Truth is stranger than fiction

It just feels like yesterday when 2011 dawned upon is and its already time to say goodbye. 2011 embarks a rather evenful year. India winning the World Cup after 28 years and watching the golden moment live at Wankhede stadium. Visited places like Kashmir and Ladakh which proved to be a wonderful learning experience and a soul searching journey by itself. Met a lot of interesting people from different walks of life. Fitness has taken a turn for the better. While there have been downsides to the year, its time now to look forward to the awakening of 2012 which will bring in its share of unique experiences as well. Heres wishing all of you a wonderful 2012, loads of health and happiness always. God Bless.

This year we celebrated Diwali in an unusual manner. We decided to explore the jungles of Madhya Pradesh. After watching the first show of Ra one, we headed towards the airport to catch the evening flight to Jabalpur. After an overnight halt here, we drove down to Bandhavgarh National Park the next morning which took us around 4 hours. We reached there by noon and were escorted to our tree house. The little wooden cottage was perched among the branches with the interiors done up in a tasteful manner. The next 3 days were spent in exploring nature and experiencing the sounds of the jungle like never before. We didnt see the tiger as the big cats hardly ventured out during winters. However we enjoyed the game drives in the forest and the entire expedition of living like birds. A unique experience indeed. We managed to learn a lot about wildlife and birds. Travelling to such remote places no doubt makes you wonder why Wildlife in India isn't given the due credit.

Yesterday was one of those days that would have delighted any sports lover. The All Blacks won the Rugby world cup which was exhinited in Billy Bowden's signalling four runs with an unusual fervour during the India-England match at Wankhede. India cruised o another handsome victory against England making the series 4-0. And Manchester City managed to thrash the arrogant Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford. With the festival of Diwali approaching in a couple of days, it gives one a good reason to begin with the celebrations. A wonderful day for Sports indeed.

You brought about a cultural transformation in the music, mobile and the gadget world. RIP Steve Jobs. You will be missed. Loved his quote "Your time is limited,so don't waste it living someone else's."

I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before anyone even at the cost of your life."- Mahatma Gandhi In honour of one of the greatest freedom fighters. Happy B'day Bapu!! You are still alive in our minds.

It gets broken and mended several times, yet its strong and vital enough to remind us every moment that life is beautiful! Treasure it with a healthy lifestyle and beat that stress! In honour of World Heart day today! Happy B'day dear heart. We love you!

Being a book lover, it is always a pleasure to meet the personalities behind great works. Yesterday was one such evening which gave me the privilege of meeting a couple of authors whose books I had read recently and even reviewed them for a website I work for. Crossword bookstore had scheduled a book reading session by Amish Tripathi of his latest bestseller of the Shiva Trilogy series titled 'The Secret of the Nagas'- a sequel to his first book 'The Immortals of Meluha'. The event was supposed to commence by 6:30 pm. Anticipating the Mumbai traffic woes, I left a little early and managed to reach there a good thirty minutes before. Seating myself in the second row, I held the book in my hand and looked around the store. Couple of people in charge were running around making some last moment arrangement. A camera man walked in and clicked a few pictures of the dais assigned to the guest in honour. All on a sudden he turned to me and notified me of the Author's arriva...

Some small budget films evoke several emotions in a person that can put blockbusters to shame. 'I am Kalam' is one such movie which manages to tap the sensitive side of the viewers. Set in Rural Rajasthan, the film revolves around a young boy Chottu who is employed in a Dhaba run by Gulshan Grover. Instead of going to school, Chottu washes vessels, serves the tourists and manages to charm them with his earnest ways. However the thought of reading never evades the young lad as his fascination for learning comes through the movie. He befriends the son of the Thakur, a school going boy who also yearns for some good company. Gradually a bond forms between the two as one aspires to learn something from the other. The film slowly takes a turn into how Chottu is accused of being a thief and forced to run away to Delhi. As the truth unveils itself, a search party goes to Delhi to bring back Chottu to the land of the sand dunes and restore his righful position in the school ...

Some movies tend to instil faith in life and yourself. Soul Surfer is one such film which gives a heart-warming message. Based on a true story, it’s about a girl named Bethany Hamilton who aspires to be a professional surfer. She is all set to participate in the competition to win the title. However fate takes its cruel turn as she loses an arm in a brutal shark attack. The story goes on to narrate how she copes up after this traumatic experience. Her courage and grit propels her to take a plunge into the waves again. She takes part in the competition and manages to score points for her highest wave. However due to the incompletion of her surf within the time limit, she loses out on the title. The beautiful dialogue follows this climax where she says even though she didn’t win, the last wave did make a difference. The movie teaches one a lot. Winning isn’t everything in life. What matters is whether the attempt makes a difference to our state of mind. Despite losing an arm, Bethany do...

‎26th July 1999 was the day when the brave-hearts of the Indian Armed Forces fought and won the Kargil War. This is to commemorate the valor of those who laid down their lives and also those who fought with grit to serve and defend this nation! Jai Hind!

Often road journeys and travel to exotic locations makes one discover a part of their personality which was probably oblivious to them till that moment. It takes probably one of many moments for that realization to dawn. Zindagi na milegi dobara is one such film which takes you through that soul stirring journey. The story begins with three friends from College deciding to go on a trip as a Bachelor party as one of them is tying the knot soon. The entire adventure in Spain brings out the inner demons one is fighting with and how they conquer it by the end of the trip. The movie cruises through its fine moments and embarks some thrilling adventures. Scuba Diving in the Mediterranean Sea makes Hrithik discover a whole different world altogether which enables him to feel the magic in his life. Sky Diving sends a whoop of delight amidst the viewer’s tempting them to indulge in the same. The tomato festival in Spain is highlighted in a vibrant manner as well. Lastly, the traditional bull fi...

It was just about another normal day where mumbaikars were winding up and getting ready to go home. Around 7 pm, a ghastly news spread like wildfire about 3 blasts that occurred in South and Central Mumbai. Panic and fear struck the city as frantic calls were made to assure that people were safe. Its been 5 years since the 7/11 blasts where victims are still nursing their scars. 2 and a half years since the nightmarish 26/11 incident. Justwhen we were about to resign to a peaceful year, today's blast has ruffled some feathers. Terror seems to have raised its ugly head again. It just makes one wonder: Are we really safe at all? Life has become so uncertain. One hand there are natural disasters like earthquakes and Tsunamis. And on another side, we have man made disasters in the form on terrorism. Why kill innocent lives to fulfill a selfish motto?Why target the common man? It seems to be a disease for which one is yet to find a cure. Such is the death spell of terrorism. Sad but tru...

Themes like comedy and action have always ruled the roost. Crime and thrillers seem to be making their own mark along with a few artistic films which are categorised under 'Intelligent' Cinema. It is a rarity among Indian film makers to make a Children's movie linked to that of a social cause revolving around an animal. This is something many Hollywood filmmakers have explored. UTV productions' Chillar Party is a film centred on a group of kids in a colony and how they fight against the municipality to save a stray dog. The film starts off with an introduction to the several characters present in Chandan Nagar Society. Funny nicknames accompany the kids and the adults too are presented in a quirky manner. Calling themselves ‘Chillar Party’ their mischief would cause exasperation among the grown-ups. One fine day a young orphaned lad enters the colony along with his dog Biddu. After the initial bullying and apologies, Chillar Party and the dog become thick friends. One ...

His conventional decisions have worked in his favour. He is known for his midas touch. T he man who brought back the Cup home after 28 years. Heres to the best Captain of India who has attained a new milestone today: Happy 30th Birthday Dhoni! You rock!

Summer is at its peak. It has already crossed 37 degrees. Many birds die in summer due to lack of water. Place water pots for thirsty birds in terraces, compound walls and balconies. Its the least we can do.

Nature's fury is often inexplicable. They cause pain, mental anguish and terror all over the world. That’s the state of the country called Japan. Just a few hours ago it was hit by a massive earthquake which measured 8.9 on the Richter scale followed by a devastating Tsunami. The destructive wave swept everything from people to cars under its wing like they were some old, broken toys. It is disheartening to see homes and lives taken away in a jiffy. It makes one realize how uncertain life can be and how helpless we tend to feel. Seeing our fellow humans go through such agony is indeed appalling. At this stage we sincerely hope and pray for the victims out there and wish things take a turn for the better soon. God bless the departed souls and the world.

It was thrilling to receive a mail from Crossword Bookstore which stated the book launch event of Jeffrey Archer's new release called 'Only time will tell.' My excitement knew no bounds as I looked forward to spending the Sunday evening with this renowned Author. His books took me back to my naive adolescent years where I had transgressed from Enid Blyton's faraway tree tales and had moved on to a mature form of literature. The first book I read was 'Not a penny more, not a penny less'. His language was exquisite and powerful. No doubt it helped me improve my proficiency in the foreign language as I went on to read his Kane and Able. It made a great impact on me. So did his 'As a crow flies, A prisoner of Birth' and his short story collections. Sunday arrived and the store was half crowded with his diehard fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Author. At half past seven, he graced us with his presence. He threw a broad smile at the crowd which was fo...

I fondly recollect those good old days of summer vacation especially. Free from school burden, the lazy hours were spent dutifully flipping the pages of the all time favourite Amar Chitra Katha. The tales of the God and Demi Gods indeed ignited a mystical feeling within us. As children, mythology never failed to fascinate us. Probably this was what helped in inculcating the right values as we grew into big swans, ready to face the world. Morals from these tales were imbibed in our subconscious minds which helped us in crossing the hurdles in life. Philosophical quotes derived from these stories inspired us to take things in our stride. These Comic books undoubtedly influenced our thoughts and ideas to a large extent. It is sad to know that the Author of these works-Anant Pai who is fondly known as Uncle Pai is no more with us. He will be missed and may his soul rest in peace. Amen. RIP Uncle Pai.