Baaton Baaton Mein...

With Abhishek Bhardwaj

If you could live anywhere on this planet and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose to live? Tell the group about your choice.

Upper east side (Manhattan). I wish to wake up every morning and jog in Central Park. 

If you could be in the movie of your choice, what movie would you choose and what character would you play? 
Michael Corleone, The Godfather

What are your 5 favorite foods? 

Anyone who knows me well, knows my weakness for Chhole Bhature. Can have them 5 times a day!

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you want to have with you? 

A working Satellite Phone, coconuts to last a couple of days and a good book to spend that time with.

What item that you don't have already, would you most like to own?

I would very much like to own a Jetpack and avoid driving through the fearsome Ring Road traffic.

If you could only choose one vacation destination where would you pick and why? 
Scotland. The highlands, lovely castles and the best scotch to sample – what more does a man need on a holiday

If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would the slogan be? 
It’s better to burnout than to fade away.

If you could meet any living person for a chat over a shared dinner, who would you pick and why?

Thor Odinson. I would like to ask him why he didn’t aim for the head??

Creative Corner - Ajanta Bhattacharjee

Have We Been Ignoring What Paparazzi Culture Is Doing To Millennials?

A big difference between us and the previous generation is the existence of social media. Our parents did not have Facebook or Instagram to post pictures and share personal information. Millennials spend at least 27 hours every week on social media. The existence of social media has also changed lives of celebrities in India.

Actors have had stardom in previous decades but they were a mystery for common people. Today, they are relatable. Today, we see them through pictures, thanks to the paparazzi. They also post pictures on social media themselves. Paparazzi has been doing a commendable job clicking celebrities in and out, their favorite being a little kid Taimur Ali Khan!

But this connect has influenced our lives in more than one way. According to McKinsey, social media is highly responsible for referrals brands get, hence boosting their sales. Millennials have also started following their favorite celebrity’s lifestyles. But is it worthwhile? It is good to look good, but everyone’s priorities may be different. Celebrities spend a lot of money on their appearance. It is an important part of their work to look a certain way.

Due to this influence, fitness has also become something more than simply a healthy lifestyle. Millennials believe starving is fine, if it can give flat abs. At times obesity can be a medical condition but now body shaming does not spare you even if you have PCOD. You must be perfect. All this and what not!

Paparazzi has helped us build connect with celebrities and their luxurious lifestyle. It is upto us to use this connect in a healthy way. Instead of aping every move, we can get inspired by them and try and be successful like some of them are.

Creative Corner - Nitesh Kumar Singh

आह्लाद

दुपहरी की बेला थी
अंतस भी था कुछ उचटा उचटा सा
संयमित करना चाहता था निज को
फिर भी न जाने क्यूँ था उखड़ा उखड़ा सा,
विगत स्मृतियों में,
भुलाकर
साहित्य में डुबाकर
सो जाना चाहता था
पुस्तकों की अलमारी के द्वार खोल
खोजने लगा मन चाही पुस्तक,
पढ़ कर जिसे
खो जाना चाहता था |

दृष्टी पड़ी अकस्मात
पापा की लिखी पुरानी डायरियों पर
हुक सी उठी
स्पंदित हुईं भावनाएं 
चित्रित हुई समस्त घटनाएँ |

उठाकर डायरी
पढने लगा
विगत स्मृतियाँ
चलचित्र सी तैरने लगी 
हर अक्षर अब भी स्वर्ण सा चमक रहा था
सूखे गुलाब की पंखुड़ी सा महक रहा था |

वे मात्र कागज के पन्ने नही थे,
हर पन्ना सम्पूर्ण इतिहास था,
मध्यवर्गीय परिवार के मुखिया के
उत्तरदायित्वों का अहसास था |

नयन नीर
बहने लगे
प्रगाढ़ता क्या होती है
हर शब्द कहने लगे
संबंधों के बंधन
कितने सुदृढ़ होते हैं
हम समझने लगे |

उनकी गोद
की ममत्व भरी ऊष्णता
अब भी हो रही थी प्रतीत 
लग रहा था
एक
वट वृक्ष के तले 
हर आपत्ति से परे
बैठा हूँ सुरक्षित |

भानु प्रकाश 
तेज़ वारिद पटल की गोद में छुप चूका था
रजनीश भी
किरणों की प्रभा भूल 
गुम हो चूका था
तब अँधेरे मार्ग पर 
ले एक छोटा सा दीपक
आपने मार्ग दिखाया |

जीवोन्मुख विचार धाराओं को 
दे प्रगतीशील आयाम,
जो दिखाया था मार्ग आपने 
आज भी प्रशस्त है,
जो कुछ भी हूँ
पापा आपका है बताया|

विडम्बना इतनी है 
अल्पायु में
आप छोड़ चले गए
इन निर्बल स्कन्धों पर
भार छोड़ चले गए
उत्तरदायित्वों का 
निरंतर चल रहा हूँ
थक कर भी अथक हूँ,
इस विशाल जगत में 
सब के साथ हूँ 
फिर भी पृथक हूँ, 
प्रेरणा आपकी साथ है चल रही 
एक दीप्ति सी भी बढ़ रही 
मैं भी आगे बढ़ रहा हूँ |

Baaton Baaton Mein

With Dr. Gagandeep Singh

If you could live anywhere on this planet and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose to live? Tell the group about your choice.

I would like to spend my life in English Countryside with my family in a quite environment.

If you could be in the movie of your choice, what movie would you choose and what character would you play? 
My favorite movies: The Lord of the Rings and I would love to play Bilbo Baggins/martin Freeman//A Beautiful Mind and I would love to play John Nash/Russell Crowe

What are your 5 favorite foods? 
Yellow Lentils, Homemade Chicken (cooked by my father or father-in-law), Chickpeas, Biryani and Paranthe

What item that you don't have already, would you most like to own?  
I like to own our own house 

If you could only choose one vacation destination where would you pick and why? 
NICE, France as that was the first time I travelled to Europe with my family and that was just superb.  We still miss the week we spent there.

If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would the slogan be? 
Per ardua ad astra ("Through adversity to the stars" or "Through struggle to the stars").

If you could meet any living person for a chat over a shared dinner, who would you pick and why? 
It should be Peter Jackson, as I really admire his work and creativity.

If you could choose one hobby that now seems out of your reach either financially or time-wise, what hobby would you take up and why? 

I wish to learn composing music especially playing piano, don’t think it would be possible in years to come, but I will keep thinking about it

Creative Corner - Dr. Jyoti Bajaj

History of Indian Cinema

India is a land of variety. It is a land of cultures, language, arts, crafts, performing styles and music. These have been instrumental in depicting stories of Gods and Goddesses, a memory, an emotion like love, betrayal, or just simply about a girl in a small village. Being a cultural hub with some of the best contemporary works on record, stories have shaped India’s path of film-making for more than a century now.

Our glorious 100-year old Indian cinema grows more beautiful every year with addition of about 1,000 movies. Tracing down the roots, as some may like to acknowledge, its prequel is less known and much overlooked. Excerpts from a book compiled by veteran film journalist Mohammad Yaseen Gureja suggest that films were first shown on 7 July, 1896, marking the birth of Indian cinema. The event took place in Bombay at the stylish Watson Hotel. The incredible excitement around prompted the next screening within a few days. Novelty Theatre was chosen as the new venue and the audience was entertained with 24 different shows, which included Dancer, Train, London Girl to name a few. Had you had a chance to watch these shows, you would have cherished the treasure for as low as 4 annas (25 paise). Gradually, film-making was being celebrated and started getting more recognition.  Theatres and open grounds, like the popular Splendid Park in Bombay, were booked for shows for the masses.

In the following six to seven years, the ripples of excitement reached Calcutta, which attracted equal interest in the region. Star Theatre was one of the places where the movies were screened first in Bengal. Back in Bombay, a photographer from Maharastra, Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatvadekar, was so enthralled with the arrival of the cinematograph in India that he ordered a movie camera from London at a price of 21 guineas. In 1897, he captured several shots of a wrestling match at the Hanging Gardens in Bombay, got them processed from London, and this way made his first movie The Wrestlers. An era of movies began thereon.

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke, was another legend. Born in a village 18 kms from Nashik in Maharashtra, he was fond of art and theatre. He invested most of his time reading books. In 1912, he managed to go to England to get trained in filmmaking by securing some money from loans. In 1913, Phalke gave India its first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra. It gained a premier place in the history of Indian cinema. The period after 1913 saw an immense increase in the number of movies being released—two movies in 1913, one in 1914, four in 1916, four in 1917, seven in 1918, eight in 1919, 18 in 1920, 28 in 1921, 58 in 1922, 43 in 1923, 72 in 1924, and 80 in 1925. The films that followed have defined Indian cinema across generations to the level what we see today.

Creative Corner - Esha Saini

Its Okay

Its okay. Its okay to be lazy at times and do nothing all day. Just taking a break and being in your shell for a while, pondering upon your thoughts, your ideas, your dreams , your goals or any random thing that makes you happy. Though constant hustle and grind is necessary to achieve the things that you want in life but taking out time to relax, to rest, to contemplate, to retrospect, to rewind, to reflect is also important. Its all part of the process. Because after all as it is said, “Life is not a race, its a journey.”

Its okay. Its okay to be vocal about your thoughts your feelings and just don’t live with the fear of offending others because of them. Truth might be hurtful but lies can be destructive. Be someone who helps others to grow and not demolish. After all its all about how much you can give and not what you receive.

Its okay. Its okay to  accomplish your goals your dreams at your own pace. You are doing everything as per your timeline. There is nothing called as “Too late” . Some people are able to achieve great things at the age of twenty and some at the age of forty still struggle to get a decent job but are still happy with what they have. Dont compare yourself with others because you have your own story and you are unique in your own way.

Its okay to fail at doing simple things. Sometimes what simple appears to others may be actually difficult when it comes into action. Dont judge yourself just because they can easily do it and you are struggling at it. Just keep on trying. Try as hard as you can.

Its okay. Its okay to be a little selfish when it comes to your happiness, your dreams, your aspirations ,your ambitions even when the whole world is against you. Fight your battle and prove them wrong. Be the hero of your own story and not a villain because villains only look good in movies ;)