wiping tears, for more tears (happiness)!

This post of mine takes pride in being dedicated to those indispensible pals of a lifetime!

 A million praises would fall short: this line is old school. They aren’t gods and goddesses, for God’s sake! But then, in the end, they’re crazy people, with heavenly powers meant to be used only on you. They make you. It is said that your friends are your only relations you make-you chose. And I’ve chosen very wisely! At least a few!

It hasn’t been a very smooth sail, we’ve had storms- ALL SORTS OF ‘EM! In the end, like self-declared mature individuals, we’ve accepted each other. I’ve accepted one’s spontaneity, one’s bragging, their crib-iness, their teasing. They must have just thanked God for bestowing me upon them. So, with this set up, we proceed towards being the best buffalo buddies ever!

I tough wood as I type this: our journey for over several years now has been so ideal, with ups and downs, but never a fall; with cries and smiles, but never a loss; with arguing and agreeing, but never a disregard! *TOUCHES WOOD AGAIN!*

A day off and it feels like a void. I wonder if they feel the same. My best friends.

I could have gone on to write essays, probably even a book; but I have some buddies who would kill me for making them read so much. So, for the readers and non-readers, the apt size of the post is this.

I don’t love you guys, because the emotion has two poles. I just feel. Everything was meant to be.  One little ready-to-be-angel once told me, this was one of his favorite lines: As we proceed on with life, we meet new people; during this, our roads cross and become one!

No good post can end without poetry. (Heh, I declared it as good!)

“So no one told you life was going to be this way. 
Your job's a joke, you're broke, you're love life's DOA.
It's like you're always stuck in second gear,
Well, it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year.
But, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before.
I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too.

You're still in bed at ten, the work began at eight.
You've burned your breakfast, so far, things are going great.
Your mother warned you there'd be days like these,
But she didn't tell you when the world has brought you down to your knees.
That, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before.
I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too.

No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me.
Seems like you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me.
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with,
Someone I'll always laugh with, even at my worst, I'm best with you.
It's like you're always stuck in second gear,
Well, it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year.
But, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before.
I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too.”

Because we all love F.R.I.E.N.D.S (Few Relations In Earth Never Die)

PS It should be ‘on’ earth, but you get the message right? Wasn’t that the only reason behind inventing language? So, to hell with prepositions!

Getting desi, something I can’t resist, at least when it’s about how I feel (bollywood):

“Tera mujhse Hai Pehle Ka Naata Koi
Yoonhi Nahin Dil Lubhaata Koi
Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
Maane Tu Ya Maane Na”

And my friend’s favorite: “Ajaa Mai hawaon mein baitha ke le chaloon, tu hi toh meri dost hai” Okay. Kidding. I have no friends with such a bad taste in music. 




All the pictures are age old. I doubt anyone looks the same. :) 
Long time no see na!