Amazing Yanni

Though I've not heard Yanni before, I discovered his music by chance. And this piece called 'World Dance' reminded me of our own Retro music from Bollywood.

It's rare to hear real orchestras with so many original musical instruments being played nowadays. I remember as a child when we used to have programmes in our colony during Diwali / Ganapati festival. I used to love the orchestras especially. These days we are only subjected to electronic music! Enjoy the music. You can also catch 'Yanni-The Rainmaker' on UTube, which is also melodious plus catchy!

MasterChef- A wonderful show

I got an opportunity to watch 'Masterchef India' show Saturday night. The format of the show, its quality, the competitive nature with a touch of humanity and professionalism makes the show wonderful. It was fun to watch the contestants learn to make a 'Malabari Paratha' from the Chefs, though none of them had heard of the same. It was equally fun to watch the contestants then attempt to make it themselves by swirling the dough like a 'roomali roti' and then elongating it and tying it up like a mini turban! One also learnt to make a '70 mm dosa'! Though all contestants failed in the first attempt, many were good in the second attempt. Oiling the tawa, removing excess oil by sprinking water, then smearing the tawa with onion attached to a knife to avoid dosa sticking to pan, then sprinking little water again to check temperature of tawa before putting the batter on it! Then spreading the batter in circular motions without lifting the flat bowl which was used to do the same.... We've watched our local dosa-wallas do it all the time, but never understood the techniques. It was fun to watch (maybe we can even give them competition by having our own dosa stalls!). The nervousness of contestants and end-results of food items were fun to watch too!

In the final round we had Akshay enter with his 'Khiladi Sizzler' (his own creation way back in Bangkok!). He made it in 45 mins flat and challenged others to make it too! It had noodles, vegetables, sprouts and momos with a touch of 'masala' and the end result looked appetising and pleasing to the eyes! Askhay's comments, encouragement, advise to contestants alongwith his presentation of the show with humour thrown in, made the show more interesting. When he advised one contestant to smash the ginger in Indian style by using the 'mukka' over a ginger over which a knife was kept horizontally, it had the contestants in splits! All of us smash ginger and garlic under spoons/ knifes on in the primitive crusher while in shows people have to cut them into tiny pieces, which is very unlike us Indians! Trust Akshay to find humour in such a mundane thing! This quality was also seen in his earlier show 'Khatron ke Khiladi' which was fun to watch when he hosted it last year. Though I'd watched Askhay in one preliminary round episode of 'Masterchef India' last week, I found the main show more wonderful and his style very professional. This is definately not just any 'cookery show'. It has 'class' and Akshay!

Next day (today), I had my younger brother call in from Pune urging me to watch the wonderful show (which was being re-telecast). And I could proudly tell him I'd already watched it! :-)

Inside the Bigg Boss house- unmasking the contestants!

It's funny how many people project a different image of themselves in public and what they are actually in real life! But equally funny is that these people manage to win people and the masses with this fake persona. And then there the 'frank' people who speak on the face and dare to call a spade a spade. The people who refuse to bow down, who refuse to say good things just because the situation demands it even if your heart doesn't agree. The people who show their dislikes and likes upfront. Sadly, these people are misunderstood and dropped (but its good in a way, coz the good ones will always understand and find them coz God wants it that way!) But these are the genuine people, whom who'll find to be even better-than-expectations at home. And what better place to see the true worth of people than at their own homes!!!

Take 'Bigg Boss's' house for example. Contrary to expectations and her public image, Sarah Khan has been a total let-down. Tearing your existing boyfriend's (whom she was about to marry) photographs to get close and friendly to Ashmit (maybe for the Bollywood connections!) is surely not on! And moreso, the way she 'throws' herself around the house is not ladylike. Veena Mallik from across the border is like a 'vamp' in the show. Aanchal has been cool and wonderful and very much a lady through the entire series (she's also the prettiest of the lot). Maybe because for her going on outdoor locales and staying with different kinds of people is very natural. While for others, it's more of 'new found freedom' combined with 'confinement' within the 4 walls, both at once! Seema Parihar, the ex-bandit, is very natural with her countryside touch to the series. Shweta Tiwari is difficult to understand, maybe because she's potraying herself like that!

Among the men, Samir Soni potrayed himself coolly earlier, but slowly his 'naqaab' (mask) is wearing off! How long can you have it on ? 24x7 ? Naah, the reality of a person comes out with confinement and 24x7 exposure to cameras! If people are used to abusing, using dirty words and project a different image to all, how long can you hold those bad words back? Hrishant is also used to a lot of bad words and gossip and backbiting. Manoj Tiwari who's image was again of a kind and mature person, sometimes behaves erratically on the show. He's avert to eating with 'all', was found throwing attitude stating that he has servants like Samir.... Many times he's found taking 'sole' decisions and has problems adjusting with others, though at heart he ''might'' be a good person! Khalli, the 'Hulk' has people in the house scared as well as respecting him, so he is enjoying his stay in the house. The chota Hulk, Rahul Bhat seems like a kid still living with his super-hero fantasies. He was very quiet till the moment Khalli arrived. And now he's totally in awe of the Big Hulk! The surprise package was 'Begum Nawazish Ali'. Though he's a cross dresser and no one never really knew what was on his mind or understood him fully, he carried himself well, was very chirpy and full of life in the house! Even outside he proved himself to be 'quick-witted' when Salman Khan threw questions at him! Begum seemed to have logical answers to every question.

This time there are a lot of girls in the house than previous shows. And most of them get along well and are managing the kitchen well too! In fact, the entire lot this time is young and are used to house work and have divided their work well. Moreover, most of the time they agree on things and get along, except the little older ones - Samir and Manoj. And thankfully till now the fact that all beds are in one room hasn't sparked off any controversy! The swimming pool was found to be used by the Small and Big Hulk only!

Controversial Big Boss 4

I was looking forward to Big Boss 4 this time because of Salman Khan. But the new format shown in the introductory episode makes me wonder whether it'll be watchable with family. The common bedroom for men and women, the common toilet, the open 'hamam' (bath) and the all controversial house-mates! An ex-Bandit, a thief who doesn't know to talk, a crying hero , a model who was forced to stay back in India, an advocate who represented a terrorist, a housewife turned sexy siren. And to top it all, a bomb and a cross-dresser from across the 'Islamic' border! There are a few who don't even seem to deserve a mention! Only two people made some sense to me - Manoj Tiwari and Sarah Khan! Hope they live up to my expectations!

With such controversial housemates in more controversial set-up, will the show be worth prime-time telecast? We agitated against bikini round in a Beauty Pageant held in India some years back. We had cases filed against improper dressing of some well-known dancers on their stage shows earlier. We used to object to kisses on screen and our censors gave an 'A' certificate to skin display! But we have more sizzling stuff on the small screen these days and all freely accessible to kids. The female hosts' clothes on TV are vanishing by the day, Rakhi even managed to kiss Salman on the introductory episode of Big Boss 4! And Don't our small screens also deserve a censor ? Shows telecast on US/ UK channels usually have a warning and age specification before any programme. We deserve one too!

There has been agitation from MNS for casting two Pakistanis. What we is needed was something against the format and indecent exposure at prime time! Our values seem to be fast changing!!! And also our priorities!

Had so much to say !!!

Had so much to say all these days....

But strange are God ways.

Work, life, problems ate into my days.

So many events passed, but I couldn't write

Life has been a really tough fight.

I need prayers to make my life alright.

The Florida episode and Adhodya verdict day,

The commercialisation of Ganpati Visarjan day.

'Dabang's' collection and Bapu's birthday also went without my say!

Today the Common Wealth Games open with a furore

Today is also the first day of Big Boss 4!

Salman Khan is sure to entertain us like no one before!