I was looking outside my window on Sunday, waiting to go for the rock show performances later that evening. Suddenly, a car stopped on the road opposite my house (MH-04-AC-XXX). A lady got out of the passenger seat and went to the back seat to pull out a foul smelling package containing stale food, and she dumped it on the road. The road has clear hoardings talking about keeping it clean. The lady seemed decently educated but she didn’t think one bit before using the stretch of road as her dumping ground. Idiots, I thought.

Later, when I went to Carter Road for the show, I saw that very same lady there. The theme of Celebrate Bandra this year is Go Green but somehow trashing the road doesn’t seem to appeal to the civic sense of some people around. Shame, shame! I pity the organizers who have taken pains to improve this part of Mumbai that is still being abused by a bunch of educated fools.

I feel so proud of my country and it’s beauty. All that we do  is abuse what God has bestowed upon us. I highly recommend these movies to everyone.

(*blush* + *gush*) x 1000000000000000000…may be infinity

Mumbai has seen one of its worst terrorists attacks and we’re all shook up. Though the terrorists at the Taj, Oberoi and Nariman Bhawan have been killed, this is a huge scar on the nation. So many killed, so many wounded..a city in turmoil. Will we heal? The aftermath is just as painful.

I wish people wouldn’t politicize this horrifying situation and earn brownie points out of it.

Prayers to all those who have lost their lives and the martyrs. Prayers for this city and this nation. Prayers for all the brave men who are our heroes today. I salute each one of them. Prayers for every one.

What also moved me was what Arnab Ghosh from Times Now said – If an inanimate building like the Trident can hold its head high at such a time then so can 1 billion Indians.

Jai Hind!

I had a beautiful evening at the U. Srinivas and Pt Shivkumar Sharma concert. It was food for the soul

The Times Group has organized the Bandra Festival. This festival covers a lot of cultural activities and these are held around this suburb. I attended a classical music recitcal by U. Srinivas (he plays the mandolin in carnatic style) and by Pt. Shivkumar Sharma (his name is synonymous to the Santoor) at the Bandra Fort on the special occasion of Dhanteras. I dragged 2 loyal friends along and I am sure that they are still cursing me for doing that…hehe! We had no passes but we took a chance and actually found ourselves seated ‘comfortably numb’ in the second row of the amphitheatre. The winding path to the amphitheatre was lit with colorful lanterns and diyas adding to the festive spirit. The pookalam, the backdrop and the lighting were apt for the evening and the special day.

The concert was attended by people of all age groups, from every community and from all walks of life with a common interest – music. Music truly brings us all together.

I had never attended an Indian classical music concert before and I found it to be a soul enriching experience. Seeing the maestros perform and their jugalbandi with their respective groupmates was such an amazing experience. I can only imagine the kind of dedication these Padmashree award winners have towards their music. One feels proud of this nation for producing such gems!

But the evening also showed me another side of a musician..that of a novice and a struggler who is at the mercy of labels and sponsors to get there for his 5 seconds of fame. I hope every true and sincere person finds his spot under the sky.

My friends had some other commitments and had to leave mid-way. After the concert, I met Tarun and his friends – Bharath, Sumit and Anu there and we went for some nice Lebanese food Sweet people, they all are!

Happy Dhanteras!

After the ride, we saw ‘Kidnap’at New Excelsior. The movie was crappy but Imran Khan looked cute.

Got home around 8.30 pm. There was too much traffic due to Navratri and Eid. I am so tired but I had a nice time.

Mumbai’s weather is completely unpredictable! @#$%^&* when one’s travelling to a formal set up looking like a mop!

My friend Gautam was there at Marine Drive to witness this event. He was standing at a particular spot for almost 2 hours. When the bus came, was thrown away from Marine Drive right up to Wankhede stadium within a few seconds. He says that it was almost like a storm and millions of people came gushing into him. It seems more than 15 lac people were on the roads today to experience this once in a life time procession. Here are some of the pictures that Gautam clicked. Thanx, buddy!

And here’s the video that he shot.

Gautam, you lucky guy!