ADHAA

Setting: A chilly winter's night. Person1 and I are strolling in the garden, right after dinner. Person1: You're totally spoilt aren't you?! You should try to be a "good girl". Me : Yea right. Whatever. Is it a crime, to have fun, to be a little crazy sometimes? If its one thing I've learnt, its that craziness is key to creativity, to liberation. Person1 (Trapped, and knowing not what to say) : ....That all said and done, there must be a little discipline in your life. Me: Wrong. Instead, you should have your own set of dynamic philosophies. These are philosophies you build on, based on your experiences.You keep experimenting with them, and if a particular philosophy fails, you chuck it, or modify it according to your reason. Silence. I can feel the wind caressing my face, and a person2 somewhere close by, watching us. I'm guessing person2 is interested in the way the conversation is going, though when I look up at her, she gives me an expression that sug...

1.The Ganesh Chathurthi festival that made Shantivan come alive - The Mumbai philosophy - "Ganesh isn't just God, he's a superstar!" 2.The bollywood quizzes (who fought with Salman Khan), the insane questions (Am I mature?), the different stories (largely Divya's own fabrications) that Divya and I shared @ office/on IP messenger! 3.Spreading pollution - The "Dostana factor" introduced at home and at SSI; 4.The assigning of names to every room-mate, and the immemorables with them: Anu alais Draupadi : Have gone as far as we could go,in hymn & in search of a lost love ; rewriting a love story, only, one without an end; Divya alais thalaivi (head) : Embarassing her at all our dine outs; embarassing her wherever we went - the best remembered being the train journey where a complete stranger seriously began advising her, telling her that she was in danger of becoming a psychopath; The best movie we watched together : Chandni Chowk to China; Bhavani, alai...

................................................................................ Sunday, the 27th of July,2008. There was something about that little kid-perhaps it was just the fact that he was very tiny. With a poise and calm that somehow blended well with his physical stature, he stood up to speak his name.I noticed he was a favourite among the students as well. From then on, he came to my attention now and again, but with just as much of a casual glance that I placed on the others.I asked them the usual ice-breaking questions- Who played cricket, whether they really liked school, what they did when they got back home....He wasn't so much of an active participant. Then at the end of the class he touched my feet. Perhaps it was something he was told to do back home. But for that, I wouldn't have understood where I belong. Epilogue: Over a period of time with these kids, I've realised one thing. The idea is not about doing a favor.Its about how my role in their life is int...

......The key to it lies in the art of film-making. And I don't mean film-making with a story made in a different time frame. I mean film-making where you are the actor and director now. The beauty here is that the actor is conscious of his/her presence and influence, as well as the presence and influence of others. He/She becomes the director of any future events that take place. At the same time, the film does not lose out on giving vicarious thrills, which in this sense, is an exponent of awareness. By this,I imply being in touch with your own sensations and feelings, so that you are actually present to the whole experience. This is about film-making going LIVE , playing LIVE . To become a good film-maker, one must be able to constantly evaluate the situation. Thus, it requires one to regularly prompt questions, questions that seek to provide creative answers. It is this creativity element that becomes the crucible to deciding whether the film has made an impression -I obvious...