Sania Mirza and Parineeta

No no Sania Mirza has nothing to do with Parineeta hee hee :) but they made two of my evenings in the last week memorable.
Firstly Sania played an exciting game against world no. 5 Svetlana Kuznetsowa & matched her stroke for stroke playing some great tennis on Wimbledon center court. Last time an Indian featured on center court in singles event was the great Vijay Amritraj who defeated French star Yanik Noah in the thrilling encounter in 1985. Infact I was privileged to listen the radio commentary of the match on BBC World.
And on Wednesday it was Sania..
Though Sania lost the game 4-6, 7-6, 4-6, she managed to win million of hearts with her gritty ground strokes. She proved beyond doubt that she has that something extra to be counted among the best. All she needs is to improve her service, net play & athleticism to reach the top bracket. Wish u all the best Sania! Hope to see u as a better player next time in Wimbledon.

Coming to Parineeta I was planning to see the movie for past few weeks but somehow things didn’t make out. When I went thru my blog fren Puneet’s review of the film I immediately decided that the coming Saturday will be the day.
The movie which is set on Calcutta of 1962 is really refreshing. Saif is maturing fast as an actor & Vidya Balan who is a rank newcomer has done a wonderful job.
Songs are really sweet specially Dil ki ji batein hain dil mein hi rakhna piya & Raat Humari To on which I have dedicated one complete post on my Hindi blog.
So do see this movie frens u will not be disappointed!

Ohhhhh Ash.........!

After a gap of so many years we went to see a movie in a cinema hall.
It was my second attempt to see the movie!
In my first outing I have to leave the hall midway during interval to catch the night train! And I was happy to do that...

So my second visit to Bunty & Babli was without any expectation. With a script going haywire the only Paisa Wasool
was the 5 min entry of sooooooooo sweeeeet Ash in the song Kajrare Kajrare Tere Kare Kare Nayna !

And with Big & Junior bachchan to her side her jhatka matkas were hmmmm just jaanlewa :) !

Do miss the movie but don't miss the song :)!

Arranged & Love Marriage -Part VI

......Not every love match is similarly doomed. There are enough marriages based on great romance. Marriages that have survived all attempts to ruin them. Couples who have battled tremendous odds to be together—religious problems, caste problems, class problems, too. Yet, I fear the vulgarization of the entire love-marriage phenomenon.

At least some of the blame for this has to be shared by popular Hindi cinema. Love ke liye kuch bhi karega and similar sentiments. Nearly everyday, our newspapers run headlines about lovers caught in some hideous situation—elopements gone awry; acid attacks on women who have turned down ardent suitors; kidnappings and rapes. All this in the name of ‘love’. It’s not just an urban problem. These ludicrous manifestations of ‘love’ can be found in rural India, too! A direct spin-off of Bollywood potboilers, I’m convinced.

Marry for love, by all means. But be realistic at the same time. Marrying ‘above’ or ‘beneath’ your own level is an option only the stout-hearted should take. Even in this day and age, a large part of India is still preoccupied with caste and class. Those who attempt to cross either or both, will necessarily be up against a great deal of resistance.

To have the guts to stand up for your beliefs and marry the person you fancy, despite daunting odds, is a challenge. If, on the other hand, you are lucky enough to flip for someone you can happily take home to mother, go for it. There is no better reason to give up your independence than to be with a person you love and who loves you. But love alone is no guarantee.

At the end of the day, it’s back to the C-word: commitment. A couple in an ‘arranged’ match can fall in love later and make a success of their marriage. But someone opting for love cannot then look for the rewards of an arranged alliance.

Love is meant to overcome all odds and embrace any and every complication. Nothing quite as unrealistic or lofty is expected from a more conventional approach. Which is why, the next time someone rolls up flashing the right credentials and with serious intent, I shall swiftly arrange a dekho session at Mumbai’s all-time favourite ‘dekho’ venue—the old-fashioned ‘Sea Lounge’ at the Taj Mahal Hotel. Imagine me as a ‘proper’ mother-in-law! You can’t? Too bad. I can!

Source From The Truth abt Marriage by Shobha Dey

Arranged and Love Marriages Part-V

The worst thing about a love marriage that ends up on the rocks is that parents get all huffy and judgemental. ‘We told you it wouldn’t work. Did you listen? We knew he wasn’t the right person. Now look where you are.’ Parents in such a situation do have a point. But they also need to rise above their own feelings of outrage and false pride and provide much needed empathy to a child who has made a mistake and is going through hell.

Love marriages may be more common now than they once were in our society, but that’s only because of increased mobility and access. Dating starts during the teenage years. Couples might see each other for close to a decade before tying the knot. But even such marriages can collapse, much to the parents’ dismay. ‘After ten long years you people still didn’t know what you were doing! Ridiculous!’

Parents must avoid this harsh judgement trap and extend a helping hand to an emotionally distressed offspring dealing with a broken marriage and much else. This is a time which can only be described as wretched. I know the feeling. I’ve gone through it myself.

Your self-worth is at its lowest and you’ve never felt as desperately alone. You also feel the entire world is sitting in judgement over what is a personal and painful decision. Friends take sides, cast aspersions, play the blame game. As for foes—they gloat and chortle with glee, while trading the ugliest rumours and theories as to why the marriage collapsed.

If, at such a time, your immediate family turns its back on you too, then why call yourself family in the first place? All it takes is a little sensitivity, a little love, a little patience. I keep running into single parents trying hard to cope with a failed marriage, while presenting a tough facade. Having been there, I can identify with the emotion. No matter what anybody says, it isn’t easy. Never was, never will be. Society is not known for its kindness. When the chips are down, you have just one person to fall back on—yourself!