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.

Being A Women in a Modern World

The gang rape of a young girl in New Delhi has sparked outrage throughout the world. In the same week there is a man in east London who is randomly stabbing women. Two very different parts of the world women were being harmed in different ways. This is just two examples.

I have always thought that being a women in modern world, would be full of opportunities, a bright future, the freedom and impression that all women can breath. In the modern world women have grown changed, accepted, adapted and tried to make a difference.

Have women moved on and left the "stronger" sex behind? Where is it going wrong? And why is this acceptable?

2012 saw 65,000 sexual offences against women, in South Africa. Every part of the world is inhabited by the fairer sex and there are varying degrees of sexual offences against them. There is no generalisation as to why there is a decaying behaviour against women spanning continents. Each society is different and the canvas is reflective of that.

It makes me wonder as a woman of the modern world, have I made a difference to the society I inhabit. How can I say with confidence that I belong to a society that has accepted my success along with my sisters. There needs to a shift of perception and a flexibility of society. Will this take another 100 years?

When will being a woman in the modern world have meaning? 

People are Strange

The Doors wrote lyrics that comes to mind when travelling on a crowded train in London

“People are strange when you're a stranger; faces look ugly when you're alone."

There are thousands who use the tube everyday and each is pre occupied in their own world; travelling in different directions and making their way through the city. If you look around and just observe faces, many faces. Thoughtful, angry or then pre occupied. All our faces tell a story, and every story has some good and bad, some ups and downs. Faces are interesting especially when there is no mask and that only happens when people are unaware that they are being watched. It would be nice to look into people's mind and see what they are thinking. The thought could be as trivial as “Oh! I fancy a spicy meal" or has deep as “I wonder where my life is going and is this the end". The face may not tell all but it will give an idea of the thought.

I think faces that are older are the ones that tell all; they really tell you what lies beneath. On the tube there are hundreds of faces buried in books, newspapers. Tuning out the world while plugging in to a cell phone, I pad, or a tablet.

Next time you are on the tube; take a look around and see the faces. Tell me what you see.

Mondays!!!

Today is Monday, the start of the week. The day that says another week has gone past; and that time has flown. If you work in a regular job with regular hours; Monday - Friday 9.00 am to 5.30 pm, Monday is not perceived as a good day.

The faces you see on a Monday on a train are grim, unhappy, worried, stressed, and some forlorn. In the UK it's good manners and communication to ask co-workers “So how was your weekend?" And the reaction could vary from "Oh I had the in-laws around", "Got wasted”, “Same old same old”. But it always ends with “Oh I am so tired and it is just Monday" 

And that’s how Monday got a bad name, if we go back before the week was broken into days and the days were named. Everyone worked and spend hours, days and weeks doing so. But there was no day to be blamed for the start of the week.

If there was a popularity contest for days of the week; Monday would come last and Sunday first, after beating Saturday by a whisker. And considering there is only 24 hours between the two it’s something to think about.

Would it be any different if the week started with a Tuesday or maybe a Saturday?