Nude - Marathi Movie

Beautiful. Art vs Life. About nude models and study of art.

Farewell My Concubine - Movie

Complex. Epic Chinese saga. Haunting.

Knot for Keeps - My Publication for 2018

Here comes 'Knot for Keeps' - Harper Collins anthology on the modern marriage (read marriage) edited by Sathya Saran. Krishna Sastri Devulapalli and Chitra Viraraghavan who have immense faith in my abilities to write pulled me on to the anthology that includes contributions from them both, Wendell Rodericks, Prasoon Joshi and Dr. Vijay Nagaswami. My usual reaction came up - what do I know about marriage? Except of being married.

Then some thought. Should I be flippant? Should I joke about it? Should I praise it?
I thought I'd do myself a  favour and write about my own marriage - an imperfect one - with two individuals who are completely different. Tall, short dark, fair, fast bowler, gold medallist. I never made sense of it so I thought maybe I should.

An Imperfect Marriage - my contribution to this anthology. Haven't read the others. Looks interesting though.

102 Not Out - Movie

Nice start. Weak end.

Thought for the Day - Extend Your Outer Boundaries to Prevent Getting Hurt

Another brother of disappointment is hurt. I also realised that I get hurt easily.

Then I realised I get hurt because I choose to get hurt. I allow this thing to come into me and then I choose to get hurt because it gives me some kind of a validation of my being 'right' or more importantly having been 'wronged.'. Great for TV and the movies but pretty useless for me in real life.

So while thinking about how not to get hurt at the drop of a hat I realised that I can expand my boundaries and keep hurt away. I don't need to let it in so close that it hurts. If I have my boundaries clear in my mind, there is no way anyone can hurt me.

Expand the boundaries and move on. It could well be the cure for getting hurt and suffering pointlessly.

Thought for the Day - Disappointment is Slow Poison

I realise I get easily disappointed. With myself and with the world.

I also realised that it is a useless emotion. It is slow poison. It eats into your joy.

No use getting disappointed. Move on. Drop disappointment for life.

My Religion and Me - Why I Don't Need Others to Come Into My Space

My religion and me is a very private affair. As far as I remember I have not been indoctrinated into any religion and whatever my parents felt they wanted to practice, I was automatically taught or rather, taken along. Of course they practiced it differently because it is a matter of their faith and I practice it differently because it is a matter of my faith. They did not impose their religion on me - not the depth of it, not the intensity of it, not the practices. And even if one was indoctrinated as a child, one was at that time when one had no choice in these matters. Which means by the time the child attains majority, he or she should be allowed to choose her religion. And certainly give latitude as to what is the relationship between the individual and his religion. Which is what most civilised societies permit I would think.

Which is also why I do not feel the need to answer anyone about how and what my faith is. No one can tell me that this is how I should practice my faith and if I do this I am a greater servant of the faith and if I don't I am a lesser servant. Also if I love a person of another faith that does not make me any less human or any less of my faith. The people who are going around now giving certificates to people on their faith and their religion etc certainly have no authority to do that. They are using religion to separate. First there will be religion, then there will be community and then there will be caste. Labels, filters, blocks. Nothing to do with religion nor god.

Frankly I do not see why India should even consider itself on the lines of religion. It is not part of our constitution. We are Indians. That is what matters. Can we now throw away this private affair form public life and move on? Can we look at Indians as Indians minus the  religious and caste equation?

First, I would like to state that I am an Indian. No one can claim more patriotism than me just like any son born to a mother is an equal recipient of her love. Irrespective of his success or work. Second, I have no problems with any Indian irrespective of their religion. My problem is with the mischief makers who bring religion into everything. Third, no one needs to certify me about how deeply I practice my religion and how I should practice it. You practice it the way you want to and I will practice it the way I want to. The constitution permits that. Just get out of my face. The more you talk of religion being the separator, the more an enemy of the state and of humanity you are.

And for god's sake stop spewing such venom. The kids don't need this.