Happy Birthday Ashaji

An awesome singer, Versatility her forte, Adaptability her nature, A survivor by life's experiences... all this & more shape the persona of an Inspiration who name itself spells HOPE! No wonder she is so positive.  Infectious laughter, Naughtiness seems her second nature. She always saw how to work on herself to give her best. Updating herself & singing in languages not in her comfort zone, Ashaji Collaborated with international stars & officially entered the Guinness book of World records. She loves life & lives it tastefully (Pun Intended)

85 & still going strong Asha tai for me has lived her life to the fullest. Am listing  4 songs which prove  her range & talent as a singer.

Khatooba- Ali baba aur 40 chor: With Arabic influences  this is one is a difficult song to singbut the ease with which Ashaji renders it is mindblowing.

Jaawani Deewani: The range of her voice is beautifully is absolutely impressive.

Nighahen Milane ki : An amazing qawali that proves her genius. Nutan doing full justice.

Yehi woh jagah hai: a haunting melody that defines Ashaji's purity . Minimalistic orchestra , her voice seeps through.

Will be anchoring a show with Ashaji on Saturday 9th September..... Feeling blessed.

Happy Birthday Ashaji! Wishing you good health, peace & the best God can continue to shower on you!

MOHAMMED RAFI - Tumse Achcha Kaun Hai?

A singer par excellence whose renditions made every song special, distinct & unique.
There is enough & more said about the man & his work.
His attitude is worth emulating.
His humility is evident whenever he has interacted with anyone. Willing to sing for new or established composers, his style & range were simply phenomenal.
Some unforgettable songs to prove that:
O Duniya ke Rakhwale
Yahoo- chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe
Yeh Duniya yeh mehfil
meri duniya mein tum aaye
mere mehboob
mast baharon ka main
Kya hua tera vada
Babul ki duayein leti jaa
Bhichade Sabi bari bari
Jinhe Naaz hai Hind par

How right was Anand Bakshi when he said:

Suro ki surili
Wo parwaz teri
Suro ki surili
Wo parwaz teri
Bahot khub surat
Thi aawaz teri
Zamane ko jisne
Deewana banaya
Mohammed rafi tu
Bahut yaad aaya

Today on his 92nd birthday it is easy to agree with Pablo Picasso who said,

Rafi Saab to me, "Aap hazaar saal jeeyoge!" HAPPY BIRTHDAY:-)

AANE SE AAPKE AAYE BAHAAR RAFI SAAB

Rafisaab cannot be described in words. He has a fan following of millions. With thousands of songs to his credit, there is not an emotion he has not portrayed. In spite of this immense talent , humility was his middle name.  Picking the best of Rafi Saab is doing him injustice. Therefore my tribute to my favourite singer is  5 popular songs picturised on relatively unknown faces with the playback by Rafi saab .

1) One of Rafi saab's personal Favourite. Every singer From Manna Dey to Asha Bhonsle love this song.

 DULARI- Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki

2) A special song of romance which will have any girl go weak on her knees if someone sang like  THIS! 

PUNAR MILAN- Paas Baito

3) Another gem for the sheer pleasure of rendition of romance at it s best!

CHA CHA CHA - Woh hum na the

4) Laxmikant Pyarelal  &  Rafi did some amazing songs as a team. Their award winner also came from who else but a singer they patronised. 

DOSTI- Chahoonga Main Tujhe

5)Majrooh Sultanpuri's  Romantic lyrics set to tune by Madan Mohan hugely inspired by Sajjad Hussain's  "Ye hawa ye raat ye chandni" from Sangdil

AAKHRI DAAO- Tujhe kya sunau.

There may be  many more but these are my favourite & in fact  when i listen to each of these i am lost.  Only one question is all I have.  Does it really matter which hero  lip syncs Rafi's songs?

NAH! IT DOESN"T:-)

RAJINI DA!

152nd film. A special flight dedicated to carry his fans from Bengaluru to Chennai for the first day first show of the film!12,000 screens all over the world are screening it. In India it is a 4.a.m  Rajani film .JULY 22ND called Kabali From ground Zero to the skies  it is this SUPERSTAR.  Releases are festivals for his fans.

The world is excited while the man himself Rajinikanth is far away from all the buzz ! At 65 , he is a legend. A Demigod to his fans. His inimitable STYLE makes him India's biggest Star.

Having grown in Chennai I know what  SUPERSTAR Rajini's first day first show  is all about. The milk abhishekam is how it starts. Then crackers, fireworks to celebrate the release. When Rajini mouths one liners it becomes legendary! Money is thrown onto the screen. It is an experience. HE is a phenomenon. his popularity undisputable. He is a brand.

BRAND RAJINI have certain distinctive qualities like:


TALENT:  A very good actor, he is a treat to watch on big screen. His movies are unforgettable as there is a bit for every fan of his. A nice mix of comedy, unforgettable dialogues, a message to society, dance , popular songs , great fights & a whole lot of memories. You are full of smiles when you are done watching a Rajini flick.

CONNECTIVITY: His approachability & humility are the reasons his fans love him. He is believable. His humble beginnings, his looks & his distinct accent were what make him believable.  His social messages through his films are strong & yet conveyed subtly. His dialogue delivery & bigger than life persona on screen make his fans a proud lot.

SIMPLICITY: Grounded Rajinikanth is one of the few celebrities who is simple in his lifestyle. He makes no effort to want to prove who he is.  He operates from complete self acceptance.The clothes he wears , the vehicle he owns are no definitions of his success.The world knows him anyway. Disciplined, his spiritual side make him so calm & completely different from his screen persona. His  awareness of his roots keeps him grounded. His ability to draw a clear line between REEL LIFE & REAL LIFE is amazing.

EXCLUSIVITY: His self awareness is really high.He learnt very early that he could not learn pages of dialogues & decided to have punch lines delivered in his Style. Patented dance steps that were soon his trademark. Dialogues too were delivered in an accent not authentic but it was distinctly Rajini accent.Whether it was tossing a coin or putting  gum in his mouth,  the way he wore his sunglasses, his salute , his smile, his walk ,every mannerism was his own. When he comes out to a public platform , he is sans make up.  REAL in REAL LIFE! Thus being exclusive by being so simple.

Two clear lessons we learn from Rajini are:
A person can achieve everything by being simple & humble.
Work hard in silence , Let your success be your noise."

After all .........this  is what is "RAJINI DA!"

SWACHH BHARAT ACTUALLY!

On the  2nd of October  in a bid to promote cleanliness and sanitation in urban areas, a programme was launched that will be implemented for over a five-year period in 4,401 towns.Of the Rs 62,009 crore likely to be spent on the programme, the Centre will pitch in Rs 14,623 crore. Well the idea is good. The thought behind it noble. Now what happens beyond the launch & photo op is the main question. Is it just to have their name noticed & tagged with that of the PM that every celebrity worth his name endorsed the campaign?

Walking down the road in the last three days every morning is proof enough to show that the citizens have not taken up the cause individually. The PM can only lead, the rest is for us to take up. If each one works around not only inside the house , but outside as well & takes up the cause of our area , wouldn't we automatically live in a Swachh Bharat? 

As these questions had me thinking , the news of a 3 year old school girl being raped in my city shocked me. What is happening? Why is it so common now? or is it being reported more openly now?Have people opened up to the fact that the victim is not be victimized & made to feel guilty, instead the accused needs to be isolated for having such thoughts & committing the crime? What makes these men so desperate?

An extract from an interesting article set me thinking.....

http://www.rediff.com/news/special/into-the-mind-of-the-rapist-special/20121026.html

Matcheswala, who specializes in the fields of addiction and sexual disorders, points rapists are not wired very differently from us. While he agrees that some do indeed face psychological problems, many others see the act as an expression of their need to dominate women.This desire to dominate can also stem from their own childhood experiences. "If you are growing up in an environment where you are taken for granted or have been abused regularly, it isn't unusual for you to do the same when you're in a position of power because you do not know any other way to be," Dr Raghavan of TISS says.
The figures of a study conducted by Sanchetan, a Delhi-based NGO, with 242 inmates of Delhi's Tihar jail over five years substantiate what Raghavan says. Over 68 per cent of the rapists had had difficult childhoods. Moreover most of them harboured hatred towards women in general and often referred to them abusively. "There are cases when all a rapist looks for is a feeling of gratification," Dr Sanjay Kumawat says, "In such cases he rarely ever bothers about the outcome of his actions. These people are nymphomaniacs, obsessed with sexual thoughts, they are unable to postpone their need to be satisfied."........

PFB the link to another article that shocked me......

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/man-arrested-for-having-sex-with-roommates-dog/1/334878.html
If this is the thought process that can make a man go down to this level what  society are we giving to our children? The mindset needs cleaning. Society needs to understand that every rapist has been a victim himself too. Cleaning mindsets & working towards  creating an awareness of respecting women is very important. This should be imbibed pretty early in a child...The home is where this is learned & understood.  It is important to understand that the trauma a child goes through needs to be empathized with. No wonder a lot of the serials are focussing on child sexual abuse of late. If we can give a safer society to our children we are doing what is best for our future. Once the childhood is disturbed the rest of the life is no more beautiful...
This quote by Laura Wiess sums it up beautifully:

“What's the point of obsessing over cholesterol or bike helmets or even cigarettes when the biggest threats to our children are being released back into society every day? Yes, maybe 'some' of them have reformed, but what about the ones who haven't? Doesn't anyone realize that one 'touch', one 'time' will destroy a child's life ten times faster than a pack-a-day habit?” 

The day we can imbibe this understanding as common knowledge, we are moving towards a Swachh Bharat ACTUALLY !

tags: rape, reality, socitey

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WE CAN BE EQUAL.

It's not really about asking for the raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along," Nadella said. "Because that's good karma," Nadella continued. "It'll come back because somebody's going to know that's the kind of person that I want to trust." 
Words that came out very simply but created a furore in the world at large, corporate world in particular. Was Sathya Nadella just being authentic? Was it the reaction he gave on the spur of the moment? Was he just voicing what women normally do or how we have been treated?
 He did offer an apology later & said," I answered that question completely wrong.Without a doubt I wholeheartedly support programs at Microsoft & in the industry that brings more women into technology & close the pay gap. I  believe men & women should get equal pay for equal work."  

Did this after thought make any any difference to the world? Does anybody even consider equal pay for equal work? Men Vs Women is not equal in most places is a well known truth, The debate continues.This bias has been on since ages & will continue to exist. Nadella just expressed what he saw around him & how a majority of women operate.

If therefore you want change, start from home. If everyone at home contributes their bit to ease out the life of the lady , it would be more simpler. The balance tips in favour of the pampered MAN in the household, right from the time he is born . Ironically ,this is done  by a lady - the one who brought him onto earth- His Mother. Right from then, he is used to getting things naturally as a matter of right. If the differences are wiped off at home by the family, seeing the change in society is actually possible.

 I  recall what 16 year old Malala Yousafzai said ,when she was asked what does she do that is girlie....She said, "The first thing  & the important thing in my life is I raise my voice against my brothers. ...(laughs)because they are still brothers & i am the only daughter. So it is very necessary to fight against them &  to raise our voice against them."People laughed listening to her. But as i was listening, I wondered wasn't she right?

I am not surprised now why at 16 she is the world's youngest Nobel Peace prize winner , are you?  So the next time you feel hesitant to raise your voice remember Malala... 
WE NEED TO BE HEARD ONLY THEN CAN WE BE EQUAL!

MUMKIN HAI

The promos for the new series of Satyameva Jayate ending on a positive note of "Mumkin hai"intrigued me. Loved the positivity . Watched the first episode yesterday & loved the optimism all through the episode.

#Street football- fantastic story of the power of one man Prof. Vijay Barse.

#The dream of a father with four girls in a remote village in Harayana .  Instead of worrying about dowry & marriage , dreamt of them bringing in a gold medal for INDIA! The game- wrestling....against sarcastic comments & criticisms of the villagers, Geeta & Babita won gold medals in the Commonwealth Games. They are all set for the Rio Olympics.

#Shubham- The world Subjunior champ from India is from a remote village in Harayana again!
What a story. How beautifully destiny intervened.

The link of all these stories was the fact of having met the right mentors. All i could remember was the  powerful  Buddhist statement: "When the student is ready, the master appears." The attitude of all the champs was that of Humility, Perseverance, Hardwork, Resilience , Positivity & the way they carried their success - so lightly.

Sports teaches one a lot of right behavior especially , value of a team & teamspirit & acceptance of defeat in the same attitude of that of victory . That balanced way of looking at life that helps you face it with Real Confidence. If you have never seriously played a game so far, do it now! Get that child within you by playing games, you can definitely be happy & healthy. You surely do not stop playing because you have grown old but you grow old because you stopped playing. The national champs from the village from Maharashtra who defy age in the games  they play & the sports organized by the ISHA Foundation are examples of this quote.

Therefore if your child is spending longer outside  your  house playing with friends....remember he is learning more than what textbooks can teach him. Let him play. He is learning the lessons of facing life that are important, necessary  & practical. He is also learning to face defeat with a smile & celebrate someone else's success. Encourage him to do so, life will be that much more better. Remember we choose how we lead our lives.Health & happiness can be ours absolutely free.
MUMKIN HAIN!