We can still

We can still

We can still scamper and scurry around, 

bare-feet in the garden,

We can still  enjoy a day, without entering the complex web  around.

We can still  drink in the pure, unadulterated joy of an evening spent near nature,

We can still  put pen to paper and try to write longhand.

I know its difficult, but not entirely impossible. 

It isn't some miraculous spell, nor any charming swoosh of a wand. 

It's a simple word called choice. 

Just by the way, we still can do, whatever it is that we want. 

All that jazz

Greetings for Diwali and for a new year, dear readers. This time, I'll leave you with yet another video. The creative writing project, this is a sitcom that focuses on a college play. So enjoy this light hearted comedy and spread cheer!

Rehnuma

If you were wondering what kept me away from writing.

This is another of my group projects, a short film made for understanding cinema. A result of a lot of hard work, this movie has been a feat to achieve. Without the support of my group members and dear friends, this movie wouldn't be possible. Hina Thadani deserves a special mention as she was instrumental in writing the poetry too.

You will find Ali's poetry here:


Do wakht ki roti kamata hu,
Afsos nahi karta hu,
Jo kamatu hu wohi sahi,
kyunki mein kissi ka mohtaj nahi.


Aaj khomoshi hai,
Aaj tanhai hai,
Dil pe laga zakhm to hai,
Par woh hi sacchai hai.


Zindagi kiske liye?
Bandagi kiske liye?
Agar bantnewala koi na ho,
To har khushi kiske liye?


Sapno ka shehar hai,
Par bheed me akela,
Bhavnao ki lehar mein,
Hai uljhano ka mela.


Sarhado ke paar,
Ek zindagi dekhta hu,
Usse khushiyo ki yaadein mangta hu,
Ae khuda, kyun hai tanhai har tohfa tera?
Mangta hu mein sirf ek naya savera.

Khaali raaste the, khaali gufaein thi,
Khaalipan tha, kaali ghatayein thi,
Chalta jata tha mein issi umeed mein,
Ki kabhi toh soungaa khushal jivan ki chaav mein.

Aaj hua hai yakin,
Woh savera hai yahin,
Ab hui hai zindagi suhaani,
Kyunki apni yaari hai ruhani.



Yeh kismat ka khel toh dekho,
Zindagi ko aise mod par le aati hai,
Ki kuchh na hone ke bawajud bhi,
Puri kaynat mil jaati hai

Zindagi mein koi aata hai,
Ruh ko chhukar,
Rehnuma sa ban jata hai,
Yeh kismat ka khel to dekho,
Bas yaadein chhod jata hai.

Twist and shout!

This is a short music video project that I was part of. It was too much fun shooting. Hope you guys have as much fun watching it as we had making it. The music is 'Twist and shout' by the Beatles. Here you go!  Enjoy!

The revoltionary's prayer

This is a poem which I wrote for an event of Kiran, K.C. College's inter college fest. The theme was  the rise.(revolution) It won the first prize.

There is a rise in the echo of peace,
A fall in the noise of revolution,

There have been enough tears and talks,
Now is the time for some heroic action.

Arise like a phoenix to the occasion,
From the ashes of not only your nation,
,
But also its people ,citizens of the world,
Join this glorious rebellion
In a procession.

Leave cynicism behind this monsoon

This blog post is an article written by me and it was published in HT's column, 'Speak Easy' on the 10th of June, 2012. 

It was raining that evening as I was struggled home from my classes in Andheri (East). I had an umbrella, but it was of little use. Drenched, I sought my way through the semi-lit roads. When I reached the subway, I realized I had made a mistake. The area was completely flooded with knee deep water. I struggled to wade through it, and was finally helped by a fellow pedestrian.

            This incident took place two years ago. As the monsoons approach the city this year, I am waiting for ‘the clouds’ to ‘bring fresh showers to the thirsty flowers’’, as poet PB Shelley says.

Sure, I am a tad nervous, but that is because of a new year in college. The rains in Mumbai have a way of relieving people of their burdens.

          There are reasons to complain, but if you refuse to be cynical, there are reasons to be grateful too. We can blame the BMC officials for corruption or we can be proactive. We could try losing our cool because of the traffic or we could help divert it. When we should be saying no to plastic, why are still talking about the deluge of 26/7? When we know that the sweeper should not be throwing leaves into the manholes, why do we let him do exactly that?

The choice is all ours, really. We could curse the rains for making our children sit at home or thank it for the bountiful crops it will grow. We could fulfill our duties as citizens or crack jokes about the meteorological department’s predictions. Certainly, we could stop cribbing about the stuffy weather in the train compartment for once and try to enjoy the spray of rainwater.

         This season provides us with the perfect opportunity to give ourselves a welcome break. Be it enjoying hot beverages and deep fried snacks, a siesta or reading a book, there are several ways to spend a rainy afternoon. Smell the earth, or paint, teach your kids how to cover their textbooks or make paper boats. Romantic songs, a nice movie or a jigsaw puzzle could really help lift your mood. Nothing is better than getting away to a hill station for the weekend.

Getting drenched in the first showers was never out of vogue. For the health freaks out there, there is always a mountain to trek on. For the nature lovers and bike enthusiasts, try a trip to a waterfall. Thunder makes for an ideal companion to soothe one’s loneliness. You could always curl up with a magazine or book. Retail therapy could also put a smile on your face.

Whether it is Malhar or Umang, college fests in the rain are always a hit with students. Let it drizzle or rain cats and dogs, these festivals never go unattended. As for the real festivals, there is no dearth of them. From start to end, the monsoon is full of jubilation: Janmashtami, Ganesh Chathurthi, and even Navratri fall during this season. But celebrating again, doesn’t give us a reason to act irresponsibly. To ensure that our monsoon is enjoyable, we have to change our own habits. For instance, we could stop littering, use eco-friendly materials for the Ganesha idol and use the same clay pot for Navratri the next year.

This will definitely help us in the long run. If we join hands now, we can make a better tomorrow. We can enjoy the rains if we are responsible.

Childhood

Little folded hands, laughing faces and innocence.

Now, I stare at kids who play at the garden, while I feel like I was playing there just yesterday.  I was the carefree creature who had nothing to do except what I wanted to do.

TV meant Disney channel and shows like ‘Lizzie McGuire’, ‘Hannah Montana’, ‘That’s so Raven’, and films like ‘Harry Potter’ used to be my favourites.  Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy an episode of ‘The suite life of Zack and Cody’ or a film of the ‘Home Alone’ series, but somehow, something has changed. I no longer experience the pleasure of being a child.

‘The tale of 2 cities’ has been replaced by ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ and ‘Scarlet Pimpernel’ by ‘A thousand splendid suns’ As for TV, you better not ask. My favorite genre is crime, followed by mystery and then thrillers. ‘Supernatural’, ‘Castle’ and ‘Dexter’ are on the top of my ‘must see’ list. The good old days of school seem to be days of a different birth. Guess I should just go back to watching Friends and reminiscing about school days, try to discover how I lost my innocence and came of age.