January 2009
35 posts
Day 281
Davos, Switzerland January 30, 2009 11:25 pm
Its a very cold little ante room in the lobby area of this Hotel in quaint and snow bound Davos, that I sit and reminisce on the day. Intermittently, some from the home environs drop by to take an autograph or a photograph. They represent various business organizations from India – Wipro, CII.. There is...
Day 280 (i)
Davos, Switzerland January 30, 2009 / written for January 29, 2009 11:10 pm
London… early morning after an all night flight in from Mumbai. The JET Airways staff and hostesses, polite and comforting and looking after all our comfort on the plane. The High Commission staff meet up at the gate, as is customary when an MP travels and gets us through with some speed....
Day 280
Davos, Switzerland January 30, 2009 /written for January 29,2009 Fri 3:40 pm
Ok.. there are several delays and problems..
No internet in the room so am sitting in the bar where there is and quickly updating.
Yesterday 29th in London in transit. Just getting settled and meeting up a few connected people. And a few essentials for the cold of Davos and to...
Day 279
Mumbai to London January 28/29, 20099:59 amIndia Time
Somewhere 36,000 ft over Austria another 2 hrs to destination On flight 9W 120
the Baccarat showroom with restaurant in Paris and their new invention the black crystal chandelier
Habitually, on the 28th, after having been with the blog till after 4:00am, I wake early. About 7am. After a limited three hours of sleep. Just...
Day 278
Prateeksha, Mumbai January 27/28, 2009 3:10 am
Yes I know it is very late, but my resolve of addressing my blog and connecting with EF is much too strong an element that can come even near to persuading me to sleep.
Grandchildren of this age and time defy every other concept of what grandchildren should be. Remove the ‘children’ in their...
Day 277
Sopaan , New Delhi January 26/27, 2009 1:28 am
Yes ! Sopaan… and, Delihi. Brisk and cold. Manicured lawns and bushes as you drive past on clean and traffic free well paved roads. A contrast from the bustle of Mumbai. A Mumbai morning that started with this -
They are back !! The mask makers ! Only this time they are from...
Day 276 (i)
Jalsa, Mumbai January 25, 2009 Sun 10:50 pm
In a couple of hours it shall be the 26th of January. Republic Day !!
31 states, 1618 languages, 6400 castes, 6 ethnic groups, 29 festivals… 1 country.
Happy Republic Day. Proud to be an Indian !!
A famous African saying comes to me on the mobile -
“If you want to walk...
Day 276
Prateeksha, Mumbai January 25, 2009 1:19 pm
Hey !! I posted two articles that came out in the Indian Express editorial page. I don’t find them there now. So here goes again. Let me know what you think of them. And for all the media scouts that look out for content to be mutilated from my blog in order to create controversy, let me spell it out...
Day 275
Prateeksha-Jalsa, January 24, 2009 11:45 PM
Rambagh Palace at 5 am is even more ethereal than its illuminated self in the darkness of night. The illuminated ochre of the lights, on the verge of being washed away by the glowing ochre of the rising sun.
There is a spattering of broken early morning clouds, catching the hue of the golden giver of...
Day 274 (i)
Jaipur, Rajasthan January 23, 2009 11:50 pm
Back from the Lit Fest, back in the room, back from milling crowds camera and media, back from sit down dinner with celebrities – Vikram Seth, Chetan Bhagat, Pico Iyer, Darymple, and other distinguished guests, back in the peace of silence, back to cynical contortions of my presence and word...
Day 274
Jaipur, Rajasthan January 23, 2009 10:17 am
Just got in to this lovely city and in this most elegant Hotel – the old Palace of the Maharaja of Jaipur, Rambagh. When I said last night that there is an air about Jaipur, it was both metaphorical and real.
If I were to design a slogan for the city I may have constructed this -
‘There is an air, in and about...
Day 273
Prateeksha, Mumbai January 22, 2009 11:23 pm
As promised the pictures from the Salon du Cinema. Various events. The inaugural with the Chairman of the Festival and the Ambassador of India. The master class with a live audience. Signing an enormous poster being painted of Sarkar Raj and so on…
The changes in the dress acknowledging the...
Day 272
Film City, Mumbai January 21, 2009 6:32 pm
On location
I wait in the vanity for the sun to set, for the darkness to appear, for the lights to be in place and for the next scene to be shot. The beard is still on and the wig. Now more scraggy and disheveled than before. It hurts and pinches and scratches and invites unwanted fake hair to enter the...
Day 271
Pune – Mumbai Highway, MaharashtraJanuary 20, 20096:48 pm
Wrapped after a grueling day on the road to Satara . Beard and wig and heat and crowd, albeit well behaved. The sun sets as I drive back to Mumbai. Another day has come to an end !!
Abhishek has wrapped for the day in Orcha in Madhya Pradesh, Aishwarya has wrapped for the day on the road to Puducherry south of Chennai and...
Day 270 (i)
Pune, Maharashtra January 19/20, 2009 1:06 am
The Guardian Newspaper
Kings Place
90 York Way
London
N1 9GU
letters@guardian.co.uk
reader@guardian.co.uk
To the Editor:
Re: In reference to the...
Day 270
Pune, Maharashtra January 19, 2009 11:22 pm
Yes ! Its back to Pune again and back to shooting for film, after having spent the earlier part of the day shooting for Binani Cement – a product I endorse at Filmistan Studios in Mumbai. Soon after, drove down and now getting set to start an early day tomorrow.
Its an endless strife, is it...
Day 269 (i)
Prateeksha, Mumbai January 15, 2009/written on January 18,2009 12:40 pm
The train out of Paris Gare du Nord into St Pancras, London took a shorter time than coming in. Porters and those on board were full of help and smiles. The cabin was near empty. I took some pictures with the iphone. They were not of any quality, so I decided to sleep. Got in, checked out,...
Day 269
Prateeksha, Mumbai January 18, 2009 12:39 pm
My Father’s death anniversary. And a longing and a pain. More so because most of the family is not around.
I have travelled all night from Paris to London to Mumbai in his thoughts and words and deeds. This morning.. a small prayer for him. I sat in his room. Read the Ramayan and the Gita as he...
Day 268
Paris, France January 15, 2009/ written on January 17, 2009 6:35 am
Apologies again !! Have been very busy with the Salon du Cinema and keeping late hours so was unable to catch up with all. Need to update on the 15th and the 16th January 2009 and of course for the 17th.
The presence at the Festival for me is over and I travel back to Mumbai. There...
Day 267
Paris, France January 14/15, 2009 1:25 am
What a colossal joke this is all turning out to be !! Without reading the text of my blog or the purpose behind mention of ‘SlumDog’ an entire machinery of abuse has been directed towards me.
Fact is. Some one mentioned the film on my blog. Some expressed opinion for it, some against. And yes they...
Day 266
Paris, France January 14, 2009 7:30 am an hour ahead of GMT
Tilgul ki khushbu,
Mithai ki bahaar,
Sankrant ka tyohaar aane ko taiyaar.
Thodi si masti, thoda sa pyaar,
Badhayi ho aapko SANKRANTI ka tyohaar !
HAPPY MAKAR SANKRANTI !!
HAPPY LODHI !!
HAPPY PONGAL !!
January the 14th ! A festive day. In the North and in Punjab and in...
Day 265
Paris, France January 13, 2009 2:30 pm
A couple of hours, a few damp smelling minutes of those under the English Channel, self mobile operated pictures, early morning French countryside and PARIS..!!
The Salon du Cinema team meets me at the entrance to Paris-Nord station and after an exchange of greetings and flowers and video and stills,...
Day 264
London, UK January 12, 2009 11:40 am GMT
Changed the face page, changed the quote from my Father, changed my routine of not going to the gym and have not changed from my night suit yet !!
The pictures on the face page are kind courtesy of Zhenya from Russia, a fan, a dedicated follower who addresses herself as my daughter, who is an...
Day 263
London, UK January 11, 2009 4:00 am UK Time Friends keep sending me these good stories, so I hope you don’t mind me passing them along to you.
Sack Lunches I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. ‘I’m glad I have a good book to read and perhaps I will get a short...
Day 261
London, UK January 9, 2009 8:40 pm UK Time
Breathing at last !! Nothing to do with the silence or its manifestations as expressed in yesterday’s post, just… breathing !! Seen the picture in the post ? Well some will see it later. I tried my utmost skills in doing it all by myself and failed. Putting up the picture !!...
Day 262
London, UK January 9, 2009 5:00 pm UK Time
मेरे प्रिय और बहूत ही स्नेह पूर्ण भाइयों बहेनों, ब्लॉग परिवार के साथियों ,
आप सब को मेरी ओर से हार्दिक शुभ कामनाएं .
समय की चक्की चलती जाती है, दिशाएं बदल जाती हैं, दृष्टि बदल जाती है, लोग बदल जाते हैं, आशाएं बदल जाती हैं, लेकिन ये जो हमारा संपर्क है वो टूटता नहीं , ओर न टूटना चाहिए.
...
Day 260
London, UK January 8, 2009 9:25 pm UK Time
There is a tide in the affairs of silence !! No this one is not in the affairs of men !! Though there is a man behind the talk of silence. This man. This blogger. This conveyor of his writing. This Amitabh Bachchan.
It is remarkable how much the world changes when peace abounds. When there is no attention...
Day 259
London, UK January 7, 2008/written on January 8, 2009 12 noon, UK Time
As you may have keenly observed I have moved and travelled and therefore missed out on writing to you, because the 9 hours on a plane debar you from sending post or blog or mail.. YET !!. There are moves though I may add, to introduce such features, but for the moment one resorts to the...
Day 258
Prateeksha, Mumbai January 7, 2009 12:13 am
I was trying desperately to post two articles or write ups or columns or whatever they are called, by the same author, contradicting their own selves. My expertise in doing the technicalities seem to have failed miserably. So I abstain and shall seek the guidance of the servers when they come for a meeting...
Day 257
Prateeksha, Mumbai January 5, 2009 11:53 pm
Anticipating a problem sometimes robs the beauty of surprise ! But knowing the problem and anticipating it can become a bigger surprise when the problem dissipates. The morning stress test was a bit on those lines.
All went well from the word ‘start walking’ on the tread mill that measures heart...
Day 256
Prateeksha, Mumbai January 4, 2009 10:29 pm
Back home and turning in early to be rested well for the stress test tomorrow morning. Just thought I should let those of you that express concern over my work schedule and my sleeping habits know that I value your advice and wish to comply by it.
‘BACHCHANALIA’ was wondrous. The Tata Theatre, elegant...
Day 255
Capitol Cinema, Mumbai January 4, 2009/written for January 3 12:19 pm
Apologies !! Apologies !! Apologies !! I missed out yesterday. It was a strange yet interesting day and I got caught up with many things and did not want to pursue till late in the night. Hence…
The day started with a bit of anxiety. On the tread mill in the gym...
Day 254
Prateeksha, Mumbai January 2, 2009 11:59 pm
I go past the CST Station in toward Capitol Cinema and I cannot but think of the carnage that overtook this region not too far away. The audacity and the gall for such a worthless exercise. I am embarrassed to even talk about it..
But ‘Aladin’ and the shooting is in progress and I have been asked to come a little...
Day 253
Prateeksha, Mumbai January 1, 2009 11:51 pm
Seems so odd to be writing the date and to be incorporating the changes. It used to be of great excitement in School when this occurred. Almost soon after the New Year, there was a new classroom, new books, newer desks and new dates to write about. The smell of the fresh wrapping around the text books. The utmost...
December 2008
34 posts
Day 252
Prateeksha, Mumbai December 31/1 January, 2008-9 2:21 am
A muffled explodere is heard,
A closeted silence and shattered word.
‘Tis morning of another varsh
Another dawn and joyous harsh
A year has gone
Somewhat forlorn
Flew by the time, life tested stirred,
A muffled explodere is heard.
*
What ecstasies and wondrous joy ,
...
DAY 251
rateeksha, Mumbai December 30/31, 2008 1:32 am
The day has ended,
In bed
As I said.
Time for the connection,
With limited instruction,
Destruction.
A day gone by,
Without a tie,
Such a lie.
Lunching with foursome,
Neglecting the tum,
Awesome.
Partial West Wing, part GODF 3,
Old and played out I agree,
Nothing free.
Lounging in the morning sun,
...
