When Shuffle Really Works

MP3 shuffle works - but you love it the most when it plays some great melodies - back to back. After all, who would not love a personal jockey - who dishes out the best songs - one after another.

Well, after a long long time - my MP3 player (who also works as my cell phone, and my offline blog notebook) - played out some good surprsies. 

The first one was Bas Ek Pal - from the movie with the same title.

The song is a bit sad - but has great music and some awesome lines.

I like these the most.

Sunaah hain Mohabbath ki Thakdeer mein,
Likhein hain andherein Ghanee,
Thabi aaj Shayad Sitare Sabi,
Zara saahi roshan hue...
Mere haath ki in Lakeeron mein
Likhe abhi aur kithne... sitam,
Khafaa Ho gayein hain kushi
Waqt sey ho rahein hain meherbaan gam

The next one was from an album - Relax, Take It Easy.

What more can I say?Just relax and take it easy. There is an answer to the darkest times.



And last but not the least, one of my all time favorites - Dil Chahta Hai.

Often I find myself echoing the thoughts of the next four lines.

Kaisa Ajab Yeh Safar Hai,

Socho To Har Ik Hi Bekhabar Hai

Usko Jaana Kidhar Hai,

Jo Waqt Aaye, Jaane Kya Dikhaaye
 

Great music never fails to uplift a sagging spirit!!

Sarararara

Once in a while, you have a song which you like immensely. Half an year back, it was Mora Piya from Rajneeti for me.

And today I caught onto this song - Sarararara - from the movie Yeh Saali Zindagi.

The lines of this song are simply amazing - they echo "life" so nicely.

=

Kuch deke chalti woh, sab leke chalti woh
Hai dum toh rok usse, balkhaake chalti woh
Sarararara, zindagi nikal chali
Sarararara, haathon se fisal chali sararara

== 

Or were they meant for this pretty actress (read Aditi Rao Hydari) in the movie? 

Catch a small video of this song right below

And the entire lyrics too.

Sarara sarara sararara
Sarararara, zindagi nikal chali
Sarararara, haathon se fisal chali sararara

Hey behla ke chalti woh, phusla ke chalti woh
Kanya karaari si, itra ke chalti woh

Kuch dekhe chalti woh
Sab leke chalti woh
Hai dum toh rok usse
Bal kha ke chaldi woh

Mara mara mara ..
Girta na har tu toh mara mara

Arrey sarararara, zindagi nikal chali sararara

Khwaabon ki jootar hai, yaadon ki payal hai
Zindagi husn tera hum tere kayal hain
Aaja na reham tera humpe barsa ja
Sarara sarara ..

Aaja na jhalak teri humko dikhlaja
Teri raahon mein bhich jaaye bas tere nagme kayi
Aaja na aaja na aaja aaja aa
Tumpe apna bhi haq hai, apna haq leke jaaye
Behla ke chalti woh, phusla ke chalti woh
Kanya karaari si, balkha ke chalti woh

Sarararara, zindagi nikal chali
Sarararara, haathon se fisal chali sararara

Sa sa sa ra ra ra ..

Hey hum chalte hum rukte, sab teri hi marzi hai
Jeenay ki chaahat ho, kehde kyun khudgarzi hai
Aaja na noor tera humpe barsa ja
Sarara sarara ..

Tu koi noor nahin, tohdi narmi toh la
Tu agar zid pe atki hai hum bhi na gabhraaye
Aaja na aaja na aaja aaja aa
Chori karna bhi ik fun hai
Apna fun na aazmaaye

Kuch deke chalti woh, sab leke chalti woh
Hai dum toh rok usse, balkhaake chalti woh
Sa sa sa ra ra ra ..
Sarararara, haathon se fisal chali sararara

Khwaabon ki jootar hai, yaadon ki payal hai
Zindagi husn tera hum tere kayal hain
Aaja na reham tera humpe barsa ja
Sarara sarara ..

Aaja na jhalak teri humko dikhlaja
Teri raahon mein bhich jaaye bas tere nagme kayi
Aaja na aaja na aaja aaja aa
Tumpe apna bhi haq hai, apna haq leke jaaye
Kuch deke chalti woh, sab leke chalti woh
Hai dum toh rok usse, balkhaake chalti woh

Sarararara, zindagi nikal chali
Sarararara, haathon se fisal chali sararara
Sarara sarara ..

This movie also stars one of my favorite stars - Chitrangada.

Chitrangada Singh

"Ohh My God!!!". 

This is what I said when I looked at this picture of hers less than 24 hours back.

She is none other than Chitrangada Singh.

I was reading a new article which had her interview. It said - her name meant - someone with unique features. I wouldn't disagree.

All of 34 years, the Indian actress has been on silver screen for the last 8 years. Yet she has acted in just 5 films.

Six years back, she made a stunning debut in the film - Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (A Thousand Such Wishes). Her role as Geeta Rao received widespread appreciation.

In this movie, she didn't dress up in alluring clothes. Or didn't have any enticing make up. Yet, I found her amazingly attractive.

A month back, I wrote about Attraction. And contemplated why someone is attracted towards someone.

It's very difficult to say why someone is attracted to someone. And Chitrangada is that someone for me.

After 2005, Chitrangada took a hiatus from making movies. 

And when she made her comeback in 2008, starring in Sorry Bhai, I made a beeline to watch her movie on the first weekend.

And then she disappeared again. Only to come back again in 2011.

Starring in Yeh Saali Zindagi, she is making waves again.

So what is it about Chitrangada which makes her so enamoring, so tempting, so alluring, so charismatic??

Is it her eyes - which makes you drown in them??

Or is it her dusky looks, coupled with a messy hairstyle which gives her that desirable look?

Or is it her oomph factor - elegantly conveyed in the snap below - which would give the super models a run for their money?

Or her cute smile?

Or is it simply her elegance?

Keep thinking. And let me know if you are attracted towards her.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

He is back. Harry Potter is back.

With "You Know Who" a.k.a "He Who Must Not Be Named", you have Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Severus Snape making a comeback on the silver screen after a long gap one and a half years.

Just a week back, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows opened to the audiences in the U.K. The prime Harry Potter cast - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint - were the center of attraction on the red carpet.

And yesterday, it has made an opening in India.

A lot has changed in this last year and a half.

In the past decade, people have taken a liking for fantasies. - be it Harry Potter or the Chronicles of Narnia. It helps ordinary men and women, like you and me, to escape the harsh realities of the real world. 

After all, who wouldn't like a world where you could get anything that you would desire with a flick of a wand.

And this is what made Harry Potter a phenomenon. 

Since 1997, after the release of the book - Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone, and subsequently with its immensely popular movie series, Harry and his gang has been heroes in the world of fantasies.

But off late they are facing stiff, very stiff, competition from Bella Swan and Edward Cullen - courtesy the Twilight Saga.

But with the kind of hoopla surrounding The Deathly Hallows, you can  safely consider that the Harry Potter magic is much alive and kicking.

This movie promises to be the darkest of the series. After all, it is a culmination of the battle between Good and Evil, and between Harry and Lord Voldemort. 

Harry's mentor - Albus Dumbledore - died in the closing parts of the The Half Blood Prince. 

With this, in The Deathly Hallows, you have Harry with his limited group of friends - Hermione, Ron, the Professors at Hogwarts and The Order Of The Phoenix - trying to find the elusive horcruxes, in an effort to destroy The Dark Lord.

The movie starts with the dramatic escape of Harry with the seven Potters. And later, it is battle all the way - between the Death Eaters and Harry and team.

You will also have Harry romancing Ginny - in one of the few simple yet  intense moments of the movie.

And Ron and Hermione sharing some quiet and intimate moments in the dark and trying times.

And if you are planning to catch the movie, here is the spectacular trailer.

It has been a long and a fruitful journey for the three stars in the past decade.

Ten years back, they were kids, fighting the Dark Forces.

Today, they are super stars in the world of cinema.

Go ahead and enjoy the movie.

One thing is for sure. The die hard Harry Potter fans would definitely be looking forward to July 2011 - when the final edition of The Deathly Hallows and  it's battle royale is rolled out in the theaters.

Tees Maar Khan

Diwali is considered to be one of the most auspicious occasions to wish and hope for the success of any activity in India.

And on this Diwali, considering this very fact, the maker's of the movie "Tees Maar Khan" decided to launch its movie promos and trailers across India today.

I have been on leave for this entire week. Watching songs on television was the most common pass time, considering my love for music.

But today, the new trailers from this movie were a welcome change. And needless to say, they were immensely attractive.

Although it would be extremely difficult to list down at least "Tees" (Thirty) reasons to watch this movie, a feeble attempt can be made to list at least a few.

Here goes the list.

Right at the top, the movie looks to be a perfect Bollywood masala movie. The dialogs looks witty and the cast is attractive.

It seems to have adequate support characters which help in propping up any Bollywood movie. And lastly, it should definitely have some nicely shot songs.

Second reason is the plot itself. The exploits of a conman have thrilled many a generations. 

Add some fun, some thrill, some excitement, some messy situations to this plot, and you have an winning theme. The last such movie which made a immense mark was "Oye Lucky.. Lucky Oye" starring Abhay Deol.

Next comes the director - Farah Khan. I would say, she has made an effective transition from being a choreographer to a director.

This is just her third film in the last seven years - which indicates that she must be putting a lot of thought before starting on any new venture. Her last two movies were excellent commercial success stories.

"Main Hoon Na" was released way back in 2004, when I was still a college student. It was considered to be good entertainer, alothough some people might disagee. And "Om Shanti Om" managed to keep me intrigued for three hours when I was alone in a foreign land.

Coming next is the USP of the movie - the lead star - Akshay Kumar. From the trailers, he seems to have played the role of the conman perfectly - with his timely dialog delivery and excellent acting.

He has already made his mark in some comic roles earlier. And people must be looking forward to this witty role.

And if Akshay Kumar is around, how can Katrina Kaif be behind? She will be romancing Akshay in this movie.

And most likely, she will be his crime partner and will be assisting him in his "not-so-good" con jobs. One thing is for sure - she will be setting the silver screen on fire with her alluring dances and enticing looks.

Next comes Akshay "Eclipse" Khanna.

He makes appearances in movies with such rarity that it would give the humble solar and lunar eclipses a complex. But if you are a fan of Akshay Khanna, then you would rush to the nearest theatre to have a look at him.

Then you also have Salman Khan, who has taken a cue from his sister-in-law Mallaika Arora Khan, and has worked on an item song in this movie.

What would be your take on Munna Badnaam Hua??

And finally, considering Shahrukh Khan's friendship with the director, you can have King Khan in a hush-hush secret role.

These seem to be the few reasons why the movie should generate enough attention in run up to its release on 24th Dec 2010.

That brings, to my mind, another reason for watching this movie. For the last two years, movies released on the Christmas weekends - "Ghazini" in 2008, and "Three Idiots" in 2009 - have been mega blockbusters.

Will "Tees Maar Khan" keep up that tradition? Only time will tell.

And only time will tell whether I get the oppurtunity to watch this movie on that weekend.

Until then, we can have the songs for our company. Catch some of them right below as you wait in anticipation.

The first one is the overall promo for the movie.

This one is the almost the title song of the movie.

And then finally you have the hit item number - Sheila Ki Jawani. Katrina Kaif is bound to set the silver screen on fire with this rocking dance.

Sunidhi Chauhan has given her voice to this song. And I can't thing of any other Indian lady singer who would have done better justice to this titillating number.

Don't You Want Me Baby?

Once in a while, you hear a jingle, a song, which strikes a chord with your heart.

That was the case recently (day before yesterday to be precise) with me.

While watching the movie Cyrus, a simple small talk during a "first meeting" between the lead pair - John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei - turns into a impromptu dance when the lead actor hears a song playing on the radio.

The song in question is - Don't You Want Me Baby?

This song was sung way back in 1981 by the British group - The Human League.

This song has the distinction of being the best song for the music group. It is well known among music aficionados. And needless to say, it was a huge commercial success.

Starring the attractive Marisa Tomei - this song doesn't fail to lift your spirits.

Catch some part of the music video from the movie right below.

And if this short extract from the movie has left you wanting more, then catch the original song - as sung by the group - right here.



And catch the entire lyrics of the song right below

You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar

When I met you

I picked you out, I shook you up, and turned you around

Turned you into someone new

Now five years later on you've got the world at your feet

Success has been so easy for you

But don't forget its me who put you where you are now

And I can put you back down too

Don't, don't you want me?

You know I cant believe it when I hear that you wont see me

Don't, don't you want me?

You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me

Its much too late to find

You think you've changed your mind

You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry

Don't you want me baby? don't you want me - oh

Don't you want me baby? don't you want me - oh

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar

That much is true

But even then I knew I'd find a much better place

Either with or without you

The five years we have had have been such good times

I still love you

But now I think its time I lived my life on my own

I guess it's just what I must do

Don't you want me baby? don't you want me - oh

Don't you want me baby? don't you want me - oh [repeat 4 times]

Double Century

Three years and two hundred blog posts. 

This has been the journey of my blog since I started writing on this very page. 

Just a fortnight back, I posted the 200th post - without realizing that I had crossed a vital landmark.

Landmarks should be stepping stones to further successes. And with this in mind, I look back at a few blog posts from my collection - the one's who bought in the best traffic, and the one's who didn't bring in much of traffic but made me happy.

My first traffic spinner was Ana Ivanovic, the Serbian Tennis Star, with her photo shoot for Sports Illustrated with Pink Tennis Balls.

This photo shoot of hers has been an hit with online community crazy about Female Tennis Players. And when Google listed my blog page right at the top of the result, the traffic flowed in.

Check out the photo shoot on my blog post and see who catches your attention - Ana Ivanovic or the Pink Tennis Balls?

Next one were the all famous "Football WAGs".

Between June-July 2010, when the World Cup football was in progress, the players took all the attention.

And immediately after the World Cup, their wives and girlfriends were in focus. The ladies who garnered the largest attraction were Sara Carbonero, Alex Curran and Sarah Brander.

These ladies too bought in a lot of traffic. Read about their claim to fame on my blog post.

And most recently, it was a blog post on Mao Zedong, who bought in a lot of viewers.

Courtesy Google, an image on my blog post was listed as the first image in Google Search, with "Mao Zedong" as the search query.

Check out my opinion and links between Mao Zedong, Maoism and Maoists here.

But blogging is not all about bringing in more traffic.

It has more to do with writing things which are close to your heart. Things which reflect your very self. Things which highlight your learnings. Things which make you feel happy, and sad.

Here's a list of my top blog posts in this category.

I didn't know that I could write so much on Eyes.

And on Smiles, which can set a few things straight.

This blog post on Attractive Hairstyles was completely offbeat.

And this blog post - on Parenthesis - reflected the complex relationships in our modern time.

And I can't resist listing the next two blog posts.

The first one is on Enchanting Perfumes.

And the next one is on the eternal theme - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.

There are many more which may be worth reading.

Surf around my blog if you would like too. And let me know your opinion.

Of Playlists, Shuffle and Repeat

Times Change.

There was an age of Gramophones. This was the time when music started making a mark by making an entry in the homes of the people.

You could put on disc and listen to the best music in the comforts of the home. 

Then came the golden old tape-recorders.

It furthered the cause of music. Less bulkier than the Gramophones,they were instant hits.

But then none of these had a concept of Play lists, Shuffle and Repeat.

Then came MP3 players. 

For years, I did not know the meaning of MP3. Although today I thought what it stood for, Wikipedia proved me wrong. :-)

As you might be aware, the three most important things in a MP3 player today are - Play-lists, Shuffle and Repeat button.

Play-lists are used by us to compile a list of songs which we would like to commonly play and access. Needless to say, our favorites will figure here.

Next comes Shuffle. If you are getting bored with the sequence in which the songs are being played, then shuffle is the button for you. It showcases an important fundamental - Variety is the spice of life.

And then moving onto Repeat. This is one feature which allows you to play the same set of songs over and again. If you have small play-list, this is the button for you - you will never run out of songs, virtually. :-)

But why on earth am I thinking about these things, and worse still, writing about them?

The blame lies with the music of the single most awaited film in India - Anjaana Anjaani. 

Starring reigning queen of Bollywood, Priyanka Chopra, a.k.a. PC, and the nation's heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, it's music is making waves.

The film's release has postponed already once, in view of the verdict of the most important court case in the recent Indian history, the Ayodhya Title Suit. But the judgment getting postponed by a week resulting in a heads on clash with the films release date, I thing the release will get postponed once again.

But the Indian janata is satisfying their desire for what looks to be a good movie, by generously accepting its classical music.

It's two songs - Tumse Hi Tumse and Naina Lageeyan Baarishan - have taken over my music player. They have got into a Play-list and the Repeat Button is on!! And needless to say, Shuffle is not at all in sight!!

Until recently, it was Mora Piya who had occupied this top notch position.

A friend asked me whether I had listened to the songs of this movie. Of course, I had. And needless to say, she too was impressed by music.

And when the time came to choose the favorite, she chose the second. And I chose the first.

The same question to another friend yielded a slightly different result - we both agreed on the same song being our favorite. :-)

But be it the first or the second, it's all music to the ears. 

And this is one music record which has made a mark with all its songs being head turners.

Sounds of Silence

Silence is my best friend.

Being a Lone Star, the Sounds of Silence are my most trusted companion.

And when I heard this song - with the same title - I was instantly attracted to it.

Sung by the duo - Simon and Garfunkel - in the year 1965, it was an instant attraction. This song catapulted them to instant stardom. 

Catch the song which was sung by the duo way back in 1965.

The lyrics of the song are beautiful - check them out below.

And when the duo came back together in 2003 to sing this song, it was yet another standout performance.

Scarlett

Watching the movie - Lost In Translation - starring Scarlett Johansson made me think about all "Scarlett [Scarlet]" things.

A gush of thoughts rushed through my mind. And here I am writing about a few things which pop up when you say Scarlett.

First of all - it is the color Scarlet.

It is a reddish color with a tinge of orange.

The Maple Tree is an excellent exhibit of this brilliant color.

Get more details about this color on Wikipedia.

Next comes The Scarlet Pimpernel - a.k.a. The Elusive Pimpernel.

This is one quote which made the book/play famous.

They seek him here. They seek him there. Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in Heaven? Or is he in Hell? That damned, illusive, pimpernel.

This is a story about a disguised super hero - who goes about a town - saving people. Read more about this book and play here.

Then I have the Lost In Translation actress herself - Scarlett Johansson.

The 25 year old American Actress has starred in several films - notable among them being - The Horse Whisperer, Lost In Translation, Girl With A Pearl Earring, Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Iron Man 2.

She is also a singer with two Albums under her belt.

Well, the post would have ended here - but for this recent "lip-lock" between Sandra Bullock and Scarlett Johansson.

At the recently concluded MTV Awards - Scarlett Johansson (all of 25 years) was supposed to give away the MTV Generation Award to Sandra Bullock (20 years her senior).

She presented the award. 

And Sandra, to express her gratitude and love to Scarlett (who is also her co-star Ryan Reynold's (from The Proposal) better half ) cupped her face and gave a kiss on her lips.

Scarlett was initially stunned by Sandra's bold gesture. But she later gave into her and enjoyed the warm embrace.

Read more here.

Later both of them acknowledged that both of them are "great kissers".

Scarlett is firmly married to Ryan Reynolds.

But is the recently single Sandra Bullock going the Lindsay Lohan way? Only time will tell.