DesiReflections

In India, a debate is going on and on : what is Indian and what is not Indian. The nationalist zealots are against Trouser, Shirt, Skirt, Top as these are not Indian. But the same zealots are happy to eat Potato, Tomato, Papaya, Biryani or Parantha as they are totally ignorant that potato and papaya were brought by Portuguese, tomato was accidentally discovered by a French Pastor in 16th century in France, Parantha and Biryani traveled from Turkey and came to India with Mughals. So when things are so confusing about the origin, then probing a snack which is truly Indian seems to me as  a challenge. But Pakoda  definitely boasts to be a Pan India snack with desi origin because with small variation it is available in all part of country. Of course, it has different names in different regions - Pakoda, Bhaja, Bhajia, Bonda , Vada. And it is accepted as snack of riches, middle class as well as poors breaking the class barrier. During Real taste of Pakoda come  with Dhania ...

There is an urgent need to start a debate on recent decisions made by newly appointed Chairman of CBFC Shri Pahlaj Nihlani. He has banned use of cuss words, double meaning words and 'Bombay' in the films. People across the film industry are livid over his decisions and seeing it as interference in the creative process. Film business over the years has changed drastically, new business avenues have opened, TV screening is big source of revenue, but a film can be shown on a TV channel when it is awarded Universal certificate. Earlier, Leela Samson, an acclaimed Bharatnatyam dancer, headed CBFC from 2011. I found her very open to industry's creative suggestions, she initiated open dialogue with industry to march with the changing time. The breaking point regarding her resignation along with other Board members is said to be the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal's (FCAT) green signal to the release of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's controve...

I was looking after media and advertising in a PSB. During that period, a smart , young marketing damsel came with a proposal of In Film Branding, for few Lac rupees she was offering integration of my brand into the flow of the movie. I did no gave much thought as the film was not from any prominent studio or big production house and also the director was not very prominent name. In fact, that lady offered me some thing irresistible for consideration. My stand was very firm, there was no guarantee that this film will hit at box office so associating my brand with a film like that was not wise, another thing, now a days film though passed by censor also create controversies which is not good. After a year, I was watching this movie, I saw a song sequence, shot in Horniman Circle area and glow sign of my brand came naturally without any effort. While on editing table they must have noticed and thought if they can extract some money from my brand that can be additional revenue without mu...

We have all kind of days in a year - Fathers Day, Mothers Day, brothers Day, sisters Day, friendship Day even Chocholate Day the list is endless, now in this list there is one more addition Ghazal Day ! No doubt during seventies and upto second half of eighties, bollywood was full of action movies, and there was little room for melodies, so a new trend of ghazal singing started taking shape. Deep thoughts, soft and tender adaygee made Menhdi Hasan G ulam Ali, Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Anup Jalota overnight celebrities.In fact their concert fees was higher than popular playback singers.But from last ten fifteen years, bollywood music reinvented itself and again people switched into bollywood. Ghazal singing has reached at the lowest, hardly 10 to 15 Ghazal collections come to market even in those collection most of the Ghazals are from the yester years. This time some old school Ghazal singers gathered together and tried to revive Ghazals. So, Anup Jalota, Talat Aziz and Chitra ...

I started searching a flat which fits into my budget and be within the Greater Mumbai limits, with a modest budget, it was a real big challenge.My search took me even beyond the boundaries of these limits but I could not find a flat which should be in city but still free from hustle bustle of modern cities. Ultimately I did get a flat in Goregaon East which really fulfill this criteria. The Building is facing two hill tops of Sanjay Gandhi National Park and on the right side there is a lush green deep and vast valley. Not far away is Aarey area which boast to to be one of the very first Government initiative initiated in fifties to full fill growing cosmopolitan milk requirement somewhere in the early fifties Hill tops are so close that as if you can touch them. The area is a home to 76 species of birds, 86 species of butterflies,13 species of amphibians, 38 types of reptiles, 19 kind of spiders and 34 different types of wild flowers. People spot mammals including leopards, spotted d...