Sometimes its all worthwhile

Sometimes people make you smile and in retrospect you feel happy you have meet them. 

Amit Wason is one such person. Having always believed that it is the small incidents that give an idea of the person you really are. 

When making our way back from the Nottingham carnival on a crowded London bus, Amit offered a lady his sit. In my head a voice was going crazy saying " What's up with you man, she is neither old nor pregnant!"  But for him it was natural. And that is just one incident, I can give many such more. 

Whether it is sitting in our garden and having a chat or in a posh restaurant it is so easy to communicate with Amit. It's interesting to hear what he has to say and he is always listening to what you have to say. He is an honest person and have to say in my many years of living; there are very few such people. A successful entrepreneur and fantastically generous man, its nice to share space and a universe with him.

This should have been written for his birthday last week, so I am unhappy that it is a week late. So Cheers Amit!!  Happy to have met you, great to know you and wishing you all the luck, health, happiness in the world

Oh Brother Dear Brother !

Siblings

Today I feel is a good day to look back at the past in comparison to the present. The only people who know you from the day you are born are your siblings. Your brothers and sisters know the child you are and the adolescent you were. Yes, the last sentence was meant to be written like that. 

My brother Sameer ( Sam) for short has known me from the day he was born. The younger of us two for many years I looked out for him; after a while got irritated with him; then did not want to be known as his elder sister; and I really don't know how this happened that now I like to have a conversation with him. And he is looking out for me. Amazing... 

I left home young to study and then to work in broadcasting media, he was studying when I left, we kept in touch. He then went abroad for a while, and called from there regularly. Life happened when he was growing up and as it does for all of us threw some challenges, from which he came out a winner. 

Today he has a family: a supportive wife and a young son. He has such a great understanding of the world at large. He has matured to be such a great guy that I would say “hey you know what I know that guy, yeah have known him for years" His son will benefit from all his wisdom.

On his birthday I would loved to have him sat on my table for me raise a toast “Hey Sam, Happy Birthday brother you are the best, you are my friend."

Little People All Around Us

Little People I love them !!

While riding on the tube this morning, there was a 2 year girl said “Good Morning" and I smiled. In a crowded smelly train, where space is a constraint and the only people who are happy are lovers/couples going to work together. 

Little People that’s what I call them, they always make you smile. They are innocent, funny and speak their mind. Every time I see my nephew's pictures or hear speak to him he always makes me smile. It does not matter what he says as long as he says something. 

Little people inhabit this world with us and the adult world and the little people's world clash, in the supermarkets, in the shops, on the bus, on the tube. Little people do not care that they have interrupted our journey to work or our routine they are still living the illusion that life is an adventure and to live life to the fullest.

We were all little people once and inhabited a world in which a new adventure was around every corner, where living life to the fullest was priority number 1. 

To preserve a part of yourself which keeps the little person in you alive, that I say is the only way to happiness. Life is an adventure and when we are little it’s so clear to see, as we grow older the vision of the world becomes hazy and unclear.

Flying High

There have been many people who have come and disappeared without a trace in my life. Some still remain in the periphery of my larger universe. Assem Bajaj Cinematographer, and extraordinary friend was never one of them.

The thing is that if Assem wanted to be a part of your life there is no way he would settle for being a satellite. He is strong with amazing ability to keep things moving. He has been the Director of Photography for many of my television ventures and has always raised the bar.

Today he is a celebrity in his own right; the winner of a filmfare and many other Indian and International Film Industry recognitions.So proud I am to know him. Over and about all this and his international footprints that he is making in the world at large. The best is that he has kept a very dear friend of mine very happy. Leena his wife and my dear friend has blossomed creatively and spiritually since they have been together.

He has encouraged her to be herself , reach for the stars and always been there. Assem I am so proud to know you as the man you are and the ability that you have had to enrich everyone s life that you have touched.

Happy Birthday dear friend-- Have a great 2013 -- Great Cinematographer and a Fantastic Friend -- Will definitely toast to that!!!

About Second Chances

When Ben Affleck was receiving the award for Best Director at the BAFTA's he said as he raised his trophy this one is for all the people who gave him a second chance. And that set me thinking how lucky those are who get a second chance in life are. How many people would have the opportunity in the same lifetime, for a second chance?

There are so many people, who deserve a second chance, and are given one. Second chance is one of the best things that life can give you, it makes you believe again, gives you a clean slate to start again. Makes you feel you can start your life over.

When a second chance comes knocking on your door, many times it not disguised as opportunity and therefore is hard to recognise. There are times when many may have looked away thinking "I don't know this... I don't recognise it" or “Could this be for real?"

It takes strength, courage and belief to actually make a second change a reality. To recognise it’s appearance, to believe in it’s strength and to make a go of it. Second chance can give you all that you want and more, and the fact that you may be able to lead more than one lifetimes experience in one life. How fantastic is that.

So raising my glass to all those how have believed and had the benefits’ of a second chance and to all those who are still waiting.

Love, Laughter, Friendship, companionship!!

Love, Laughter and Marriage, go together and is a part of being with someone. I believe that every relationship must have laughter; which is as much a binder as music. People like to be happy and as children we laugh a lot more than we do as adults. This is mainly because or perception of the world as changed. We make the world more complicated as we grow older.

The measure of the happiness of any relationship is if it has an

everlasting freshness and a child like ability to laugh. And I think if you have that in any long lasting relationship especially marriage it is fantastic. That's how I could describe my relationship with Chet, companion, friend walking alongside me on the winding path called life.

Chet is one of the most selfless and centred people I have meet, with the tremendously ability to feel detached even after soaking in the experience. He has courage in his choices in life and the ability to break life into its most simple form. Biker with an urge for adventure, it's fantastic to be a part of his life.

Cheers Chet.. Live Life, Laugh Aloud and Never Stop Riding.

2013 is here !!!

Another year another year and yet another year

A build up in September and a culmination in December, euphoria, so irresistible; It never fails to amaze me every year, it's another year gone by the syncs would say. 

My New Year's resolution is to take a look at the road map which is my life, and say thank you to all the many people who are and have been a part of it for so many years.

This one is for Leena Yadav; the director/ the film maker/the painter/ creative writer and my friend of 23 years. On your birthday today you should know; you are kind, generous, giving and always willing to take on a fresh challenge. Your creativity knows no bounds, you have been brave enough to make films that defy convention, the courage to look beyond and the approval of that work has come from unaccepted sources, many of them international. I am so proud of what you have achieved and will always remember the moments we shared looking towards the future. 

There are many aspects of my life that you have influenced and been a part of many of my milestones. There is freshness in our friendship that has been there for years, amazing that how this feeling is always intertwined with being comfortable in silence. If there is one thing that I have learned from you was the art of being compassionate.

Happy Birthday my dearest friend; I raise my glass in toast to the many more years of friendship you and I will share.