Truth is stranger than fiction

"Action speaks more than words." This philosophy has worked wonders for Sourav Ganguly who has made a tremendous comeback into the ODI team. From a roaring start in his first test series, this Bengal tiger has conquered the hearts of millions. His spectacular innings of 98 in the Pepsi cup, has knocked his critic's comments about his degrading form.His dismissal from first class cricket had evoked mixed responses. The left handed batsmen chose to remain silent, taking in his stride the harsh words hurled at him by the media. Relying on his "never say die attitude" has indulged this Prince of kolkatta in assuring his fans of a definite comeback. Seeds of self confidence, determination and hope have certainly borne a fruit of regaining his magnificent form. His return has brought in a new ray of hope for our team, who now possess a radiant glow and undaunted usage of the bat and ball. It has lead to the strengthening of the top batting order. His rock solid inni...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=d4f2493f-d6a4-4578-9ce4-a2f6e43c038b Karle karle ek sawaal......karle karle ek dhamaal? Back on screen is the renowned, popular yet brainstorming starry show "Kaun Banega Crorepathi."Replacing the phenomenal Big B(ee) is the crass and cheeky baadshah of mosquitos,Shahrukh Khan.A new look to the show starts of with a wannabe hip hop song.A little jig by the specimen khan along with mini skirt clad girls, almost equals his look in the metrosexual lux ad. What is supposed to be an intellectual quiz show, sadly turns out as a disasterous Bollywood inserted dialogues saga. The sophisticated and polished "sure,confident,lock kar diya jaaye" is substituted with a cocky "freeze kar di jiye"accompanied by unwarranted,irrelevalant comments, by the desperately attempting comedy khan.It seems that this new host has nothing to boast of.Pressures of bringing in a new feel to the show and being cons...

Kaho naa pyar hai..... in this case kaho na "happy birthday to Hrithik Roshan".(b'day on jan 10th which is today). This Krrish has made everyone realise Dhoom machane ke liye koi mil gaya .Inspite of only one or two releases every year,we still retain this Greek God in our yaadein .His innocent eyes,yearning for his fans appreciation seem to ask :" mujhse dosti karoge ".His mindblowing performances make the audiences kabhi kushi kabhi gham . His perserverance proves that hes yet to attain his l akshya (aim).Time will tell or will he let his acting skills do the talking?We will wait and watch as na tum jaano na hum . Heres to the new superhero of Bollywood.Happy b'day Hrithik and fans are waiting for you to Dhoom again!!!

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=6074e665-5032-4e1b-85e4-a4fe6e443435 Children’s day....which falls on the 14th of November every year, happens to be the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister...Pandit Shri Jawaharlal Nehru. This revered person was known to love children immensely and was fondly called “Chacha Nehru” by them. It was desired that his birthday be celebrated all over as children’s day. Childhood is a stage in our lives that makes us walk down the memory lane and look back at those nostalgic days with misty eyes. It is a phase with a carefree attitude, devoid of worries, shouldering responsibilities and stress. It’s also the most treasured stage that would make us return to innocence at any given point in their lives. The beginning stage from birth till we attain puberty indeed consists of fun- filled days. We can recollect instances where we were given attention by everyone, from family, relatives to all elders as we were consider...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=083dd52f-703a-4b4e-aeb0-5cb8f9db69ed Alcohol, a simple yet a dangerous word. What starts of as a coax for a small sip or a peg as a social obligation ends up as a regular and addictive group activity at parties and get-togethers.The current economic incentives has made these hard drinks more affordable. The gradual change from the traditional to a more cosmopolitan culture across several metros and small towns has made social drinking the “in thing”. This intoxicating drink has gained its popularity over giggly wild teenagers and has retained its brand equity among the adult segment as well. It is a shocking plight to see the ill effects of the so called liberalization among the school and college crowd that attracts these youngsters to alcohol like bees swarming towards honey. Seeing their parents and other elders consuming beer or wine socially, precipitates these young minds to see such drinks as a harmless sub...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/Contribute/Lifestyle/UCStory146.htm Relationship is like a rose garden, be it a parent-child, husband-wife, grandparents-grandchildren, teacher-student, boss-employee or between friends. Thorns in the form of misunderstandings, anger, irritation, jealousy and EGO are present in plenty. Just like we hold a rose with determination and pluck away the thorns which prick us, can we throw away the thorns that disrupt our rosy relationships? Communication which comes as a package with human relations, should be emphasized as a crucial factor in maintenance of harmony. An idea, thought or a viewpoint can be put across effectively if one concentrates on the way it is presented to the other person. Being assertive, yet polite, can work wonders for a message to be conveyed to a single individual or a mass of audience. Soothing words, keeping the sensitivities in our minds along with a pinch of thoughtfulness is a very good recipe to liven up millions of ...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/Contribute/Others/UCStory145.htm There are people in this world, who can sing, dance, do a little jig, speak, hear, touch, feel and smell good objects. Such lucky individuals indeed are given the luxury of normal functioning of our human body. Can we imagine a plight or a day when even one of these little activities are not being accomplished by us? It could be due to reasons like a small twist in the ankle disrupting our regular exercise routine, or a fracture in our arm which is put to rest for a couple of weeks. Such minor accidents cause us to depend on others for even the most trivial things that we are used to doing by ourselves. Can we imagine a stage where the pleasure or independence of doing such trivial tasks is taken away on a permanent basis? It would result in feelings of frustration, anger, diminishing self esteem, depression, helplessness, and not to mention the fear of being ridiculed or not accepted by others. There are such...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/Contribute/Lifestyle/UCStory147.htm A trip to Matheran, a hill station two hours from Mumbai, also gave me life’s finest learning through a ‘gentle’-man of the animal kingdom. Being one of the unique hill stations where a motor vehicle isn’t allowed, you had the choice of going on horseback or trek. Choosing the former option, I stumbled upon a beautiful brown horse named Goldnut, which would take me through the unexplored woods during the rest of my journey. My initial inhibition of the safety and stability with which this sturdy animal would make this trip memorable, vanished into the thin air as soon as I mounted on him. I found my fears unfounded as a feeling of trust engulfed me that minute and this marked a beginning of a strange friendship. As the journey progressed, the curiosity about my newfound friend increased, to find out more about Goldnut’s life. I asked his young 12 year old owner more about this magnificent creature and from t...

After large doses of rocking,rolling and a load of bashing,New Years has finally dawned.2007 seems to look promising already,smiling upon millions and beckoning us to bask in its positivity. High expectations have already set in amongst many,with the hope that '07 is more of a smooth sailing expedition than a bumpy roller coaster ride.Prayers to the supreme power above us is said with a pure intention of protecting us from evils like kidnapping,brutal slaying,terrorism and most importantly the wrath of nature.And also to seek well being in more than one aspect. Whether it is the functioning of the day to day chores,the profit soaring of the corporates,the bull race of the stock market to make sensex reach great heights.Or whether it is marital harmony,career growth,passing examinations and lastly good health which is ultimately the biggest wealth,indeed forms the wishlist of many which is posted to the Almighty. It was one of the best new years for me.The first one after marriage ...