#i also included a bengali song!!! i love this song a lot and have been Listening to it a lot! original is by rabindranath tagore but

[midmaysunray]

Hello there, it’s me Momo🩷

(Also, this is a shit posting blog, might wanna check out @shunrehihosumedha )

Here’s a little description of things I love and envy

I’m from the Indian subcontinent.

Spent my entire childhood between mountains and valleys. For a change shifted to Delhi which I regret tremendously.

I love farming, gardening, stitching clothes, crocheting, writing poems and maintaining a journal.

I enjoy long walks and bicycle rides.

I prefer going to a bookstore or a restaurant all by myself. I love self-dates.

I want to settle someday at an unknown meadow with mountains and lakes at a cottage core house, with big windows and minimalistic furniture with a wooden chimney, a library with some cats and the man I love.

I’m a student, fortunately academically gifted/blessed.

I did my undergrad from Indraprastha college for women under the university of Delhi in the discipline of geography Hons. Currently pursuing my masters from Jamia Millia Islamia.

I love movies; and my favourite genre is dystopian reality. So far I have watched 750+ movies which include almost every linguistic diversity as I strongly believe in the adherence of, “you can’t find gold unless you dig the dirt.”

I love reading books, like a lot. I can speak 5 different languages and out of them, 3 languages are engraved within my system. Starting from Greek Literature Iliad by Homer to metaphysics by aristotle; reading short stories of Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali as well as reciting Gazals of Gulzar in Hindi itself, I believe I have defined base in my own culture as well as to others. Again, when it comes to dystopian, I envy reading The Hunger Games and The Maze Runners. Do Androids dream of electric sheep? Comes under my top 5 dystopian reads; as this book was later adopted into a world class movie franchise called The Blade Runner. I lean towards Harry Potter more than The Lord of the Rings. I have read A song of ice and fire which people are so batshit crazy about and famously known as the “Game of thrones.” I didn’t watch a single episode but I know more than any fan I believe.

If you intervene and ask, then yeah you can think of me as a “nerd” hehehe because my preference and taste of things leans towards being more of geek tbh🩷🩷

I also enjoy watching animated series/anime and sit coms. I’m a sucker for The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon and will rewatch them for an eternity if asked. My favourite anime is Gintama but the list is peculiar and long as I have been watching anime/reading manga since I was 9 years old. My first anime was Dragon Ball z and Pokémon. I also watched Doraemon and Shinchan series/movies. The list goes on when it comes to entertainment but mine is more restricted than common which people watch out of peer pressure. Below are some examples for understanding my taste and likings.

My favourite dystopian movies are (Top 20)

1. Shutter Island.

2. Interstellar

3. The Dark knight

4. The Dark knight Rises

5. Captain America: the winter soldier

6. Rouge one: a star war’s story

7. Tron legacy

8. Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban

9. The Hobbit: the desolation of Smaug

10. Star Trek Enterprise

11. Star Wars: the empire strikes back

12. Blade runner

13. Blade runner 2049

14. Dune

15. V for vendetta

16. Maze runner

17. The Hunger Games

18. Oblivion

19. The Truman show

20. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

Top 15 Anime

1. Gintama

2. Neon Genesis Evangelion

3. Berserk

4. Mob psycho

5. Steins Gate

6. Violet evergarden

7. Monster

8. Parasyte

9. Heavenly delusion

10. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

11. Full Metal Alchemist

12, That time when I got reincarnated as a slime

13. Campfire cooking in another world with my absurd cooking skills

14. Barakamon

15. Bunny Drop

Top 10 Anime Movies

1. Princess Mononoke by Studio Ghibli

2. Up from the poppy hill by Studio Ghibli

3. My neighbor Totoro by Studio Ghibli

4. The End of Evangelion by Hideaki Anno

5. Spirited Away by Studio Ghibli

6. Perfect blue by Satosi Kon

7. Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo

8. Ghost in the Shell by Mamoru Oshii

9. Violet evergarden: the movie by Taichi Ishidate

10. Doraemon: Nobita’s new dinosaur by Kazuaki Imai, Toshihisa Yokoshima, in collaboration with Kyoto animation studio Wasabi Mizuta, Megumi Ohara, Shihoko Hagino.

I know it may seem boring and I usually don’t find people with such diversity, but it would be good to be a part of this community. I envy people who respects art and literature of every culture and not demeaning them.

[ephemeralsolitude]

when u get this u have to put 5 songs 🎵 u actually listen to, publicly. then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) (absolutely negotiable do not trust anyone who refuses to negotiate)

yeee musiccc ok what better way to do this than list 5 of my most recent songs on repeat bcs i am for sure listening to them (a lot) shdjd:

1. safety zone by jhope

2. every breath you take by the police

3. yet to come by bts

4. running up that hill by kate bush

5. amaro porano jaha chay by bappa mazumdar

[seriousbusinessforhumans]

“Historically, these rituals have had minimum participation of the bride. But, in today’s context, that needs to completely change. Today, both are equal partners and so such an addition was crucial.”

POST AUTHOR:ANANYA BARUA

POST PUBLISHED:FEBRUARY 12, 2019

In the midst of a rising cloud of ‘yagna‘ smoke, the ‘Ulu Dhwani‘ reaches its crescendo amidst the chanting of shlokas (verses). This is the typical imagery of a Hindu Bengali wedding. But, we are talking about one which wasn’t.

To begin with, there was no male purohit draped in a white dhoti, proudly holding the ‘yagnopawitha,’ the holy thread, wound around his body while chanting Vedic verses in Sanskrit.

Instead, it had a group of women, gracefully chanting the scriptures in Bengali amid some of Tagore’s most melodious songs.

Their only motto—reintroduce the culture and heritage of India to the younger generation sans the orthodoxy, ambiguity or inequality.

“The knowledge in our scriptures cannot stay hidden behind an ancient language. The couples of this generation are asking questions about what and why they do in rituals. And, it is the responsibility of the priests to help them understand. That’s exactly what we are doing,” said Nandini Bhowmik, to The Better India.

Nandini is the priestess at the helm of ‘Shubham Astu’, a group of female priests who have been crashing gender stereotypes and the patriarchy, in their own graceful and harmonious way.

A visiting faculty at the Sanskrit department of Jadavpur University (JU), Kolkata, and a theatre actor, Nandini found her calling as a priestess a decade ago.

“I was in college and our Sanskrit teacher, Gauri Dharmalal, had introduced a new and reformed way for female priests to perform Hindu rituals. So in a few years, we (a bunch of young Sanskrit teachers) began to pursue this. After a few years, with the help of few more fellow priestesses, I branched out, and together we created a more evolved script which was in-line with this generation,” said Nandini.

Since then, with Nandini and Ruma Roy reciting the hymns and Semanti Banerjee and Poulami Chakraborty singing songs, the wedding ceremonies conducted by Shubham Astu have become a unique experience.

According to her, for any ancient scripture, the process of evolution is continuous. And, so one of the major changes introduced was a simplified interpretation of the texts in three languages—Sanskrit, Bengali and English.

This new script also did away with the ‘kanyadaan,’ a prominent ritual in a Hindu wedding, thus starting a new wave across the state.

The No-Kanyadaan Wedding

A byproduct of patriarchy, kanyadaan, which literally means donating one’s daughter, is a commonly practised ritual in Hindu weddings.

But, Nandini and her group are slowly changing things. They have officiated several weddings where this ritual was not conducted.

One such wedding in Kolkata went viral after a guest saw the father refusing to perform the kanyadaan, and tweeted about it.

When TBI got in touch with Dr Amlan Ray, the father of the bride, he explained the ideology behind the decision.

“I took this decision some six months before the wedding day. And, that was one of the major reasons why I requested Nandini Bhowmik and her group to officiate the wedding. Contrary to common belief, which considers this to be against Hindu culture, a wedding without kanyadaan is not a new thing and is already mentioned in the scriptures,” said Dr Ray.

Dr Ray argues that the Rig Veda mentions eight different types of wedding, of which only the Brahma wedding includes the ritual of kanyadaan.

“And, most Hindu weddings today will not qualify to be a Brahma wedding, as it involves the wedding of one’s daughter to a Vedic scholar, among other strictures. In general, today most modern weddings come under the Gandharva marriage category, in which bride and groom know each other before marriage, and the marriage can be between different communities and castes without any barrier, and without the practice of kanyadaan,” he added.

Speaking about his daughter’s wedding, he added that the level of understanding and simple interpretation made the event more meaningful and memorable.

“Unlike other purohits, these priestesses made sure that the experience was worth remembering. We were not just blindly following directions, but understanding the significance behind every verse, as all of it was in Bengali,” said Dr Ray.

Equal partners in marriage and life

The wedding ceremony of Sharmistha Chaudhuri and Dr Debadyuti Ghosh was a perfect example of equal partnership, all thanks to Nandini and her group of priestesses.

Held on January 4, Sharmistha spoke to TBI and shared that her wedding was both rooted in tradition and yet liberated from the rigid strictures; seeing each individual as a separate entity.

“There were several rituals introduced in the wedding, which ushered an egalitarian beginning to our relationship. One such ritual was where the groom applies sindoor on the bride’s head. While we conducted it, we also added another bit, where I applied a tikka on his head, in return, thus symbolising our union with vermillion,” she said.

This is one of the many rituals introduced to ensure equal participation of the bride and groom in the ceremony.

Explaining the principle, Nandini, who is also an Indologist said, “Historically, our world has been patriarchal and owing to that, the laws and rituals were also formed in such a manner. Also, in the olden days, girls were married at a very young age, making it very difficult for them to understand or participate in the rituals. However, in the current context, that needs to change completely. Today, both are equal partners, in age, experience and agency, and so, this addition was crucial.��

With all this in place, the couples added that their weddings were more than just grand affairs where the main focus is on food and merriment.

Sharmishta exclaimed, “Our ceremony was conducted in English, Sanskrit and Bengali, as a lot of guests, including my husband, were not comfortable with Bengali or Sanskrit. It was a ceremony where people paid attention to the rituals because now they could understand the beautiful underlying symbols. I have had people come and tell me that they had never planned on staying for the actual ceremonies, until now. We all learnt something new!”

Despite taking up a challenging task of questing and reforming the ancient scriptures in all these years of work, the four priestesses of Shubham Astu have surprisingly gathered more love than resistance.

“We did not embrace this to wage any war or hurt anyone’s feelings, but only to share our knowledge. Most people see and understand that and so have been showering us with love!”

[studious-kiddo]

A List of Asian music artists/bands (but mostly Asian American)

Just organizing my notes on my phone and thought I’d share! Includes commentary/notes that no one asked for! Feel free to add! (But I’m excluding The Big Three (Japanese Breakfast, Mitski, Jay Som), 88rising and k-pop in general):

I haven’t been keeping up-to-date, but shout out to Boston talent:

-Really From: jazz/math rock/punk/pop? sound, includes vocalist/keyboardist Michi Tassey (half-Japanese) & vocalist/guitarist Chris Lee-Rodriguez (half Chinese, half Puerto Rican). Signed to Topshelf so you know they’re good :~)

-Paper Citizen: indie rock project of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Claire Gohst (Singaporean), who is also part of the lgbt community! And works w/ Lysten Agency, and all the agency’s artists are gr8 soOo

-Honey Cutt: dreamy surf rock three piece band. They’re passing by the city so gotta go see them but I got finals!! ah! Features Chris Chew on the drums & he has a great aesthetic; he’s a graphic designer too and has his own solo project that’s v pink.

-Mint Green: four? piece pop punk band; saw them live at the Great Scott and was the highlight of my otherwise v boring summer tbh. Includes Daniel Huang on the drums; he wore a Paramore shirt at the concert i went to which was Cool 

-Magic Man: ??? do they still exist? But shout out to Sam Lee!

********

Indie pop & rock cause I don’t know the difference lmao:

-No Vacation: Bedroom pop? Also signed to Topshelf lol. Includes front woman/guitarist Sab Mai (her voice is smooth like butter), bassist Marisa Saunders, and keyboardist Nat Lee. Nat signed a poster for me and her signature has a panda bear doodle in it. Love!

-Ginger Root: Indie pop, kinda funky, very summery. Led by Cameron Lew!! 

-Hana Vu: Singer-songwriter-producer all-around Cool gal (Korean & Vietnamese). Indie rock/pop? i think.

-Mellow Fellow: very mellow lmao! Synths, chill. Solo-project of Polo Reyes (Filipino).

-SALES: Indie pop, light & breezy. A duo that includes Jordan Shih on the guitar/programming! 

-Crumb: Jazzy, indie rock. Fronted by Lila Ramani (Indian-American). Four piece band went to Tufts soOooooooo Boston-based at one point? :~)

-i///u: “neo-soul”. Features drummer Billy Wu and keyboardist Jason Chan.

-Phum Viphurit: neo-soul & indie rock! Thai singer-songwriter.

-Strawberry Generation: indie diy? pop. Features vocalist/guitarist Luk Yean (Singaporean) and vocalist/keyboardist Valerie Zhu.

-Art School Jocks: “existential basement pop.”  Their website is down so I’ll update later ig, but I know that two members are Asian, just forget which ones yike

-Sobs: indie pop! Singaporean band.

-Superorganism: Fun Internet pop band. The lead vocalist Orono Noguchi (Japanese) likes Goodnight Moon ASMR so yes. Also includes backing vocalist/choreographer Soul/Earl Ho (Korean).

-Tangerine: Indie rock three piece band! Featuring sisters Marika and Miro Justad (half-Korean).

-Kero Kero Bonito: fronted by Sarah Midori Perry (half-Japanese). Pop! But now a little more rock with her newer stuff? Anthony Fantano gave her albums good ratings if that means anything lmao

-beabadoobee: indie, acoustic-y, kinda soft and sad lol. Project of Bea Regner (Filipino).

-Sunset Rollercoaster 落日飛車 : Taiwanese band. Soul, chill.

-Ruru: Solo project of Denice Quimbo (Filipino). Bedroom/dream pop but also jazzy-ish.

-SASAMI: dream pop, lo-fi, indie rock, all that cool stuff. Project of Sasami Ashworth (half-Korean). She was in Cherry Glazerr at some point too!

-corner club: indie duo, jazzy but also folksy, cute songs? Acoustic guitar. Everyone needs to listen to ‘em!!!!

-Say Sue Me: South Korean indie surf-rock band.

-Miya Folick: Indie pop! Half-Japanese singer-songwriter.

-Haley Heyndrickx: Indie folk singer-songwriter (Filipino-American). Lots of guitar.

-Lucite Tokki: Korean duo. Indie/synth pop. 

-Dama Scout: Indie rock trio fronted by Eva Liu (vocals & guitar). 

-CHAI: Japanese indie pop band. Super catchy!

********

R&B:

-Raveena Aurora: Indian-American singer-songwriter. Voice is smooooth & she is a Queen.

-SATICA: Project of singer-songwriter April Nhem (Cambodian-American).

-cehryl: One-woman show (Chinese). V chill.

-RINI: Filipino-Australian singer-songwriter.

-Sam Rui: Singaporean singer-songwriter. Some soul too!

-Joy Crookes: Half-Bengali singer-songwriter. Amy Winehouse 2.0!?!??!

-Joyce Wrice: Half-Japanese singer-songwriter.

-Jeff Bernat: Filipino-American singer-songwriter. Sometimes raps!

-Alextbh: Queer Malaysian pop and r&b artist. Him and Sam Rui collabed on a song! V chill.

********

Pop:

-Rina Sawayama: Japanese-British singer-songwriter, Dancing Queen & Icon!

-Yuna: R&B sometimes too! Malaysian singer-songwriter and guitarist.

-Sophia Black: pop and r&b! Half-Japanese singer-songwriter.

-Lexie Liu: Mandopop & rap/r&b. Cool stuff!

********

Electro-Pop:

-Sundial: pop duo featuring Dorothy Chan (Chinese) and Jisu Kim (Korean).  Cute stuff! They do some really nice YouTube covers and they both went to Berklee so they were Boston-based for a bit :~)

-khai dreams: idk his name, but khai dreams (half-Vietnamese) is a one-man show! Soundcloud vibes, like the lo-fi, Anime Study Beats side of it. I went up to him after one of his shows to be like “when’re you coming thru NY again?” and he misheard me and was like “i don’t work here” and i just walked away because anxiety yikes

-ÊMIA: Anh Le’s project! Idk when i’ll post this, but she just released a new song and it’s on my morning commute playlist lol.

-Manila Killa: V electronic. Project of producer Chris Gavino (Filipino). I first saw him in an interview with sidewalk talk (Asian-led interview series! And a really good one; def check it out!) and he seems like a really cool guy!

-Yaeji: Not really pop ig lol. Korean-American electronic musician.

********

Math Rock:

-Elephant Gym: Taiwanese band. Also kinda funky/jazzy! And also signed to Topshelf lmao. A fave right now; i have their audiotree live session on repeat as study music!

-Covet: Fronted by Yvette Young, who plays guitar and holy crap! So talented!

-Tricot: Japanese all-girl band signed to Topshelf :~) 

********

YouTube talent:

-Conan Gray: half-Japanese singer-songwriter. Indie pop, a King.

-mxmtoon: half-Chinese singer-songwriter, ukuleleist. Cute tunes.

-Louie Zong: his tunes! are so cute! and funky! Also went to tufts so…boston?!?!?

-Mabel Ye: love! her! ah! She collabed with Louie so that was like a better crossover than infinity war ever was.

*********

Non-ballad sounding Chinese groups that I’m hoping will help me learn the Mother Tongue:

-Frande: Indie rock? Idk! But they sing slow enough that my brain can sometimes process their words lmao

-Astro Bunny: borderline ballad LOL.

- 老王樂隊: upbeat indie folk? Idk!

-my little airport: cute! But my canto is even worse than my mando :~(

********

Misc:

-Xiu Xiu: the fave! Includes Angela Seo.

-Boys Age: kind of like Richie Woods.

-Ian Chang: he’s a drummer!

[thisaintascenereviews]

Artist Spotlight, Episode I: Anik Khan I don’t know what it’s like for other people, but sometimes when I get into a new band or artist, I don’t just listen to one album, I try to dive into a bunch of their projects, so I can get a full idea of who this band or artist is. In the past, I’ve reviewed each album from said band or artist and that can take awhile, especially if I don’t have a lot to say, or there’s a lot of history with them, so I thought I’d bypass that a bit by starting a series where I just talk about an artist or band I like, especially if I’ve been listening to multiple projects of theirs. Instead of reviewing each one, I’ll just talk about them as a whole, and talk about why I enjoy the band or artist in question, ultimately recommending them. These aren’t going to be standard reviews, so don’t expect the same ideas and tone; it’s more or less a casual and conversational look into an artist I’ve been listening to, or one that’s very deserving of your time, but I don’t want to review all of their work at once. I could easily do that, but I’d rather not. These also won’t be extremely comprehensive pieces, either, I don’t plan on diving deep into these artists, or really exploring their history, but I just want to talk about them as a whole, as well as the albums I heard, briefly talking about them as well.

For the first episode of this series, I wanted to talk about a very underrated artist that I found pretty recently -- Anik Khan. He’s a criminally underrated rapper and singer from Queens, New York, and I bring that fact up, because he wants you to know that. For good reason, too -- Born in 1989, Khan is an immigrant, and his family came to the US from Bangladesh in 1993, just when he was five years old. Most of his life, he’s been here, but he’s only just recently gotten his citizenship, and that’s a big part of his most recent projects, including the double EP, Approved and Denied. Being a Bengali immigrant shapes a lot of his music, and one thing I really love about Khan’s music is that he brings his South Asian culture into it. He covered a Bollywood song very recently on a single that came out in May, but he features a lot of language, imagery, and instrumentation that you’d find in his culture. On his debut LP, 2017′s Kites, songs like “Habibi,” “Mango Nectar,” “Cleopatra,” “Tangerine,” “Sunlight,” and many more feature a South Asian flair to them, and it’s really cool. I absolutely love it. I love hearing music from other parts of the world, because here in the US, we’re not exposed to it. On the EP, Approved, where he talks about finally getting his visa, he moves more into a reggaeton, Caribbean, and Latin sound, which is really cool as well. I’ve watched some interviews of him where he’s talked about being influenced by music all over the world, as well as being friends with a diverse group of people while growing up in New York and that’s shaped his music as he’s gotten older. Aside from his sound, which I do think is very unique, especially for a rapper in today’s day and age, his lyrics are also very unique, at least in spots. He does write a lot about the generic money, women, and fame kinds of things, but it comes from a more genuine place, where he is an immigrant, and he’s always wanted to be successful, especially when his parents sacrificed everything for him to be here. In other spots, however, he talks about that, and what it’s like being an immigrant. The song “Columbus” from this debut album, 2017′s Kites, is all about taking the myth of Christopher Columbus and deconstructing it, ultimately talking about how America was built on the backs of people of color, and how people are mislead to believe that he “discovered” America, when in fact, Indigenous people were already here, and people of color built the country even further while being oppressed by the settlers and colonizers. He also just flavors his lyrics with South Asian imagery, like I said earlier, and it makes for a more interesting and unique experience, versus the generic bragging and flexing that a lot of rappers engage in. I also just think he has a great voice; he can rap very well, even though he doesn’t utilize straightforward hip-hop too much anymore (Kites is more or less a hip-hop / R&B record, because he sings a lot on that album, versus outright rapping), but he can also sing very well. A lot of his more recent material has him straight up singing, and it sounds awesome. I’ve also seen some videos he’s done recently of him singing some songs in a live setting, and they sound fantastic. I’d love to see him live, I bet he would sound absolutely fantastic. I wish more people would find him and listen to his work. I found him through Apple Music, but more specifically, on the recommended artists page while going through Riz Ahmed’s page. I was looking up his music, which I’m going to be talking about as well, and I found Anik Khan under the artists that sound similar section at the bottom, and I decided to give him a shot, so I’m glad I did. Khan is a rapper that is proud of his heritage and his culture, whether it’s through his lyrics or the music itself, all the while exploring more styles of music from all over the world. He really takes a lot of influences into his sound, and you don’t hear artists like that very often. Not only that, but he’s proud of where he’s from, and he’s proud of being an immigrant (one of my favorite lyrics is from the single “Big Fax,” where he says, “Damn, it feels good to be an immigrant,” and that’s such a powerful thing to hear), but he’s also proud to be from New York. He loves his city, more specifically his borough, but he also loves his culture. Khan is such an interesting, unique, and really cool artist that I was very happy to find, so I hope more people listen to his music after reading this. That’s what this series is going to be about, at least if I ever take a deep dive into a band or artist and don’t feel like reviewing all of their albums individually, I can write about them as a whole here. As a first episode, I’d say this was pretty successful, so hopefully you’ll join me for the next one.

[headoverheelsforramsey]

Hi Hi Hi! Since tumblr has been a ride the past 12 hours or so, I thought why not go and do something fun with everyone on here. Which is why I am here with some questions about your MCs

• What is your MC's happiest memory that doesn't include their LI?

• If your MC had to choose just one person from their friend group who would it be and why?

• Did your MC ever have any pets before they started their life at Boston?

• If MC's LI had to give them one thing as an apology gift after a not so serious argument what would it be?

• I know Ethan is a role model to many MC's but is there someone else in their life who shaped them into the person today?

• Your MC is humming a song under their breath, so much so that it gets stuck on the LIs head. What kind of song is it (is it a fun one, or a soft melancholic one or something from an obscure tv show, or a particular artist?)

------

It's okay if you can't answer these, the idea is to celebrate our multidimensional MC's beyond their chosen LI and having fun along the way❤

Also, a little reminder, I love and appreciate everyone of you and your presence in our little fandom is extremely cherished by many❤💜

Hi there Dri. Truly those 12 hours were some of the most horrendous 12 hours I have ever witnessed. But we have people like you who override the negativity and fill this fandom with compassion and positivity. Thank you for doing this. 💜

I am so sorry for answering this late but you know the drill with exams. 😂I'll put my answers below the break because this might get long.

• What is your MC's happiest memory that doesn't include their LI?

Some of her happiest memories was from college. Living away from her parents for the first time in a hostel with friends is a pretty wild ride. One such memory was when Meera had her friends sneaked out after the hostel curfew to celebrate a friend's birthday. Those were the carefree good old days! 💜

• If your MC had to choose just one person from their friend group who would it be and why?

Ooh this is difficult. I'll say Jackie. Meera and Sienna are dolphins and that doesn't change anything. But she and Jackie shared a special bond since day 1. Both of them sharing the love and hate (sometimes) for their similar backgrounds and often finding they have a lot of common experiences and bonding over them.

• Did your MC ever have any pets before they started their life at Boston?

Unfortunately no. Meera's mom has asthma and is allergic to most furry animals therefore they couldn't keep a pet no matter how much they wanted. Her childhood best friend Ritu had a German Shepherd named Choco growing up and he was very much like Meera's own pet.

• If MC's LI had to give them one thing as an apology gift after a not so serious argument what would it be?

The d 🍆 😂

Home cooked meals, especially the Georgian Stuffed Chicken. One of Meera's love language is food and we all know Ethan Ramsey is an excellent cook. He uses that advantage to apologize after many trivial arguments.

• I know Ethan is a role model to many MC's but is there someone else in their life who shaped them into the person today?

Meera's parents were definitely a role model to little Meera. When she became older she very much idolized Naveen along with Ethan. But the one person she looked up to the most was her aunt, Lina's mom. She always knew that she was a badass woman how broke and bended all rules and proved everybody wrong.

• Your MC is humming a song under their breath, so much so that it gets stuck on the LIs head. What kind of song is it (is it a fun one, or a soft melancholic one or something from an obscure tv show, or a particular artist?)

I love this one! Most of the time it's the friends theme song because she binge watches it on most nights. Sometimes it's the latest Disney soundtrack like for example Meera definitely hums "We don't talk about Bruno" and poor Ethan can't get the tune out of his head. Other times it might be a classic hindi or bengali song which makes Ethan Google it and learn the melody. Needless to say Meera finds him humming it on his own the next day and she falls in love with him a little more.

It was so fun answering these dearest Dri! Thank you so much for sending this my way! 💜

[secretradiobrooklyn]

SECRET RADIO | Sept.12.20

Secret Radio Brooklyn | 9.12.20 | Broadcast from the print shop (Hear it here.)

1. Fela Kuti - It’s Highlife Time

Such a cheery introduction to a night at the Afro Spot. There’s an elegance and restraint and Western-facing showmanship that is the exact opposite of what Fela Kuti’s music came to be, but it seems completely sincere — just a different stage of an incredibly productive life. 

2. Ros Serey Sothea - Jam 5 Kai Thiet (Wait 5 More Months) 

The guitar tones, really all the tones of this song, are so perfect, and the structure is both immaculately pop-shaped and full of gnarly rock distortion.

3. Sylvie Vartan - L’oiseau

Such a piercing chorus! It almost sounds like she’s making a birdcall, and we’ve been really appreciating bird sounds this summer in the woods.

4. Singer Nahounou and T.P. Poly Rythmo de Cotonou Benin - Gbabouo

This is a 1978 T.P. track, so they’re in their prime, with Papillon providing those amazingly beautiful guitar waterfalls. I don’t know anything about Singer Nahounou, but his vocal phrasing is a lot more like the Zimbabwean style of Hallelujah Chicken Run Band than any of the Beninese musicians they more often play with. Someone says it has “a strong Ivory Coast influence,” but I don’t know what that means. I do know that this song makes me dance, and as it goes on you can hear the musicians really stretching out and playing with the essential elements of the groove, all led by the unstoppable Bentho Gustave on bass.

5. Teddy Afro - Atse Tewodros

I don’t know if you’ve had the experience of being halfway through a feast at an Ethiopian restaurant and suddenly realizing that you’ve been loving the music the entire time. For us, that restaurant was Meskerem on South Grand, and the band was Teddy Afro. The best part, though, might be this video, in which a collection of beautiful people do the shoulder dance seemingly all over Ethiopia, in grassy fields and castle walls and city streets, in pairs and trios and teams. It’s completely mesmerizing. Meanwhile, the footage of Teddy Afro’s live show sweeps across a crowd of tens of thousands of ecstatic fans. It’s a glimpse into several worlds I know nothing about — but the music certainly seems to speak a universal language of optimism and hope. Anyone who can tell me whether I’m completely mistaken about that, please do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRC6C8bRkQQ&list=RDmAHeyKUKMBE&index=3

6. Francis Bebey - New Track

The way this song gradually coheres from thumb piano to futuristic space jam is a clinic. I could listen to Francis Bebey talk all night.

7. Manu Dibango - Groovy Flute

Our respect to Manu Dibango, who passed on March 24 of this year. He is responsible for giving the world Soul Makossa, which we in the US know as mama say mama sa mamakusa thanks to Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. But MJ didn’t have Groovy Flute.

8. Chantal Goya - D’Abord, Dis Moi Ton Nom

This is from the Godard film Masculin Féminin. If you like this, you’re going to love the WBFF movies broadcast coming soon!

9. Brigitte Bardot - Tu Veux ou Tu Veux Pas

Sleepy Kitty does a version of this song on a 7”. This could be a great song for teaching first-year French — “You want it or you don’t” — including frank attitudes about hooking up.

10. Newen Afrobeat - Upside Down live

Chilean Fela disciples Newen Afrobeat bring their own approach to Fela Kuti’s Upside Down. You can hear how the political urgency of the original translates directly to citizens of a country on the other side of the world. I recently read one of the singers, Macarena, describe the band as a collective that exists to make music and get the word out about the Mapuche people and their mistreatment in Chile.

Like their masterpiece, Opposite People, this is another song that is enhanced by watching the performance. It’s enough to get you dancing just watching the singer wind her way around the stage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=embxt0jQ8f4

11. Antoine Dougbé & T.P. Orchestre - Kovito Gbe de Towe

The arrangement of this song is just stunning to me. The little guitar licks that steal their way between the downbeats, the sick drums, the sudden disco, the arresting tone of voice, the backing vocals, the phasing guitar solo, the breakdown, and those final percussive call-and-response vocals — this track is just flat out the tops. Currently our favorite artist… which means Dougbé, who wrote the song but didn’t sing it, Melome Clement, who arranged it, Papillon on guitar (I think), the incredibly tight drums, the horn section that cuts like a knife, and this whole period of T.P. Orchestre. 

Serge Gainsbourg - Aux Armes Et Caetera 

When this recording appeared there was a freakin uproar among the French, who were scandalized that anyone would translate the French national anthem into (gasp!) reggae form.

12. Van Goose - Last Bus

Credit due to Jen Meller for telling us long ago that Van Goose was a band to be listening for. We saw them for the first time at Underwater Sunshine in Manhattan and danced so hard that when we heard their next gig was New Year’s Eve, our plans were settled. I get so lost inside this song!

 13. Stereo Total - Ringo I Love You

The first two songs that Paige heard of this band were I Love You Ono and Ringo I Love You — as far as we know, they specialize in Beatles-related songs (which is to say we know almost nothing about this band). Both of those songs are perfect expressions of themselves. 

14. 張小鳳 (Zhang Xiao Feng) - 我深深地愛上你 (Eight Days a Week)

We know nothing about this band — this track is the result of supposing that a certain thing must exist, and then finding confirmation of its existence. What a strange chordal relation to the original it has.

Harvey Danger - Authenticity

20 years ago this week King James Version came out, which was a really really big day in a really big time in my life. One fine detail I just noticed is that I lived about a mile north of Pike Street 20 years ago, and I live about a mile south of Park Slope today. Which I don’t think me-then would have hated. Anyway I’m still enjoying every damn day, modern horrorshow notwithstanding!

15. Ben Blackwell - Bury My Body at Elmwood

So many times every year where we realize how much we miss Bob Reuter — his radio show, his photographs, his writing, and more than anything the man himself — and this is a song we first heard via Bob’s Scratchy Records. 

16. Jacqueline Taïeb - 7 heures du matin

This song kind of encapsulates a lot of what I want this collection of songs to be — a crashing together of cultures that ties back to the universal elements of rock n roll. Jacqueline Taïeb is flat out the coolest.

17. Liev Tuk - Rom Sue Sue (Dance Soul Soul) 

Another entry in our James Brown shockwave studies. This is a Cambodian track from the ’60s, so presumably made around the interaction of French and American soldiers with Cambodian citizens… probably mostly in bars near bases? That’s what I picture happening, but I don’t actually know anything about it. I will say that I think Liev brings his own thing to the track, a real animal grandeur.

18. Soumitra & Mousumi Chatterjee - Urbashi Soundtrack - Jogi Jogi 

We’ve been trying to learn more about Bengali culture and language from our young neighbors in our building in Kensington. We’re kind of hoping that someone in the building recognizes this song — though it’s equally possible they would look at us like we were crazy. This is a soundtrack to a movie billed as a “thriller” — dig that ’80s keyboard movie-soundtrack solo — and Paige and I have already spent quite a bit of time theorizing, based purely on the music, what sort of movie we’ll encounter when we find it.  Also, this is a new earworm you won’t be able to shake. I’d say I’m sorry but I’m not!

19. The Fall - Shoulder Pads

The Fall is one of our very favorite bands — actually, T.P. Orchestre is the first real contender for other favorite band in years — but I’m very aware of the fact that I have pretty much always approached these songs as broadcasts from an alien culture. The decisions that Mark E. Smith made, song after song, are so completely mysterious and thrilling to me, as is the way the band composed, and for the most part they’re talking about British cultural winds that have almost nothing to do with my world. Anytime we play a song by The Fall I feel like I’m in danger of losing myself to only Fall songs for the next month. Tie me to the mast!

20.  T.P. Orchestre & Bentho Gustave - Agnon Djidjo (Tu as bon caractère)

This is the final track on Le Disque d’Or, and the melody just feels so full of importance, like something absolutely vital is being transmitted. When we were trying to keep track of songs, I referred to this song as “Benin’s Phil Collins.” Obviously not much overlap, but I do feel like the chorus has PC’s paranoid urgency. As far as Paige can tell, the lyrics are “Je suis heureux de vivre pres de toi jusqu’au le fin du monde,” which would be “I’m happy to be with you til the end of time.” We don’t know if those are the lyrics, but they certainly work for me.

21. Joanna Kulig & Marcin Masecki - Dwa Serduszka

If you haven’t seen the film Cold War, we can’t recommend it highly enough. Also, you should know that it’s devastatingly sad. But right from the opening scene, the music alone is a revelation, and the main actors are enough to make you understand that we’re only seeing a fraction of the world’s charismatic actors in the English-speaking context, o yo yo.

22. Blossom Dearie - Manhattan 

Paige has always loved this song, especially because Blossom Dearie is the piano player as well, which is something we think about with Nat King Cole but not necessarily with a singer like her. And now this song seems like a description of the empty streets of Manhattan, and it being such a strange time. Mott Street is different right now — but it’s still New York, and these buildings have been there so long, through World War II, September 11, a lunatic for pres, and now COVID-19. Sadness and optimism: “The great big city’s a wondrous toy.” 

Orchestre de la Paillotte - Kadia Blues

A Guinean band created to promote Guinean music.

23. Scott Walker - Duchess

A pandemic discovery for Paige. I always meant to get into Scott Walker. I was in a band in Chicago and the guy whose house we practiced at loved Scott Walker. He kinda looked like Scott Walker. He was living in the ‘60s. He had a word processor. I didn’t get into Scott Walker then, nor 10 years later, but over the last year his music landed, at some point between now and the beginning of the pandemic. 

24. Inga - Silver Moon 

So weird that this song has been translated from English into German… but they use phrases in English that do not exist in the original. I really want to know more about the circumstances of this translation and arrangement. Inga was a German pop star with excellent eye makeup game.

25. Avolonto Honore - Na Do Sê Kpon Wê

The word “elegiac” exists for occasions such as this. The song feels so sincere, whether with regret, loss, love, or bitter experience. It also sounds like the voice of a father to his son, at whatever age. He sounds wise. 

[eovinmygod]

Decoding Allauddin Khilji's character in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati' Ranveer Singh       

Yogesh Pawar

While the film is titled Padmavati, there is more curiosity about this character played by Ranveer Singh    

Ranveer Singh is playing the baddie in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, and when his battle-scarred fierce look for Allauddin Khilji (called Khalji by some historians) was released on October 3, it created a social media storm. Apart from creating a Twitter tsunami of sorts, it has also brought the focus sharply back on the second and most powerful warmonger Sultan of the Khilji dynasty who ruled over the Delhi Sultanate which included a large swathe of the Indian subcontinent from 1296 to 1316.

Sach ka saamna

“Though I’m not privy to his filmmaking process, given SLB’s obsession with mixing mythology, legend and history with the grandiose (as we saw with Bajirao Mastani) it can be safely assumed that his latest too will be a lavish spectacle. I only wish filmmakers invested as much, if not more, in researching history than recreating the historical attire, jewellery or hairstyles of that era,” rues Kolkata-based socio-cultural historian Dr Meghana Kashyap.

Details that matter

She reveals that Allauddin was a treacherous and ruthless warmonger, who killed his own paternal uncle (who had raised him like a son after his father Shihabuddin Masood’s death) and dynasty-founder father-in-law Jalaluddin Khilji to become sultan of Delhi as is evidenced in the research by eminent late historian and Khilji dynasty expert K S Lal in his books, History of the Khaljis and Twilight of the Sultanate.

Dr Kashyap says, “He took on the Mongols and chased them right past current Afghanistan into Central Asia. His subjugation of Hindu kingdoms in Gujarat (plundered in 1299 and annexed in 1304 and one of the holiest Hindu shrines of Somnath was ransacked and desecrated), Ranthambore (1301), Chittor (1303), Malwa (1305), Siwana (1308), and Jalore (1311) need to be and I’m sure will be highlighted given that they blend in well with narrative, which sets him up as villain. Given the current socio-political mood in the country I will not be surprised to see it find many takers.”

Tell the truth!

Her views find an echo with historian and Head of Department of History at Birla College Professor Shailesh Shrivastav, who wonders if SLB’s latest will repeat the historical inaccuracies of his Peshwa period drama two years ago. “Bhansali created not only a meeting, but also a dance-off between the Peshwa’s wife Kashibai and his lover Mastani when they had not even met each other ever according to historical records of that time,” he laughs and adds, “I know the filmmakers will point out to the chartbuster of a song that became and Bajirao Mastani’s box office success of making Rs 355 crore plus to scotch out any room for that debate, but it feels terrible that the world’s largest film industry is incapable of making a truly well-researched historical. We can only envy Hollywood for its historicals and can only gape in horror if SLB decides to play to the gallery.”

Ratan and Padmavati

While an eye on collections pushes filmmakers into a hagiographic dazzle trap, the way passions run high with communities and sects over every little real or imagined slight is another problem admits Srivastava.

“There is no historical record to establish Padmavati (or Padmini as she’s also called in some folk traditions). The radiant beauty, who is kept captive by her own father Gandharv Sen who wants her to marry a man of his choice. She releases her talking parrot Hiraman, who carries her litany of woes to Chittor in current Rajasthan. So moved is the ruler Rawal Ratan Singh that he sets forth on a journey guided by the same parrot to the island nation in the South to marry her,” he points out and explains, “Mind you this entire tale is based on an epic poem written by Awadhi poet Malik Mohammed Jayasi in 1540 almost 250 years after Rawal Ratan Singh’s demise.”

Fictional story?

None of the contemporary historians from Alauddin Khilji’s time even make a passing reference to the queen of Chittor while mentioning the conquest of the fort. From the early 16th century, there was a mushrooming of adaptations in various languages which added and removed elements based on their regional audiences. Over a dozen such adaptations appeared in Persian and Urdu till 19th century based on Jayasi’s work points out Dr Kashyap who underlines, “It was Rajput balladeer’s Hemratan’s 1589 composition Gora Badal Padmini Chaupai which has gained maximum popularity given the oral tradition.”

Love and war

According to her, the intense hatred for the Muslim invader made these versions dwell far lesser on the love, courtship and marriage of Rawal Ratan Singh and Padmavati and more on the honour with which they fought and died fighting against Allauddin Khilji. “British Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod of the British East India Company who heard the tale from musician-balladeers mentioned the legend in his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan. From there it did not take long to travel to the then capital of British India, Calcutta, spawning a series of Bengali versions. It is interesting to see how by then it had become story of a pious, chaste Hindu beauty who thwarts the unwelcome lustful advances of a Muslim invader by immolating herself.”

He wasn’t all bad

Both Kashyap and Srivastav warn against using modern yardsticks of political correctness to look at Khilji. “It is impossible to condone or justify what Khilji did. But we need to remember that those were warlike times and this was not seen as abnormal and wrong,” says Shrivastav. “While he may have been merciless with anyone challenging his suzerainty, he was also an equally able administrator and took care of his subjects well. His price control policy, under which food grains, clothing, medicines, cattle, horses, etc were sold at fixed prices, preferably low, at various markets in Delhi, made him popular with both civilians and soldiers.”

His two marriages

Alauddin entered a consanguineous marriage with Jalaluddin’s elder daughter Mallika-e-Jahan who, the ancient historian Haji-ud-Dabir calls temperamental and vain as she tried to dominate Alauddin leading to friction. To make matters worse, he decided to take on a second wife Mahru, the daughter of his brother-in-law.

Khilji’s bachabazi

Well-known author, columnist and expert of religion culture and sexuality Devdutt Pattanaik has alluded in the past to Allauddin’s fascination for bachabazi (the taking on of young boys as sex slaves, a practice still found common in Pakistan and Afghanistan). A very young Malik Kafur (who was originally Hindu or Ethiopian) was captured from the port city of Khambhat by Allauddin’s general Nusrat Khan, during the 1299 invasion of Gujarat and gifted to the Sultan. “So mesmerised was Allauddin by the boy’s beauty that he kept him for himself till his death. Given his closeness to the Sultan, he rose in the ranks to become a leading warrior who Allauddin came to depend heavily on, even letting him lead several expeditions in the South to advance his kingdom in peninsular India,” says Shrivastav.

Rise of the male lover

By 1314, Alauddin became very distrustful of everyone around except his family and slaves. Several experienced administrators were sacked, the office of wazir (prime minister) was discontinued, and even had minister Sharaf Qa’ini executed on advice from Malik Kafur, who considered these officers as his rivals and a threat. In a year when the sultan turned critical, Malik Kafur was given all executive powers and made the Naib of the sultanate. The deep emotional bond between the duo did not go unnoticed. Chronicler of those times, Ziauddin Barani (1285–1357) states: “In those four or five years when the Sultan was losing his memory and senses, he had fallen deeply and madly in love with the Malik Naib. He had entrusted the responsibility of the government and the control of the servants to this useless, ungrateful, ingratiate, sodomite.”

What’s normal?

This aspect of Allauddin Khilji’s life and how it will be depicted has generated a lot of buzz in the LGBTQIA community who hope SLB will not shy from showing the truth. Equal rights activist Harish Iyer who works for the rights of the LGBT community, women, children and animals says he found the bigotry, exclusion and homophobia of the language used to attack SLB abominable. “Why should Khilji’s bisexuality or his relationship with his male lover Malik Kafur be linked to his ruthlessness? What is with these labels of alleged ‘sexual deviance?’ Anyways ‘normal’ is also a stereotype. So, can we stop using that word to describe heterosexual people, given how it implies people of other sexualities are abnormal?”

[zanderson48]

Well, procrastination and lots of traveling have gotten the best of me so here is my summary from essentially all of October:

Manali (Photos 1&2): Right after returning from my school trip to Ahmedabad and Gujarat I embarked on a long-weekend solo adventure to Manali. After a twisting and turning 14hr mountain bus ride I made it to “India’s Mountain Bike Capital”. Given this I really had only one goal for the weekend: to bike as much as possible. Delhi has often made me feel restricted and this escape to the mountains was just what I needed. Although, home to really only one real trail I managed to have two decent days of riding around the town. On top of this, I ate great food at Dylan’s Toasted and Roasted (a Bob Dylan themed cafe) and Tibetan food at Chopstick’s Restaurant. I also made friends with Naveen, owner of the Himalayan bike bar, and I would recommend him and his shop to anyone interested in biking in India. 

Delhi: I came home from Manali for about a week and a half of school before embarking on more explorations. However, this short time back in the city allowed me to get back on the field with my friends for Wednesday and Sunday night soccer. I didn’t know then, but, the picture above was probably my last match in Delhi (thanks air pollution...). I also had the chance to grab dinner with my Indian Fulbright friends (Abby, Natasha, and Narayan) who were in Delhi for a few days for mid-year training. 

Darjeeling (photos 4 and 5): On the 18th, I left Delhi again for leg one of my final big trip in India to Darjeeling, Kolkata, and Sunderbans, and this time I wasn’t traveling alone. Mary Buford offered to join me as part of her own trip in India. We spend 4 days in Darjeeling touring tea estates, drinking tea, going to museums, eating great food, biking, watching sunrises, and generally exploring Darjeeling. I think we drank over 20 different types of tea, and I am thoroughly sold on the statement that tea from Darjeeling is the “champagne of teas” or as I read in a tea book, maybe champagne is the Darjeeling tea of wine. Anyways, besides tea, I really loved Darjeeling for the Tibetan Buddist influence including many temples and stupas and a museum all about Tibet with items from the Dalai Lama. Also, Darjeeling has a very rich mountaineering history, including being home to Tenzing Norgay, who made the first ascent of Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953. I happened upon a copy of Tenzing’s autobiography and, I would highly recommend it if you have any interest in mountaineering or mountaineering history. Darjeeling is also home to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which Tenzing became the director of, which has a great museum also.

Kolkata: We made our way south from Darjeeling to Kolkata, which was my first visit to an Indian megalopolis beyond Delhi. Kolkata felt distinctly more colonial than Delhi, which isn’t surprising given the fact that it was the capital for the British (As shown by the palace dedicated to Queen Victoria in photo 6). We explored Kolkata for a day and had great Bengali food, however, Kolkata was really just a jumping-off point for Sunderbans. 

Sunderbans: This mangrove forest shared by India and Bangladesh is the largest mangrove tiger habitat in the world and home to 80+ tigers. We signed up for a day-long tour with hopes to maybe get lucky and see a tiger (despite there being a lot of tigers in this area, they are very rarely seen). Our trip began with an adventure as we had to navigate around a broken-down truck that shut down the only road and stopped an entire village. However, we made it to the boat (photo 7) and had a great cruise around Sunderbans. We saw many kingfishers and deer, but sadly no tigers. It was a good adventure nonetheless. 

Delhi: We went back to Delhi for one day so that I could attend my school's Annual Day function: a celebration of all the achievements of the school and the students over the past year. It was quite the show and the dances, songs, and theatrical performances were great. It was really fun to see my students outside of the classroom setting! 

Rishikesh: After Annual Day, Mary Buford and I set out north to Rishikesh to escape the Delhi pollution for Diwali. Rishikesh is known as the yoga capital of the world and is famous due to the fact that the Beatles came here to study meditation and write almost the entire White Album in the late 1960s. Rishikesh was by far the most touristy place I have been in India and maybe this is just due to my visits to other places being during offseason. However, walking around Laxman Jhula felt as if I was walking around Brooklyn. Here men with dreads and yoga teachers from all over the world eat smoothie bowls and invite you to their Ashram to align your chakras. In many ways, it felt a lot like my time in northern Thailand. However, we were able to escape the Whole Foodies and explore around Rishikesh hiking to a waterfall and different temples. Although I will admit the cafes were all very good, even it did feel like I was in a hipster Whole Foods enclave. 

So now that I am back in Delhi, my big travels in India are over. I am wrapping up all my work here at school this week and early next week, and Mary Buford is off to explore Agra and Rajasthan. I will add more pictures that I couldn’t fit in this post shortly. 

As I get ready to head back to the US I will post some concluding thoughts about my time in India and start looking forward to what is to come in Malaysia. However, right now all I am dreaming of is some clean air! 

Best, 

Zack 

[pyotra]

Like the quintessential poet, Anamika wears all her learning – her many degrees in English and Hindi literature – lightly, reserving her intensity for when she talks, passionately, about narratives and the craft of language. While she works as a professor, and has published acclaimed novels, essays, multiple volumes of literary criticism and some of the finest translations from world literature into Hindi (she works felicitously in two languages), it is poetry that remains her first love.

Our bookish conversation began with “playing hopscotch”, reflected on the breast-feeding versus bottle-feeding debate, touched upon the power of oral accounts handed down from grandparents, delved into Hindi readership, and ended with Anamika’s spirited selection of five must-read pre-modern texts in Hindi. Excerpts:

I have been absolutely charmed by a phrase you once used in the context of your bilingual writing life: you said that you “play hopscotch” between your two worlds [Laughs] That is right.

Because that’s what you do. You teach English literature to graduate students [in Satyawati College, Delhi University] and you write in Hindi. You are in a unique position to be a bridge between the two literary worlds. That is, in fact, what I have been trying to do all my life. Building bridges. Between genders, classes, castes. Between the classical and the popular. And between the languages I work in, especially English and Hindi.

Are there any other languages you know? I know many of the dialects of Hindi, and I know Bangla. Ektu ektu. Having lived in Delhi all these years, I know some Punjabi. And of course, Sanskrit. I’ve learnt Sanskrit. But chiefly, Hindi and English are my two homes. There is the story of this little squirrel in the Ramayana, you know? All the animals help to build the bridge from Rameshwaram to Lanka, and the little squirrel, too, wants to help.

So she runs around with some little material – a few strands of straw perhaps? – balanced on her whiskers! I am convinced that there is this little squirrel inside me. And I really want to build bridges. That’s my primary instinct. In families, too, it is women who build bridges and link generations to each other.

In any English literature classroom in India, there are students from so many different linguistic backgrounds. My aim is to get them to think about the sources – the way you are asking me about the books that shaped my psyche – in their own languages. What folktales, what lullabies, what stories have they inherited from their grandparents? Could they retell these in the classroom? That is usually my first exercise in class. Write about anything you can remember from your own language.

Unfortunately, now most of them are no longer able to write in their mother tongues. That has gone, since, thanks to the telephone, there is no longer the need of writing letters to their parents or grandparents. My primary concern, as a teacher and a writer, is to send them back to their ethos, and enrich English in the process.

When Raja Rao writes, he brings the rhythm of Kannada into English. Some people are bottle-fed, some are breast-fed. One doesn’t make any distinctions because there are various conditions in life that shape people. People who are breast-fed by their mother tongue are different; people who are bottle-fed English work differently. [Laughs].

I love this analogy! At least most of them still speak in their mother tongues. They also hear their mother tongues. Films, serials, songs. So at least they learn to build these inter-textual dialogues...

In their heads. Right. I encourage them to transplant what they remember to a modern context, and re-tell it in another language. English or whichever other language. A lot of those from migrant families, who might have studied in government schools, still want to write in their mother tongues. They’ve kept their contact with the mother tongue still live. These are the ones who are also connected to the working classes more. Because one of the disadvantages of knowing only English is that you can’t chat freely with someone from the working classes, your street vendors or fellow travellers in the local bus.

You are trapped in the ivory tower of English. These [strangers you speak to in the Indian languages] are the people who will give you the raw material for literature. What I am saying is so what if your mother language is not your first language. It can still feed you.

That’s a lovely, inclusive thought. Taking off from there, would you like to share with our readers an essential list of must-read books in Hindi – books that will, to carry forward our analogy, feed and nourish them? Even when read in translation! Oh yes.

Meanwhile, who are Hindi readers? People who retire from the different services, women (all generations!), and people who are under-employed or unemployed...

That would include students? Yes, right. These are the people who really read Hindi literature.

This is an interesting grouping. I wonder how this might compare with readers of Bengali, Marathi or Tamil literature...but if you must pick out five must-read texts, which would these be? Actually, I want to talk about some of the older texts, my favourites, though, of course I have a great deal of love for contemporary literature too. But hardly anyone talks about these. So, here goes.

[lazyupdates]

“I have seen it all, I did it all, I said it all, But I can’t remember it all…”

That’s how our Lifetime Achievement Winner, Moushumi Chatterjee defines her four-decade-old journey. “I don’t consider anyone bad. It’s the situation that makes people do things. You may hurt someone unintentionally. But you must never humiliate anyone,” says the actor who continues to throw up interesting performances. In 2014, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the Bengali film Goynar Baksho and now the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award 2015. “I wish my father-in-law (the late musician/filmmaker Hemant Kumar) was present to see me receive this honour,” she says. In the recent hit Piku, she impressed with her brazen candour on sexuality. What’s more she was pitted against Amitabh Bachchan, her co-star in Basu Chatterjee’s quaint film Manzil (1979), remembered for its RD Burman number Rimjhim gire saawan. “Amitji possesses the same dedication. His sense of humour is intact,” she says. “Rimjhim gire was shot over two days in natural light and rain… from Colaba, VT to Marine Drive. I remember my eyeliner getting smudged! We kept having coffee to keep ourselves warm,” she reminisces.

Child bride The reluctant star of Tarun Mazumdar’s Ballika Badhu (1965) never imagined that fiction would turn into the truth of her life. “I did Ballika Badhu when I was in the fifth standard. I got married when I was in the tenth,” recalls she. Young Indira (her real name) got engaged to‘guardian and neighbour’ Hemant Kumar’s son, Jayant Mukherjee (Babu). “I fell in love with Babu. He was the first man I came in touch with outside my family. In my dowry, came a dog, a doll’s house and a friend, my girl Friday,” she laughs.

The teen bride had already seen in Bengali films like Parineeta, Anindita and Anand Ashram. She came to Mumbai with husband Babu only to have film offers lined-up for her. Raj Khosla’s Kachche Dhaage was her first film, though Shakti Samanta’s Anuraag, where she played a visually-challenged girl released first in 1973­­­­. The next year saw her team up with Amitabh Bachchan in the thriller Benaam and opposite Rajesh Khanna in Humshakal. Her most notable performance was that of a rape survivor in Manoj Kumar’s Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974). “I was pregnant with my first child but Manojji took great care of me. I threw up with all the atta (flour) in my mouth. A duplicate blouse was placed on me, which was later flung aside for the scene.” She claims, “The song Hai hai yeh majboori was to be filmed on me. But I got pregnant. The phrase‘do takiya’ in the song matches my character Tulsi’s language not that of the sophisticated Zeenat Aman’s in the film.”

Her other successful films were Swarg Narak and Angoor with Sanjeev Kumar. The hat-trick of hits Maang Baro Sajna, Ghar Ek Mandir and Pet Pyaar Aur Paap put her in the big league in 1984. Later, she graduated to doing character roles in Ghayal, Ghar Parivaar and Udhaar Ki Zindagi. Ask Moushumi to analyse her appeal and she says self-effacingly, “I’ve a crooked nose. I’m slightly cock-eyed. Perhaps my smile, my laughter charmed. Also, I had a voluptuous figure. I was never skinny. Actually, sex-appeal lies in your face, your eyes. Having a great figure doesn’t matter.” She recalls how the late director Raj Khosla summed her up. “He said, “Moushumi’s childlike, not childish. She can be fun-loving like an eight-year-old and wise like a woman of 80.”

Will break, not bend In an industry, which has not been entirely kind to married actresses, Moushumi finds herself grateful. “Mahesh Bhatt once chided me for being ‘unprofessional’. He joked, ‘Every time your career is doing well, you get pregnant’. I replied, ‘My babies have added to my life’.’You can be a top star, a celebrity or even a queen but ultimately you need a family, a home.” What she does admit to is her ‘will break but not bend’ dictum, which became the reason of her walking out of big projects. “I was not the ambitious kind, who wanted work by hook or crook. I did films on my own terms. I even shot for some big banner films but left them after a few days because my ethics didn’t allow me to continue. I didn’t compromise my sanskar. They thought I was stubborn and crazy.”

Rumours of being ‘uncooperative’ plagued her career. “Some top heroes could not take my behaviour. They’d say, ‘You prefer to talk to the spot boy rather than have a cup of coffee with me. Do you think you’re Vyjayanthimala? I’d say, ‘No, I believe I’m Cleopatra’. Some, noticing my stance, would turn respectful, some indifferent.” She recalls the time when a senior actress gave her some ‘advice’. “She said, ‘Why don’t you open up? You rub them the wrong way. What’s the harm in having dinner with them on outdoors?’” She holds her heroes Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar and Dharmendra in high regard. “Once Dharamji happened to see me at a particular party. He said, ‘Why have you come here? Go home right now!’ Rishi was helpful when I was pregnant and shooting for Zehreela Insaan. While Sanjeev Kumar loved to relax at my house, enjoying non-vegetarian food and watching films.”

My home, my world While showbiz wanted more of her, all she wanted was to rush back home. “I could switch from being Moushumi to Indu very easily. The minute pack-up was announced I wanted to run home to my husband. Even after Payal was born, I’d want to see Babu first.” In fact, the foundation of their bond, she says, was formed in those early years. She was a minor when her first daughter Payal was born. “My gynaecologist told me ‘a kid is having a kid’. When Payal was born, I didn’t have patience. She’d break my toys; I’d want to break hers.” She had Megha at 24 and didn’t work for two years as she was a weak child. “But the moment I thought of returning, I got four offers including Watan Ke Rakhwale, Aag Hi Aag and Ghayal,” says she.

Her ingenuousness remained intact even after motherhood and that’s why perhaps Dharmendra signed her for his production Ghayal. “I wasn’t interested. I suggested other heroines. But he said, ‘Kudiye, none can match your inocence. You can make the audience ghayal with your pain’.” She owes the liberty she enjoyed to her husband. “Babu was well off. He wasn’t living off me. He trusted me. My life has been an open book. Yes, he was possessive about certain things. Like once when I wore a sleeveless blouse, he didn’t like it. He said, ‘Have you forgotten to wear a blouse?’” she laughs.

LINK-UPS & LIES Though she was a married actress, rumours of romantic liaisons didn’t spare her. She was linked to various heroes including the late Vinod Mehra and Farooque Sheikh and distributor Ramesh Sippy. With Vinod Mehra she did around 10 films including Anuraag, Us-Paar, Raftaar, Umar Qaid and Zindagi and that set the grapevine buzzing. “Vinod and Babu were close friends. We lived in the same building. So we often went out together. That gave rise to rumours.” She doesn’t deny her outgoing disposition. “I am a flirt. I can flirt even with a plant, with an animal. In fact, Shabana Azmi once said, ‘Shashi Kapoor and you can flirt with anyone from six to 60,” she titters. But she’s aware of the perils of a friendly disposition. “The way I show my warmth is misconstrued. Babu once told me, ‘You’re a heroine. People view you differently. Be careful’. But he also jokes that even on my death bed I will flirt with the doctor.”

On a serious note she explains, “I never reacted to rumours. Those close to me knew, where I was and with whom. My husband was with me. Yes, I committed mistakes.” She reflects, “I realised Moushumi Chatterjee had many admirers. There were people who said, ‘I love you’ and even those who said, ‘I want to marry you’. I couldn’t push them away or be rude. I gave them enough time and also to myself to understand that they were attracted to me and not in love with me. I respect them. I even respect their spouses who also went through a bad time.” She’s still a ‘romantic’ but her definition of love has changed. “Love is an illusion. It’s at best attraction and attachment. Gradually, you move on to other things, your emotions are channelised into your children, your work…”

Golden time Glamour is short-lived and what lasts is the halo of contentment. “I’ve seen actresses go haywire. I committed a lot of mistakes too. But once I realised them, I took a U turn and never looked back. Your lifestyle is important. If you abuse life, life will abuse you back. Actresses turn lonely because they don’t listen to the voice within.” She insists on being spiritual. “I’m a Hindu but I perform namaz. I visit the church. You can reach God by touching human beings. You come alone and go alone. I take pleasure in simple things, like cooking and being with my children. And of course getting into arguments with husband Jayant. “Babu merely listens, unless I provoke him. We share a great sense of humour. Like when I say, ‘Gala dukh raha hai (my throat is hurting)’, he shoots back, ‘Daba doon (shall I press it)?’”

Moushumi Chatterjee’s best works 

Balika Badhu (1967)

An adolescent Moushumi was about endearing innocence as a child-bride in Tarun Majumdar’s Bengali drama. It was later remade in Hindi with Sachin Pilgaonkar and Rajni Sharma in the lead.

Parineeta (1969)

The many adaptations of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Parineeta include Moushumi’s take as a young woman’s unflinching devotion to her childhood sweetheart. This was directed by Ajoy Kar. It featured Samit Bhanja, Bijon Bhattacharya and Khagesh Chakravarti

Anuraag (1972)

A blind girl befriends a terminally ill child. The tragedy turns into a tale of hope and love in the Shakti Samanta directorial.

Kuchhe Dhaage (1973)

Moushumi’s village belle act was the perfect foil to the machismo dripping portrayals of Vinod Khanna and Kabir Bedi. Mere bachpan tu jaa… had an uncanny real-life echo to Moushumi’s own evolution.

    Zehreela Insaan (1974)

Best remembered for the chartbuster O Hansini and Rishi Kapoor’s emotional confusion. Moushumi matched his intensity with her innocence and ease.

Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974)

Manoj Kumar’s war cry against corruption featured Moushumi in a ghastly rape sequence. She was apparently pregnant then but carried off the scene with elan.

Benaam (1974)

Both Moushumi and Amitabh Bachchan share great chemistry as a married couple. Their paradise is lost once their son goes missing.

Manzil (1979)

Basu Chatterjee’s Manzil not only gave us the rain-drenched panorama of Mumbai’s bay-line but also the monsoon ode Rimjhim gire sawan filmed on Amitabh Bachchan and Moushumi.

Swayamvar (1980)

Moushumi was all fire and sweet tantrums as Shashi Kapoor’s demanding ladylove in Swayamvar.

Pyaasa Saawan (1981)

Sexy and sentimental, Moushumi played the perfect wife in this melodrama. She won appreciation and sympathy as Jeetendra’s ailing wife here.

Angoor (1982)

Gulzar’s comedy of errors worked on a low-key sense of humour. Moushumi’s distrustful, daft, housewife act was perfect for the character.

Ghayal (1990)

As Sunny Deol’s grief-ridden sister-in-law in Ghayal, she provided a gravitas to her performance.

    Moushumi’s most-loved melodies

·        Sun ri pawan pawan puriya – Anuraag (1973)

·        Tere nainon ke main deep jalaaonga – Anuraag (1973)

·        hansini – Zehreela Insaan (1974)

·        Mehngai maar gayee – Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974)

·        Vado karo janam – Sabse Bada Rupaiya (1976)

·        Rimjhim gire sawan – Manzil (1979)

·        Wada nahin karte kisi se –  Prem Bandhan (1979)

·        Mausam pe jawani hai – Do Premee (1980)

·        Yun na rootho – Itni Si Baat (1981)

·        Megha re megha re – Pyaasa Sawan (1981)

[eccentricandanachronistic]

The time I realised ‘His Excellency’ is not an exaggeration...

... was when, along with Debasmita di (senior journalist, Moscow), I had the good fortune of sitting down over tea with the Honourable Ambassador to Russia from India, Mr Pankaj Saran, and engage with him in a memorable and deeply insightful chat. The interview, excerpts of which I present below, was carried out for the annual Indo-Russian magazine ‘Aaratrika’ (the editorial board of which has yours truly on it) on the occasion of the festival of ‘Durga Puja’. The full interview in the magazine can be found here. Past editions can be found here.

Q.  Please share your earliest memories about Russia. Some of the revelations the country and its culture presented to you...?

A. I visited Russia for the first time 32 years ago. I landed in winter in the month of January when everything was covered in snow - absolutely white… I had never seen so much snow in my life! I was overwhelmed by the vast expanse of the country, its sheer size. The hospitality and warmth with which we were received by the common Russian citizens wherever we went was truly memorable. India was known for its greatly entertaining cinema (Raj Kapoor!) and there was a great interest towards the Indian culture. That was the time when friendship between India and the Soviet Union was very strong. India was one of the Soviet Union’s most important strategic partners.   I was learning Russian at the time; as a result, I was exposed not only to the language, but also other aspects like literature, music and the cuisine, which was a stimulating experience. I was keen to take in as much of Russia and her culture as I could. Every single day was a voyage of discovery and understanding. I felt deeply that Soviet Union needs to be understood much better than most people understood it.  I travelled extensively throughout Russia, driving through the length and breadth of the country and across its vast highways. I fondly remember my visit to Krasnaya Polyana. I also visited the other republics - Baku, Dushanbe, Frunze and Tallin. It was indeed a hugely enriching experience.

Q.  Prior to Moscow you were posted in Dhaka, Bangladesh. What are your fondest memories from your stay there, and your key observations?

A. I was fortunate to spend eight years across two stints in Bangladesh. My association has been a deep one. I was first posted from 1989 to 1992, and it was then that I witnessed the emergence of democracy and the first elections after the fall of General Ershad.  Bangladesh is a very critical neighbour, and our relationship is multidimensional. I will always carry with me memories of the warmth, generosity and exemplary hospitality of the people of Bangladesh.  I made it a point to meet people across all sections of society, trying to understand their psychology, making  friends and striving to promote our bilateral relationship. I think during the three years of my stay, we managed to achieve a lot of breakthrough. I remember almost every single moment of my stay in Bangladesh - the bustling streets of Dhaka, the language, the poetry and the music. I even drove across the rest of Bangladesh, visiting all the major cities and towns, and in the process discovering a lot about India herself. The experience has been enriching every step of the way - never a dull moment!

Q.  Were you exposed to Durga Puja celebrations and festivities growing up? In what way did you participate? 

A.  I attended many of the Durga Puja celebrations in Dhaka. Even before that, I had attended a few growing up in Delhi. What struck me was that these celebrations attracted people of all communities and age groups. Moreover, they were conducted peacefully and were very well organized with the support of the government and local municipal authorities. The government and eminent citizens of Bangladesh, by patronizing and celebrating Durga Puja together with everyone, send out a very positive message that the festival brings everyone together and is not denominational. It is a celebration of everything that Bengali culture stands for. Of course, I love the music, the songs and the food (bhog) – basically the whole buildup to the Puja, the days of celebration, through its aftermath. I have also attended the celebrations at the Ramakrishna Mission. It always feels heartening to see the festival being celebrated by one and all with such enthusiasm.

Q.  Were you always this immaculate and well-behaved even as a child?! Please tell us a bit more about your childhood and growing up years...

A.  (smiling) I think I'll pass the first part of the question, and leave that for others to answer – can't really introspect and analyse much over childhood memories! But I was one of two siblings – the elder one to a younger sister. We grew up largely in Mumbai (or Bombay, as it was called then) and Delhi, in very cosmopolitan cultures; and I think I did everything a young boy ought to do growing up to live life to the fullest – with all kinds of adventures inside and outside of school, then in college. I was given quite a free hand, as my parents trusted me enough to let me live my life. Those were the days when there were no mobile phones or Television sets (even Black & White TV came much later), so the means of entertainment would be playing with and talking to friends, more of physical interaction, reading books, travelling to various parts of the country, etc. And there used to be quite a premium on physical sport, unlike today where we see technology binding us down to our laptop and computer screens. We used to find joy in simple things – the monsoons of Bombay, the intellectual discussions and activities at Delhi University; we grew up with the belief that there were no limits to our growth, and that we would certainly enter a world much better than that of our parents.

Q.  For someone intent on maintaining and bolstering relations between countries, how do you connect with your inner self?

A.  I don't really see a contradiction – there are many moments I spend introspecting on the work I do; you need to step back regularly from your day to day activity, to see and to reflect on what you are doing, why you are doing it and how you can do it better. And I really value those moments when I spend time all by myself looking through my life and planning my mission objective. 

Q.  For our younger generations, could you recommend one book to read, one movie to watch and one life skill to learn? Maybe even more than one, but which have given you the most joy and insights… 

A.  It's difficult and depends largely upon interests, but I would definitely mention Pt Jawaharlal Nehru's 'Discovery of India'; it would really help every young Indian understand their country so much better, because he brings together so many aspects of his life. I have also loved reading classic Indian works such as those of Premchand. Increasingly, I find myself becoming attracted to the Gita, because it says a lot about life – teaches you to manage contradictions, navigate the grey areas, and manage different pulls and pressures in a complex world. I am unfortunately not much of a movie person, so can't mention any. As for life skills, I think it is of utmost importance to be able to handle tough situations – when things do not go as you have planned, whether at work or at home. I also believe everyone should have something to do apart from work – be it physical sport, or a hobby, or an activity; it's what makes you feel complete. Growing up you realise it's not the most important thing to score the highest marks, get into the best college, or secure the best job – life is more than that. It's about allowing yourself to discover what works best for you. So the ability to handle pressure is therefore a skill that will see you through all stages of life – including when you take up higher responsibilities such as starting your own family. I feel it's also important to listen to and learn from others – often you learn more from others than would otherwise be possible, and that's what helps you grow and evolve as you go along.

(as told to ‘Aaratrika’)

[thecloudlight-blog]

New Post has been published on Cloudlight

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Boman Irani, Raveena Tandon

Mumbai: A notion, a special man or woman and my international are some of the phrases that famous celebrities like Raveena Tandon, Boman Irani, and Arshad Warsi have used to salute their moms to mark the event of Mothers Day.

Raveena Tandon: Being a mother of 4 kids has taught me lots about myself and life in widespread. It has taught me approximately my personal power and capacity to deal with any state of affairs irrespective of how tough it is. This strength has helped me in elevating robust, loving, independent and glad kids, able to following their personal desires. Arshad Warsi: Every day is Mother’s Day to me. I lost my mother and father at a very early age so it way plenty to me. I used to have a look at in a boarding school so, I couldn’t even meet them that often. It really makes me feel the absence. My children, on the different hand, rejoice Mother’s Day with all the pleasure. They make playing cards, do different paintings for my wife and the whole thing. Mothers mean loads.

Boman Irani: My mother way the arena to me.

She has been my rock and has recommended me at each sphere of my existence – be it schooling to my adventure of turning into an actor. Today something I am, it’s far all because of her. Even nowadays, she guides me each time I need someone to look up to. With her, I nonetheless sense childlike – young and energetic. Param Singh: I want to thank my mother for all that she has taught me. She has been instrumental in shaping me as someone and anything I am today. My love for my mother is immeasurable and I can do anything for her. Anuja Sathe: It may sound cliched, however, yes for me each day is Mother’s Day. Having stated that, I experience an afternoon dedicated to mothers is unique and sweet. I am head over heels with my mom. She remains in Pune but I am usually connected together with her. Manish Wadhwa: I start every day with my mother’s benefits. Although May 14 is a special day for all mothers, I have a good time it on May five as it’s her birthday. We have a good time her birthday and feature a whole lot of a laugh and provide her a number of joy and love.

Utpal Dutt Versus Boman Irani Versus Paresh Rawal

Strange comparison? I feel those three are the best person actors that ever hit the Hindi film enterprise. So who turned into the best of all of them? Well, we want to take a more in-depth study their careers and paintings to determine this.

Utpal Dutt becomes a big expertise. People by and large do not forget him for the pleasant Hrishikesh Mukherji and Basu Chatterji comedies including Naram Garam, Shaukeen, Golmal, Rang Birangi and Guddi. The characters he portrayed in those films stay extra influential than the lead gamers of the movies. However, there has been lots extra to Utpal Dutt’s acting than just comedy. I still can not forget about the chilling villain in the Vinod Khanna and Shabana Azami starter Shake. Apart from having acted in more than 200 films in numerous languages,

He could talk eight languages; inside the starting of his career

He directed more than hundred exceptional performs. He performed many extreme roles in Bengali films directed by noted directors together with Mrinal Sen and Satyajit Ray. The maximum extremely good out of them being Bhuvan Shome, that got him a country wide award. He also worked in multiple English movies from Merchant Ivory productions. This article has limitations in describing the brilliance of Utpal Dutt. Just the sheer variety of characters he played was captivating. He even played a few villains with a comical tinge like in Barsat Ki Ek Raat and The Great Gambler.

Boman Irani is surprisingly new and is plenty younger than Utpal Dutt.

He is a talented actor from a distinctive generation altogether. But one thing not unusual in them was that they each began their careers in theater. Boman won repute in the 2003 comedy traditional Munnabhai MBBS. His funny villain was a memorable overall performance. He additionally appeared in the sequel to the film called Lage Raho Munnabhai. He earned his first Filmfare award for the excellent assisting actor in three Idiots in a function much like Munnabhai. He changed into nominated for the award three times before. He additionally recently got conferred a quotation from Canadian authorities.

  Raveena Tandon: I have been mocked at on social media

Raveena Tandon, who has lent her voice to the person of Anjani, the mother of the young Hanuman in the approaching film, ‘Hanuman Da Damdaar’, is quite vocal on social media structures about issues which might be near her coronary heart. The actress admits that she has frequently been mocked with the aid of many who hit out saying that she ought to no longer have paintings which are why she is voicing her opinion on social issues on the platform. Raveena elaborates, “I actually have become down such a lot of films that have come my way inside the latest past. The listing consists of ‘Chashme Buddoor’, ‘Kya Kool Hai Hum’, ‘Gulaab Gang’ and ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’. When I have said I am selective about my paintings, I was mocked at on social media systems. That’s the cause I now want to name the movies which I have no longer chosen to do.”

I didn’t want to be number one forever: Raveena Tandon

For Raveena Tandon, motherhood is a full-time task. When I meet Tandon at her workplace to talk approximately her approaching release Maatr, she’s followed through her puppy Labrador – senior citizen Dumbbell. Her happy mood in some way brings us to the topic of books and studying. Tandon reads anything below the solar, from history, anthropology, spirituality to English literature and is constantly searching out recommendations. The reccos aren’t just for her although, however for her kids, Rasha, aged 12 and Ranbir nine.

Acting yet again

In Maatr, Tandon plays a mom who along with her 12-year-vintage daughter is a rape survivor, who whilst denied justice, seeks revenge. When she was approached with the difficulty, it took little or no to persuade Tandon, because the movie captured her deepest issues as a parent. “It talks approximately the frustrations approximately the not unusual guy, and the failure of the judicial device. We all live on this bubble that it’s going to never happen to us. The thing is now these crimes are being devoted brazenly, overtly. There is no worry of the law, there’s no fear of whatever. Something severely wishes to be executed. The scariest element is how humans are slowly getting indifferent,” she says with seen anger.

Maatr changed into shot in 39 days, and finished in April remaining year. Even because the put up production changed into on in Mumbai, 3 months later, newspapers flashed the news of a gang rape of a mother-daughter before their circle of relatives. “What we labored around inside the movie befell in truth. It become like taking pictures 11th of September before September 11 came about. It was so eerie,” she says.

A passionate supporter of girls’s causes, whilst Tandon met Jyoti Singh’s mom at a public occasion,

Her cry for justice pointing at the indifference of politicians made a deep effect on her. “[It’s] due to the fact we tolerate. We tolerate stupid remarks that come out of political leaders and lawmakers whom we vote into electricity,” she states passionately.

Because Tandon’s man or woman is a college teacher inside the movie, her revenge is all approximately thoughts-video games. She says, “It’s now not as though she has long past trigger happy. It’s no longer Kill Bill. Taking the regulation for your palms is something I don’t condone in any respect. But this is a work of fiction. This is just a tale. Tomorrow it may turn out to be a person’s fact.”

Maatr will release this Friday and could lock horns with Noor, every other girl-centric movie toplined by using Sonakshi Sinha. Interestingly, Noor is being allotted by way of her husband Anil Thadani who has been barred from looking Maatr. “He wanted to look at, however I didn’t want him to. He will get very disturbed,” she says.

Enjoying motherhood

Tandon, long appeared because the intercourse symbol from the 90s with her memorable chartbusting numbers and a faithful fan following is slowly emerging from a sabbatical. Tandon prioritised time for her family whilst firmly placing her film profession on the backburner. “I wanted to revel in my being pregnant. I wanted to place my [feet] up. I ate ice cream, gulab jamun and something came in front of me. I didn’t need to wake up at five o’clock inside the morning and begin doing makeup,” she admits.

Tandon’s mythical song, ‘Tip Tip Barsa Paani’ from the 1994 movie, Mohra continues to be hotly discussed on social media forums even nowadays. How does she examine her past as a sex image? “I never saw it that way. I actually have always believed in sensuality and now not sexuality. This is the road I were pronouncing from the 90s. I trust you can appearance hot even you’re completely protected,” is her brief response.

[santnirankarimission]

April 08: Nirankari Sant Samagam, Tikapur, Nepal

Updates Nirankari Sant Samagam Tikapur, Nepal: April 08, 2017 Nirankari Satguru Mata Savinder Hardev Ji Maharaj, accompanied by a group of saints, left Delhi on Thursday, April 6, 2017 for a short salvation tour of Nepal where she presided over one day Nirankari Sant Samagam of that country on Saturday, April 8 at Tikapur. On the way to Nepal and back, Satguru Mata Ji blessed devotees at some places of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. For examples, on April 6, Her Holiness blessed the devotees who were waiting on the roadside in Rudrapur. Thereafter, Satguru Mata Ji inaugurated a newly constructed Sant Nirankari Satsang Bhawan at Sitarganj in Udham Singh Nagar district. The town is known for the barrages surrounding it as also as a religious and cultural centre. Here Her Holiness and the entourage were welcomed by Shri Raj Kapoor Ji Zonal Incharge Jaspur and local Mukhi Shri Om Prakash Sharma Ji. Blessing a large number of devotees assembled from all over the area, Satguru Mata Ji said: “I am delighted to see you all the saints assembled here on the occasion of the inauguration of this Satsang Bhawan. The Bhawan will attain its beauty when you sit here with love. Let the love that dwells in the mind of every devotee reflect in his or her conduct in the world outside also. The more we move forward on the path of devotion, the closer we shall be to God and our faith will also become more and more strengthened.” Then the divine entourage left for Khatima where Satguru Mata Ji inaugurated an enlarged Satsang Bhawan and bestowed an opportunity to devotees to pay their obeisance at her holy feel and seek the divine blessings. Before leaving Khatima, on April 7 in the morning, Her Holiness again blessed a large of devotees. Then on the way, Satguru Mata Ji blessed the devotees along roadside at Banbasa and then at Tanakpur and reached the India-Nepal Border. Here all the police officials and civil officers greeted Her Holiness at Sharda Barrage and sought her divine blessings. After crossing the Border, the party reached village Bhujela where devotees were waiting for Satguru Mata Ji. By this time it had started raining as well as hailing. Her Holiness, however, gave an opportunity to all to pay their obeisance at her holy feel in that weather also. As the weather cleared, the party moved further and passing through Gadda Chawki (Kanchanpur) reached Mahendergarh. Here devotees welcomed Her Holiness at Satsang Bhawan and sought her blessings. Then Her Holiness blessed the devotees at Satsang Bhawan Sukhad. From there the party reached Kailali Satsang Bhawan where a large number of devotees had assembled to seek blessings. Thereafter Satguru Mata Ji inaugurated newly constructed Satsang Bhawan at Attariya, Kailali, Gauri Ganga and Masuria. Then the party reached Tikapur in the evening where Satguru Mata Ji went straight to the venue of the Samagam and saw the arrangements. In Tikapur, Nirankari Sant Samagam of Nepal was held on April 8, 2017 at the vast Airport Ground. The Samagam was attended by thousands of devotees from all over Nepal while a large number of delegates had reached from Delhi and various other parts of India. Addressing the gathering, Satguru Mata Savinder Hardev Ji Maharaj said: “Saints, I see you all saints gathered here. I got an opportunity to come here with Baba Ji about 3-4 years back and also to visit several other places in Nepal where I saw all the saints. I always received a lot of love from them. Saints, as you know, in beginning there were many difficulties for preaching the message of the Mission (in Nepal) but you saints never allowed them to become a hurdle and spread the Mission from place to place. You know the contribution made by Rishi Ji. You could take the Mission forward because every saint was guided by the spirit of kinship for all, the well-being of all. As we entered Nepal from the border yesterday, everybody felt that we had not come to some other country, everything appeared like India. I recalled what Baba Ji said in one of his discourses in Nepal. He pointed out that many people from Nepal work in India. Some of them are working at the Mission’s Headquarters in Delhi also. Therefore, when we come here to Nepal, it looks like our own country. Saints, when we look at others with the vision of devotion, everybody appears as our own. And we get this outlook, when we receive God-knowledge. When we see God all around, we realise that every individual is His particle, each and every person is our own. Saints, Baba Ji often said that if you have to criticize or find fault with others, it shall be better to look into your own self and try to realise if you are not thinking or doing harm to others. We have to act only for the welfare of others. Saints, as we improve ourselves, we shall be taking our life and this Mission to heights. As said - I went out to search for some bad person and found that I myself was the worst. Saints, all holy scriptures teach us to love only. Love means to live for each other. Baba Ji also used to repeat the line that the whole life is not sufficient for love, even then it is not understood how people spare time for hatred. Saints, God has blessed us with this life, let us pray that we are able to possess love for all in our hearts and live life with love. Saints, it was 7th April yesterday, declared as World Health Day by UNO. It sought to draw our attention to the various diseases including emotional diseases like depression etc., which are spreading increasingly. Saints, there are doctors for the treatment of all those diseases. About spiritual health, however, we ourselves have to take care. Let us not do anything that may be against the teachings of the Mission. Let us not do any act that may violate what Baba Ji told us or never wanted from us. He always wanted that we should live life with positivity and strengthen the same in others also.” The Samagam was attended by several dignitaries. They included Shri Mohan Singh Rathor, Member Parliament from Kailash; Shri Rawat, Vice-Chairman of Teachers Association of Nepal; and Shri Jagan Rawal, Head of the Tikapur Multiple Complex. Several saints expressed their views through songs, poems and speeches. Most of them used Nepali language, but some presentations were made in Maithili, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, English and Punjabi also. The large number of devotees attending the Samagam from all over Nepal showed how fast the Mission is spreading in this neighboring country. Today, the Mission has already reached 35 out of 75 districts of Nepal with 250 branches and 105 Satsang Bhawans. Even though the Mission found its advent about 54 years ago, it has been registered in Nepal since 29 years. In the evening, Satguru Mata Ji again blessed devotees at the venue of the Samagam. They got an opportunity to pay their obeisance at the holy feet of Satguru Mata Ji which went on till 10.00 o’ clock in the night. On April 9, Her Holiness, accompanied by Holy Sister Sudiksha Ji, Incharge Foreign Affairs, Sant Nirankari Mandal, visited the Nirankari Adarsh Vidya Mandir in Tikapur. Aided by Sant Nirankari Mandal, Nepal, the school provides education up to Class Xll. The members of the Management and Staff welcomed Satguru Mata Ji and Sudiksha Ji and paid their obeisance at their holy feet. After going round the school, they provided the needed guidelines to the Management as well as the Staff. Later, Satguru Mata Ji and Holy Sister Sudiksha Ji addressed a meeting of the Nepal Sant Nirankari Mandal’s Executive Committee and discussed the ways and means to take the Mission forward in Nepal. In the evening, Her Holiness visited some families of the devotees and blessed them and their neighbours and relatives.         http://dlvr.it/NwDvFh