Its a women's world!

The world is accused of being male dominated. Males get blame of geeting all the best and females being discriminated. All this in a world which has got more feminine TV shows, more magazine for females (womens era, femina..come to think of it!)

In fact, men are quite considerate. The other day i was passing by this petrol pump. I had to take the road perpendicular.(the petrol pump was in the corner...). Usualy a security stops people from taking a short cut though the pump. That guy had stopped me a couple of times and then i quit trying that. Coming back to this day, i saw this beautiful girl taking the short cut through the petrol station and the security standing there just looking at her.

I tried the same and he stepped immediatly in front.

sigh! so much for being male. No regrets. I cant walk that extra 10 metres any day. Definitely male.

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Assam: what is goin to happen?

Assam has voted the congress back to power and also voted AGP(P) supremo Prafulla Mahanta to a place from where, to get back into the hot-seat may be virtually impossible.

The elections results however have been far from a big win for the Congress, which have managed to win just over 50 seats. But the election seems to have been good for the BJP, who has managed to further increase its presence in the state.

One worrying factor that has risen out of this results is the vote bank patterns which has turned more community based. According to The Hindu, the AGP has been voted more by the Assamese Hindus, while the BJP was voted by the Bengali Hindus. The Bodo's have voted for their own front and The new Muslim front also managed to secure wins in the Muslim dominated areas.

The changing demography is quite evudent in the pattern.

The Congress is the only party which has managed to secure votes through out the state.

This also raises question as to the lack of choice for the people. While AGP may be blamed for high level of corruption, the Congress has not been much better in that regard. BJP has its own hindu image. These may have led the people to vote back the congress even as the cheif minister Tarun Gogoi's popularity is questioned. His habit of asking 'Sonia Madam' for help in everything- even his own ministry- is a sad tale of lack of leaders in the state.

Given the circumstances, it would take Assam more towards disintegration rather then development. It is, hence, high time that awareness against corruption is created.

The militant organisation shuting shops would be one great step to start towards Development. The common man needs to take charge of situations against the politicians, not the common militants.

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Water: Save it




The other day i woke up in the morning to find that there was no water and the motor was not working. Called up the owner and he said that there is some problem with the machine and will be fixed by the afternoon. "Afternoon? But i have to go to college."

I realised there was no use crying over it as the machine would not be repaired before afternoon. Hence i called up one of my friends asking if i could go over to his place for a bath. He agreed, but circumstances did'nt allow! I stayed back in my hostel.

As i wondered what to do - getting more anxious with the mouthing pressure ( had to go to college to finish up hell lot of pending work!)- i realised I was to be blamed, to some extent, too. I had two buckets in the bathroom, and both empty. Why the hell didn't I fill them up at night.

This one lesson everyone learns and forgets just as soon as he learns. Save water. Fill up buckets and use water from it rather than opening the tap everytime u need water. I had learnt and forgot just as well!

Had I acquired the habit of saving water, I would not have had as hard a time that day. Lesson learnt at an expense but i hope this time it stays.

Guys watch out, it high time we develop certain habits.

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Da movie not as coVINCIng as the book

After much controversy, The Da Vinci Code hit the screens last week. And as expected the rush for the film during the weekend was as good as the sale of the book. I got a ticket too - through unfair means - and was quite excited. I had read the book and was as excited as anyone would be to see the film. And there I was, with my Girlfriend, amidst the huge crowd waiting for the gates to open and the show to start. While waiting there i saw the poster of the film and neatly on it was pasted an encircled A. Well, A? ok. Variations from the book were visible right from the start. As the movie progressed I found my girlfriend not being able to follow. Quite irritating when someone disturbs me while watching a film. I was finding it quite good as i could relate everything to the book. i had imagined while reading and now i could see it on screen. How exciting! I didnt find it 'the let down' it was supposed to be. There were new elements towards the end though. But a movie needs aome sort of ending, different from a book. I went home and it was only then, while thinking about the whole film that I realised that the script had jumped over some details which made it difficult for my companion to follow. I understood that the film was indeed not what the book was. For someone who hadn't read The Da Vinci Code, the film may as well turn out to be quite cold. One more thing that i noticed was the full screen note -about it being a work of fiction etc.- before and after the movie. So much for India!

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36China Town.. suspense maintained

It is directed by Abbus Mustan and Produced under Subhas Ghai’s banner Mukta Entertainment AND it does not have SHAH RUKH KHAN.

Shahid Kapur is a struggling and Kareena is heart broke, and both have left their homes. And they stumble on each other and a kidnapped child supposed to look Chinese, and Isha Koppikar’s lost child. Sad neither Koppikar nor the child looks anywhere related to their surname ‘Chang’!

As they reach Goa ‘chupte chupate’ to return Ms Chang her sonny they are entangled in a murder conspiracy of Ms Chang, who is the owner of China Town, the Casino, and also 36 China Town – her residence.

Paresh Rawal with his ‘Devi‘ like wife Payal Rastogi and Johny Lever with his wife Tanaz Currim adds humour to the already comic script. Debutant Upen Patel plays a flamboyant womanizer lauching himself at every new girl he sees with a Rose!

Shahid Kapur’s comic timing is improved and so is Kareena. Is that the magic of working together? I don’t know.

The music is quite lackluster apart from the title track and Reshmiya fails to create magic with his music and vocals.

But the director duo surely makes one more winner as they maintain the suspense right til the end even after the audience start suspecting some characters now and then.

Dede dil China town me…!

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Thrice and thirsty


The week has been great to me. Yeah i am runing out of money and have been in a permanent financial crisis ever since i remembeR. But this week a just decided to loosen the strings a bit. And ended up watchin another film in the expensive PVR. Thats three films in a row. The only three in PVR.

I have alredy written how it was to be there the first time and then watching two in a row... Now its become three.

As far as the Gold class goes i still maintain it will take some time to reach there but yeah the PVR overall is no more out of reach...

I FEEL GOOD! ... only that i wont be able to go for any more movies for next two months... no cash yaar.

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Gangster - A love story

Zubin is the biggest star in Assam. And he had sung a song in this film. Ya Ali… That should be a good enough reason for all Assamese to watch the movie. And it was the single largest factor to pull me to theater to watch the movie. Well… let’s talk about the movie rather than Zubin. First thing – I went to see an action film and in the theater the first thing I se is ‘Gangster – A love story’!! The film has got a different touch…it own ishtyle! The film starts out with a shootout and then a flashback. A suspense - who killed whom and why? And then the story unfolds through a romantic relationship. Emran Hasmi in his `usual style’ romances the heroine who is the girlfriend of the Gangster Shiney Ahuja. The drama unfold when Ahuja comes to know what his lady is up to. He becomes a good man to win her back but then its too late. Emran carries on his good work at kissing scenes while the the Debutant Kangana is good in some scenes when she does not speak. But it is the Gangster Shiney Ahuja who does a grand job and much to the delight of all who praised him for Hazaaron Khwaishe Aisi. The music of the film is great and all the songs (four) are quite good and manages to carry the story further rather than being bagages. And the sad note – Zubin’s song is great but probably not as good as `Bheegi bheegi’ and ‘Naa jane koi’. And yeah he does appear in the film. Aanurag Basu's Gangster wont match his Murder in terms of Box Office success, simply because it has no USP.

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Upgrade to PVR!

The PVR opened in Bangalore more than two years back and tickets were priced at 150 bucks for the classic, a bit moer for Europa and 500 for the Gold Class. 500.. wow!!
Never mind 500, not even the classic was in my reach...finacially of course.

Then one day i came to know that Monday to Thursday, all shows in Classic, before 12PM were priced at 50bucks per ticket... COOL!

But I do have classes during day and cannot avail the offer, as we cannot bunking classes as that would mean a fine of 100bucks and more or less the same price i have to pay for shows after noon.

For two long years I waited as everyone including my Gf witnessed the conforts of a PVR and then at last the D Day arrived.

My internships were on last month. And first few days i didnt have to go office in the morning and i decided to grab the oppurtunity. My Gf had been complaining for a long time that we have never seen a movie in PVR togather and it was time to end this.

The movie was Being Cyrus. I also called my sister to watch with us. NO my GF was not upset with that. She is quite a sport in some matters!

I was quite anxious as to what the great PVR was like. My friends had told me it was good. The sound quality apparently was awsome.

As i enterer, i felt the difference. Price was certainly one of them. Even the popcorn was, well... quite expensive. But then carpet was smooth.

The audi was red and as i sat on my seat, i sank into it. ANd then the sound...defintely true to what i had heard.

The movie ended pretty soon and i wanted to stay in the audi longer. Alas!

As i moved out i wondered when would be next time i come back to PVR. Studying on loan, expenses such as these are often a taboo to a middle class guy like me.

It was two days back when i planned to see another movie in PVR. Morning show of course and with my sister as she was getting bored at home and I at college. Classes were over and we had nothing to do. My sister said she wants to watch in PVR and she would pay for it.

I didnt mind a bit. And this time around my sister got a ticket for the PVR Europa. 140 bucks each. But the differnce was apparent. This time it was Green and the seats were more comfortable. The movie - Gangster - was not that great. But thats another tale!

Well two movies in PVR at a go. Not bad i believe. I mean for me.

Now just wishing that this continues... not just in PVR but also upgrades.. like from Classic to Europa.. How about the Gold Class next? Next thing that comes to my mind - Dude four thousand left in your account for next three months. Wake up and get to work. Gold is certainly not in yet... not for me.

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Justice Delivered..
justice justified?

It was early in the morning a few days back. I boarded to go to college, gave the conductor a Rs100 for the the Rs5 ticket. The conductor wrote 95 on the back of the ticket indicating that he would pay later.


After sometime i realise i had the change for the ticket and hence i asked the conductor to take the change and give me the Rs100 back and setle dues. The conductor, who was not very polite even when giving the ticket, refused to do as i said and ordered me to collect the money from him where i was supposed to get down, which was also the last stop.
I was pretty annoyed and when i got down i blasted him for having to wait despite being late for collge. And this guy hit me on my face. YES HE HIT ME.


Enraged i asked for his name. And as if commited one of the worst crimes, five six more conductors and drivers fomr buses waiting nearby came and hit me and tried to push me into the bus. The obvious attempt was to take me somewhere and teach a lesson.


I was pretty lucky to be able to escape. However i noted the bus number and the first thing i did was call up the MD of the BMTC, thats Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation and then filed a report with the police. Had small problems with the police as they were not entirely convinced that i had actually not done anything taking into account i am an outsiders.

It was persistent and got the conductor identified within two hours and got him summonded to the police station.

However the better part was that the BMTC was quick to act. They apolozised to me and suspended the conductor for misconduct.

The conductor has been calling me up ever since claiming how sorry he was and requesting me to withdraw the complaint and ask the authorities to take him back.

I do find it bad that i man who might have kids, be suspended.

The question is what should i do? prove a good soul and withdraw the complaint.
The fact to remember is that outsiders face this problem in varying degrees. ( Mine was more towards the extreme). None of the cases i know have ever been reported. This could be an example for the conductors.

Let me know what you guys think.



PS.- Like the typical hindi film, the crowd was watching as they beat me, without anyone coming to my help!

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Is Assam really a sick state?

I was arguing with one of my friends that Assam been out of India been out of India it would have been able to survive well.

My friends, a non-assamese, was not convinced. He said that we do not have anything to sustain us apart from oil. Assam survived because of India. All the loans that it gets from the centre. Also with all the extremist activist activities in the region, the North East was in no way on the development path.

No matter how hard i argued, i did understand that, not all his arguements were baseless. The extremisim in the region had certainly dissuaded business houses from investing there.
I in fact have a friend whose father dropped plans of setting up a factory in Guwahati, the only city in the whole region.

But then to say that Assam and the rest of North east is short of resources is ignorance.
The region is full of resourses. Oil is no doubt the key income for Assam. Out of 13 refineries in the country, Assam has four, and one more in Bihar gets its oil from Assam.

Tea is another major industry. Assam tea is considered one of the best in the world and accounts for over 55 per cent of the Indian tea production and over 15 per cent of the world tea production.

The wood and cane industry is booming with majority of the plywood and canes used across the country coming from the region. Assam is the only state with over 30 per cent of forest area. The national average is somewhere in the lower 20s.

Apart from all these, the region is a scenic beauty with exotic flora and fauna. It is a photographer's dream country. And also the nature lovers and adventure seekers. The valleys of Assam, The hills of Arunachal, the waterfalls of Meghalaya... it surely a paradise.

And over all these, the people and the culture, which is often misunderstood, is the highpoint of the region. The culture is undoubtedly on the most advanced and the history of the region is unrivalled for the bravery it has shown. Lachit Borphukan's country has not lost its potency to give birth to great son's. May be dormant for some time. But Assam is surging and so is the rest of the region... And Assam will be Golden again, with or without India. The Human resources are yet to be explored just like the rest of the resources... truly Paradise Unexplored

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IMDT back again?

The IMDT was scrapped by the SC last year leading to festive moods in the state of Assam.
And within a year the government has come up with ammendments in the Foreigners Act which would have serious implications.


According to reports out of more than three lakh cases investigated under IMDT, only 1481 migrants have been deported, whereas in the neighbouring State West Bengal where Foreigners Act has been in force, 4,89,406 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have been deported between 1983 and 1998. It is easy to deport a foreigner from any part of the country than from Assam.

The difference between IMDT and the Foreigners Act is that, where IMDT is in force, the authorities needs to prove that the person is an illegal immigrant, in Foreigners act it is for the person to prove he is not an illegal immigrant. This allows the suthorities more power in prosecuting and hence the difference in figures.

The survival of IMDT for over 20 years may be termed primarily resposible for the alteration of the demography of Assam and it being reinstated will for certain cause harm which will be beyond repair.

The Government however fails to recognise the consequences leaving Assam in gloom and uncertainty.

I would suggest that the citizens of the state start a signature campaign against this move and let it be known to the 'representative of the people'.

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