Truth is stranger than fiction

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=843dbd4f-1a0f-4c00-b0ca-c3e25f7bc025 Psychology emphasizes the fact of individuality differences among humans. So what is it that makes our personalities distinct from one another? Several factors are cited for our overall development and competence from our formative to the attractive adulthood stage. The prime backbone stresses the role of parents in our lives and has been of immense interest to millions. Today,the multitasking function consists of a dual nature of being bread winners and family people. Assuring security and stability in every possible manner; imbibing values, morals and code of conduct; handing out suitable reinforcements and punishments indeed requires tact and is challenging on the couple. Striving to attain the perfect balance gives a further insight into the different styles of parenting adopted. This probably provides clarity in explaining the positive/adverse effects on character growth d...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=88c87fce-2f35-4ea2-adca-665c316e0dea A three hour drive from Mysore in the frosty morning brought me to the abode of the wild. Bandipur is one of the well renowned national parks situated about 80 km from the city and was the first Tiger reserves in the country. The cold wave of air engulfed me as I got out of the car. It expelled the tinge of drowsiness that accompanied along with the long drive. As I mounted on to the jeep along with the guide, I eagerly awaited the two hour endeavor with the animal kingdom. As I reached the woods, the guide’s hawk eyes immediately fell on some freshly made footprints. Apparently it was noted to be left behind by an animal probably out on its early morning stroll. Retrospection discovered that to be of the mighty tiger’s. Alerting the possibility of seeing the royalty perked my excitement and elation. From there began a cat and mouse game on a literal basis. Following the footpr...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=0b09688c-78b5-4181-9cc2-6a12a6b39dfe What happens when a hard core Punjabi lad meets a British brat? Namaste London takes you through the journey from east to west. Right from the green fields of Punjab to the foreign soil of Britain. The film starts with a breathtaking view of London city. Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif get out of a luxurious car and walk hand in hand up the altar leaving her to marry a foreigner. As he walks away, the movie takes a trip down the memory lane tracing back to the events occurred few months ago. Jasmeet aka Jazz (Katrina Kaif) is a typical London born and bred. She loves the westernized lifestyle which prompts her to party out with her Pakistani friend Imran (Upen Patel) and his girlfriend Suzanne till wee hours. His live in relationship generates shock waves within his father Parvez Khan (Javed Sheikh). Jazz’s night club adventures with strange whites ring an alarm bell for her anxi...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=0b09688c-78b5-4181-9cc2-6a12a6b39dfe Bowled, caught and stumped!! The cricket fever has spread like wild fire. Even Bollywood seems to have been bitten by the World cup bug, inspiring it to release a film around the same time. Hat Trick portrays three parallel stories on a simultaneous basis. Each of these depicts the discovery of something within the characters displayed. Though it isn’t directly related to cricket, the game still manages to grab the backdrop of the theme. The first story consists of a stoic Dr. Satyajit (Nana Patekar) who remains unemotional in both his personal or professional life. Whether it’s announcing a patient’s onset of death or communicating with his family, his words point blank equal him to a mechanical robot. Enter a patient David Abraham (Danny Denzongpa) a former cricketer with a fatal condition. His fun loving nature is accompanied with the obsession of cricket which fails to reac...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=981aea67-74e1-48a0-9867-44a4780416ff The start of the World cup had sent shock waves across the world. Beginning with the defeat of two strong teams to the less experienced ones. India’s thrashing by Bangladesh and Pakistan’s ousting out of the series has come as a rude and unbelievable blow to millions. Accompanied with the latest news of Bob Woolmer’s sudden demise, has added fuel to the fire. Pakistan who would have hardly recovered from their big blow, received another one, of their coach’s loss which has jolted them out of their wits. Leaving with high levels of confidence and soaring expectations would have naturally left the team members dejected and dismayed. They had to quit without even putting up a proper fight. It was a horrifying plight to see the Indians thrashed in a pitiable manner. It appeared that the team slacked in its play, not realizing the potential of the minnows. It seemed that their under...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=066e1d34-45b7-4b92-9690-1ed06c72df83 Marriage was only the beginning. So does it depict the fairy tale ending of happily ever after? Just married takes you to the story of two strangers who are bonded for life by the great Indian arranged marriage. Abhay (Fardeen Khan) and Reetika (Esha Deol) complying with their parents wishes, agree to get married in a way unacceptable to both. This is a surprising thing in the present rebellious scenario of the 21st century. Two unknown individuals become life partners after barely a sole meeting and are on their way to their 5 day honeymoon to Ooty. The unfamiliarity factor transpires the feeling of nervousness and awkwardness, which is only natural. It generates a lot of evasiveness from Reetika who is supported by an understanding and patient Abhay. Going all out, he tries to make her feel at utmost ease. From there begins a slow process of consummating into a blooming love ...

-Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=1c90e9d0-47a5-42c2-b394-7dbcbbc5bb6d The green ugly monster usually occurs in our worst of nightmares. However, it has found to be visible even during the broad daylight. We have all been victims of this bug bite at some point in our lives. JEALOUSY : The most natural yet devastating emotion which manifests itself into a monster within us. This deadly instinct creates a surge of blood to boil and leave us with a heated feeling, probably giving burning coal stiff competition. Occurring in different stages, it varies in degrees of severity from being passive and mild to obsessive and dangerous. It refers to cognition of being threatened by a rival. What occurs as a passing thought accommodates itself as a leech sucking the pleasantness from our personalities. This ultimately leads to our destruction if not dealt with at the right time, in an effective manner. This demon inside is known to gnaw at our peace of mind. So ...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=8d15a629-f48b-4925-a201-6d359fdd693e Anil (name changed) and his wife were a typical urban couple, with two children. Their nuclear family lifestyle depicted the long working hours, with occasional socializing on weekends. All was well until that one afternoon phone call. Anil received devastating news of his ailing mother having breathed her last. Naturally struck with a shocking blow, he performed his due rights of being the only son. However what lingered in his mind was what was to become of his lonely father. Consulting his wife was met with a vehement opposition of accommodating him at their residence, for fear of being a nuisance. Unable to find an alternate option propelled Anil to drop his father ruthlessly in an old age home. This shocking act is found to be an increasing trend in India, at present. A further insight will help gaining clarity about the parentage phenomenon especially during their old age...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=80f5fa20-b896-4aed-ab60-4a2dc0ee7d04 Water traces back into the year of 1938 even before India attained freedom. It gives an insight into the appalling treatment handed out to the women, particularly that of the widows. The film starts with an innocent 7 year old girl, Chuiya (Sarala) informed about her status of being widowed. Transported into an Ashram across the river brings Chuiya into the queer world of depressed widows headed by the evil Madhumati (Manorma).Her harsh dictatorship which is feared by all is sometimes opposed only by Shakuntala (Seema Biswas).Chuiya finds herself trapped in this strange place forever despite her continuous wails to go back home. Her meeting with the beautiful Kalyani (Lisa Ray) finds her a friend in the otherwise cold and isolated locale. This pretty young widow is exploited and pimped by Madhumati to overcome the shortage of finances in the Ashram. A chance encounter with Nara...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=dc536d94-395c-49a6-b90f-7dbba2948704 Women are God’s personification of words like mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, wife, and the list goes on. Embodiment of love, warmth and care has been identified with this gender. Womanhood is said to be the most gracious and honorable stage in a lifetime. An expedition to exploring the roots of this mysterious gender provides certain interesting evidence. Tracing back to the prehistoric period and coming back to the contemporary scenario, women have certainly come a long way. The dark ages depict practices of female infanticide, where a birth of a girl child was considered a burden. Exceptional cases of survival of these led them to being locked up within the homely four walls, restricting them to domestic chores alone. They were believed to be the weaker sex and incapable accomplishing anything else. Marriage was conducted when they were barely up their feet. Post marr...

-Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=e40316f6-c2bd-43e2-b41c-c4325fca3a16 Often I wonder that, there are several people we encounter in our journey of life. Some stay till our end. Some just accompany us till a certain point after which we are on our own. And some just make their deep impact for that short span of time and disappear only to never to appear again. So what do we learn from this? An analysis of this provided me some thought provoking interpretations. People come into our life for a reason, season, treason or a lifetime. When someone is in our life for a reason, it is usually to meet a need we have expressed. Such people probably include our parents who are there to hold out our tiny finger to lead us into the bigger steps of our lifelong pathway. Teachers who assist us through difficulty in terms of our studies and later on,spiritually.Doctors who treat us during our physical ailments and psychologists who help us to help ourselves during ...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=3cd78548-4240-47c3-a608-8432df372190 Mentality of a Chennaite is something that never fails to amaze me and other people of different cities. This city has a rich cultural heritage and people indeed try their best to preserve it as much as possible. However in spite of globalization descending upon them, with BPOs lurking at every corner, with the Burgers and pizzas invading their eateries, the typical chennaite will go by his time tested staple food. Times have changed, and Chennai itself is now invaded by population from other cities not only in India but form the world, thanks to the IT boom and the automobile hub centre that it has become. One can see the metamorphosis almost everywhere; old buildings have given way to modern architecture, arterial roads choked to the brim with modern vehicles, individual bungalows replaced by the apartments. Only the age old temples have withstood this onslaught, but they too...