'MY LIFE' musically expressed by my 'DEAR JOHN'.....

'GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING' to all my readers!

'YESTERDAY', I 'BORROWED TIME' from my busy and hectic schedule and was retrospecting for a while. I hallucinated 'JOHN & YOKO' in my room. 'YA YA!' and I exclaimed, "'YOU ARE HERE'?!!?!?"
As i heard The Beatles' music floating in the air, both of them whispered in my ears "'IMAGINE !!'" and all that followed was 'MY LIFE' through 'LONG LOST JOHN's' compositions.

I recall as a child, 'WATCHING THE WHEELS' of big cars and small ones and asking too many questions. The replies to which almost always started with 'BECAUSE...'. I went to school and 'I FOUND OUT' too many new mysterious things that 'NOBODY TOLD ME' earlier about. Being an extremely talkative student, I heard a different 'WOMAN' every year repeating, "'LOOK AT ME'", everytime I would wish to turn around and talk to my friends. Some dull classmates of mine would comfortably doze off to sleep while the teacher would be imparting lessons. I wondered, "'HOW DO YOU SLEEP?'" with so much happening around you every moment?

Half a dozen years passed and I learnt not to rush over things but too take 'ONE DAY AT A TIME'. With few more years of more and more 'MIND GAMES', with my dearest buddies, I reached the point 'IN MY LIFE', where i could hear too many voices reiterating " 'DONT LET ME DOWN!!!' " Seriously, 'IT'S SO HARD' when on one hand, you want to be 'FREE AS A BIRD', while on the other hand, you know 'WHAT YOU GOT' to do in reality is not an easy task.

Then when the judgement day arrived, all we knew was 'HARD TIMES ARE OVER'...with flying colours everywhere, all we heard was 'BLESS YOU!' After all the hullabaloo, I sat in 'ISOLATION' and had a conversation with 'GOD'.
I said, "'I'M STEPPING OUT'..do 'SEND ME SOME LOVING!'"
and I heard his gentle voice say, "My 'SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN!' You must always know that 'NOBODY LOVES WHEN YOU ARE DOWN AND OUT' and so never feel 'CRIPPLED INSIDE' and never let 'LONELINESS' reside in your heart. Wear the smile like you have done all these years and life will be as simple as A..B...C..."

Everything seemed to be perfect until the fateful day which marked a brand new beginning! It was 'JUST LIKE STARTING OVER' from the scratch as everything seemed so very different. 'OUT OF THE BLUE,' 'I FOUND OUT,' way too many glares which were piercing through me.
After a couple of days, I told myself, " 'I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER' that 'IT'S SO HARD' this way. 'I DONT WANNA FACE IT' ". Every afternoon, I felt like screaming from the depth of my soul..."Why don't you guys...'GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!!!' Don't promote dictatorship !! Every single 'WAR IS OVER !!'"Soon enough, 'I FOUND OUT' what message was actually conveyed through the same very statement. Some would say "'YOU ARE HERE!!'" but, would sarcastically mean "so, 'YOU ARE HERE !'" while there were few wonderful souls who said "YOU ARE HERE!" and I felt they were welcoming me with open arms.

There I spent two very happening years. There were days IN MY LIFE, when i found myself saying, "I'M LOSING YOU!" and there were times when I thought "I FEEL FINE!". After all the hustle and bustle, I stepped out again. This time to my present world. And, now....'IN MY LIFE', 'I'VE GOT A FEELING' that am as 'FREE AS A BIRD' and 'I KNOW' for sure that 'HARD TIMES ARE OVER' and, it's best to be a 'WORKING CLASS HERO'ine!!!!!

And, as I laughed over my improvisation of 'WORKING CLASS HERO', I heard the legend crooning,
'WORKING CLASS HERO IS SOMETHING TO BE,
WORKING CLASS HERO IS SOMETHING TO BE!'

'YA! YA!'...that man always knew the right thing at the right time.
I just love JOHN LENNON who wonderfully penned down my whole life in his discography.
CHEERS TO LENNON for writing songs for every season and every reason !
There shall never be another ambassador for peace like him and the impeccable image of UTOPIA that he projects in his song, 'IMAGINE', defnitely sets him apart from the milling crowd of the songwriters of his era and the eras that followed.
Lennon was not for only the Sixties, but he will be alive in every heart till the end of mankind.
He redefined PEACE and LOVE through his soul stirring compositions.
LOVE YOU...LENNON!!!!
YOU ROCK!!
Lets call it a post and end it with another stroke from the maestro's collection.... 'GOODNIGHT!'

Too Close To Be Far....

There was this damsel,
as pretty and vulnerable as anybody could ever be....
Her Romeo, after months finally decided to open up today,
All one saw in Lucy's eyes was the dream of finally being "WE".
 
It was a warm sunny afternoon,
Lucy left her house, in spirits high.
Months' wait finally coming to an end,
She couldn't conceal her excitement, though she tried!
 
He was fond of flowers, she thought...
Quickly entering a florist's shop, vibrant blossoms she bought.
Soon in a minute or two, she was back on road,
All she knew was there would be nobody now to stop.
 
Hurried to their favorite colossal Banyan tree,
Under which he had once said..."I LOVE THEE !"
As she stood there longing for his glimpse,
Her heart skipped a sudden beat, she personified glee !
 
There she saw that wondrous smile, yes! there was that captivating look..
No wonder, their first meeting got them hooked.
Lucy's heart jumped wildly as she saw him nearing,
The dream she chiseled for so long, was finally materializing.
 
But, something seemed obnoxiously wrong.
The mischievious stare in his eyes was replaced by coldness,
Only Pain and grief was what she saw,
All over his face.
 
"What could it be ?", she silently wondered.
Could he give away his heart to somebody else ?
or did he wish to so away from her,
without leaving back any trace ?
 
He came close and held her tight,
She knew that everything seemed really right.
She could never let him go,
Without him, the sun in her sky could never glow.
 
But, destiny held a separation in store for them,
Love was never so easy, It appeared to be a devilish game.
He locked his eyes with hers and said that their dream was meant to forever stay as a dream,
As his people would never wish to see them in one single frame.
 
That evening, together they vowed under the Banyan tree,
No matter how far, their love shall be !
The gleaming bouquet rested on the rigid branches as a symbol of their undying flame,
They promised to one another, their hearts no other shall ever claim.
 
As they went on their own distinct paths that dusk,
They never knew what future for them, fate had lurk.
Though never did they try crossing paths again,
Instead of You and Me, they lived ever after as "WE".
 
The distance between them hardly mattered,
As they felt protected in each other's bosom.
They weaved the tapestry of their dream in their hearts,
The separation was defeated by their magical bond.
 
Years later, just like the tree is connected to the withered bouquet,
They are attached, though their hair has turned grey.
Lucy still is the fragile little girl behind that wrinkled face,
And her name still makes his ruckled face all ablaze.

First semester of the BOISTEROUS & MESSED UP MASTERMINDS ! [B.M.M]

Ever seen guys in vivid coloured sneakers, wearing rock band tees, hipsters and talking crazy stuffs ? Ever noticed girls with freaky hairdos and strange nail arts, constantly hoopked onto their i-pods ? Don't ponder much. They must be one of the future AD Gurus..like Prahlad Kakkar or must be the next Cyrus Broacha..and not to forget, the future Barkha Dutt. The coolest people around the campus, always in a hurry and the ones to greet you with huge smiles.. These are the Boisterous & Messed up MASTERMINDS who dream to be a part of the Media, some years from now.

These crazy folks belong to the stream of the creative minds....The Bachelors Of Mass Media. Walk down the coridor of their floor and you will certainly get to hear sundry adjectives from various sources adorning this fellowship.

To start with, as you pass by the staffroom, every single professor from every single department seems to be in awe of their artistic works but, find it very difficult to compliment them because they are irritated by the noise they make right from the very starting of the day. As you proceed towards the other classrooms, the IT folks are too busy to value the lucrative ideas and proudly state that these folks have no seriousness about anything. Then if by any chance , you get to meet the non-teaching staff members, they will glare at you and describe the budding Media folks as the best of the lot, who never look grumpy, are always full of life. They will tell you how cheerful these BMM people are but, will end by saying that they make a real mess of their classroom when the lectures are over. You will find several units of students terming the BMM people as oversmart, hoity-toity, pompous and individuals who are puffed up with false pride and are full of attitude. These remarks don't change the BMM ways and these folks hardly criticize the rest.. not because they don't know the art of taunting, but because they have no time with assignments piling up every moment.

This is not the end....
Incase, you are extra curious about this crazy clan and ask the other streams regarding their studies...all you will get to hear from them will be the flowery aspects of the course and nothing else. They will say that the BMM students come to college with a digital camera and watch movies every week, enjoy fests throughout the semester and create a mess of the bulletin board. But, who bothers to ponder about the realities that exist beyond the coridor and inside the classroom ? Ask an insider for the microscopic view.
BMM is not just about the hype it gets or the false image that is projected everywhere about it. It's about the intensity of love you can give to your work.

The only mantra in BMM is DON'T WORK HARD. LOVE YOUR WORK AND THEN THE HARD WORK WILL TURN INTO FUNWORK.
It's all about the hectic schedule filled with back to back tests, assignments, presentations and thinking beyond reality.

After the completion of a happening semester, every BMM student learns few lessons from his experiences. The best one is to co-operate with your group members. Most of these lessons stay with him till the end of the course and some of them live even after he leaves the college.

LESSON # 1 : THROW AWAY THE MISCONCEPTION THAT BMM IS ALL FUN AND NO WORK.

LESSON # 2 : NO MATTER HOW GREAT YOU GROUP MEMBERS ARE, AT THE END, IT WILL BE ONE PERSON WORKING AND THE CREDIT BEING SHARED BY ALL, UNLESS YOU SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELF.

LESSON # 3 : YOU HAVE TO SACRIFICE YOUR SIESTA AND EVEN STAY AWAKE FOR LONG HOURS INORDER TO MAINTAIN A GOOD IMPRESSION IN COLLEGE.

LESSON # 4 : THE COLLEGE FESTS ARE NOT ABOUT PARTICIPATING BUT, CHEERING FOR YOUR COLLEGE MATTERS A REAL BIG DEAL.

LESSON # 5 : THE ONLY THING TO CRAVE FOR IS AN INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY. NEVER LET GO OF ONE.

LESSON # 6 : YOU WON'T BE SCOLDED IF YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH A THOUSAND TIMES DURING THE SAME LECTURE... BUT, KEEP IN MIND, YOU HAVE TO TALK SENSE.

LESSON # 7 : YOU CANNOT LET THE WHOLE CLASS KNOW ABOUT YOUR IDEAS BECAUSE EVERY SECOND PERSON KEEPS HIS EYES AND EARS ALERT TO ABSORB THE IDEAS.

LESSON # 8 : ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS THINK OUT OF THE BOX. THE FARTHER YOUR IMAGINATION GOES, THE MORE MARKS YOU SCORE.

LESSON # 9 : START DETESTING THE WORD "RELY". AS SOON AS YOU JOIN BMM, PLEASE GET RID OF THIS WORD AS YOU CAN NEVER RELY ON ANYBODY FOR ANY WORK.

LESSON # 10 : VERY IMPORTANT : MAKE THIS AMPLI-CLEAR TO YOURSELF THAT THE TESTS AND THE PRESENTATION DATES WILL NEVER BE DEFERRED.

LESSON # 11 : ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT ONCE THE SYLLABUS FOR THE TEST IS ANNOUNCED, NOBODY CAN CHANGE IT.

LESSON # 12 : YOU HAVE TO SIT THROUGH THE ENTIRE MOVIE EVEN IF YOU FEEL HELL BORED. YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO SLOW AND DULL MOVIES BECAUSE THEY WILL FETCH YOU MARKS LATER.

LESSON # 13 : DON'T TRY TO ACT SMART WITH THE PROFESSORS BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT SMARTER THAN THEM AND THE KEY TO YOUR MARKS LIES ONLY IN THEIR HANDS.

LESSON # 14 : EVERY MORNING, READ THE BULLETIN BOARD BECAUSE THE NOTICE PUT UP THERE, MAY NOT BE ANNOUNCED IN THE CLASS AND YOU MIGHT REPENT IT LATER...IF YOU DON'T READ THEM.

LESSON # 15 : COLLEGE DOESN'T GET OVER ONCE THE LECTURES ARE OVER. YOU NEED TO STAY BACK FOR THE ASSIGNMENTS COMING THAT NEED YOUR ATTENTION.


Life no longer remains a bed of roses once you enter the fun-filled and at the same time busy world of Media Studies..... Enjoy your busy schedule and you will achieve excellence. And, that's what matters at the end...!...

CHEERS to the NOISY FOLKS....Creatively utilising every moment of their day!

MY LAND...MY LOVE!

I would love to begin this post with a very short instance from my own life.

Early morning, 7.15 am, I reach my college lane and just outside the gate, I put my cell into the silent mode and there is an underlying disappointment that I cannot continue llistening to my favourite Bengali songs. I proceed towards the gate, give a sleepy smile to the watchman and say "GOODMORNING UNCLE!". Then, I march towards the chapel and talk to God in a language my classmates cannot comprehend. Climbing three floors with a continuous thinking process on...I reach the third floor and greet my friends with smiles. Immediately, begins the interactions..."What's the first lecture re?", "Did you start thinking about the presentation?","When is your submission?" and it goes on and on. As I see our disciplinarian...our peon Uncle approaching us, I jump to my feet and ask him,"Uncle BMM ka class hamesha kyon bandh rehta hai ?" After a short conversation with him, I enter the class wishing the earplugs could still be where they are supposed to be with those melodies treating my eardrums. And, then I see a tall shadow and, before I could turn, there's this huge hand banging on my head. And, instantly the words come out of my mouth.."ISSHHH!!"

Yes! This is what my post will be all about... not an "ISSHHH"
but, my roots...that is my Love for the Land of Tagore, My Native Land...Bengal.


Even though, as a kid, I went to the Missionary School, where the only language I was expected to speak in, was English, I wailed and wept and called for my Mother in Bengali, everytime I fell down and earned scars for my knees. Despite the fact that I crazily loved English Literature and specially, Alfred Lord Tennyson's 'TITHONUS', my heart still had a special connection with Tagore's Brilliant work.."WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR" during my schooldays. Even after passing out with presentable grades and taking up the course I wanted to, for graduation, I proudly consider myself as a failure.
I love the feeling to HAVE FAILED TO DETACH MYSELF FROM MY ROOTS..LOVE TO HAVE FAILED TO ERASE OUT THE BONGNESS FROM ME.
I experience a sense of deep contentment that living in Mumbai, one of the biggest metropolis of our country, I am still connected to my Native land and I declare that I will stay like this till my last breath.


It disheartens me bigtime to see Mothers in lovely Sarees at the Puja Pandal screaming at their children "Beta! Have the food. Where's your father?"
Why...?? My heart questions me..
Why should a person not value his own culture, language and most importantly, the roots?
Why don't people wish to pass on their culture to the next generation?
Has globalization snatched away our right to speak in our mothertongue?
Is English the only means of interacting?
It puzzles me and I keep on wondering for hours, again failing to come up with a satisfying answer.


My mind immediately goes down memory lane where I find myself reciting Rabindranath Tagore's geniuses instead of Robert Frost's verses and I recall those afternoons when My Mother would read me Bengali Stories and I would learn how to read and write in Bengali and those were the simple moments when I fell in love with my roots forever.


Am frequently asked by my friends that why do I end up talking in Bengali with my Bong pals in their presence?
A heartfelt apology to you all but, that's the deep love I have for my language that without any effort, involuntarily my heart prompts me to speak in Bengali.
My heart swells with immense joy when I read Satyajit Ray's FELUDA in its original version and see my Bengali buddies reading the translated text. It's an inseparable connection that I have with my native land that I will anyday prefer listening to BENGALI songs over My favourite GEORGE MICHAEL'S romantic numbers. I would anyday love having Ilish Maach (The delicious Fish from BENGAL) than to feast on Pizza Hut's Pizza.I would anyday select the Bengali movie cds over Ranbir Kapoor's Movies, if offered..because the Bongness is a part of me instilled by my family from my very day of existence and am grateful to have kept it alive in me till today and am confident I will treasure it the same way.


Some call me a chauvinist and I accept that tag with grace if it means that my love for my Native land is limitless.
Am proud of my stupendous love for the language that my soul speaks and the lingo in which my heart lets my out its deepest emotions. I certainly do not make an effort to keep this love alive but, basically, it is a continuous process of rediscovering my roots.
The more I learn about it, the closer I feel I am to Bengal. Even after learning to write essays and analyze novels critically, I still resort to my mothertongue when it comes to be vocal about my feelings. I feel uncomfortable penning down my feelings in English when my mind gets stuck and I keep wondering which word would perfectly embody my emotions while, words just flow when my pen writes the language of my LAND...Yes! I indeed find it an unimaginable task to separate myself from where I belong, the land I hail from and wherever my future leads me to, Bengal will hold a special place in the depths of my heart and I will remain a Bong till I close my eyes for the final slumber.


To end with, I would love to include lines by the
BRAND AMBASSADOR of BENGALI LITERATURE, Rabindranath Tagore...


Amar shonar Bangla,
Ami tomae bhalobashi.

Chirodin tomar akash,
Tomar batash,
Amar prane bajae bashi.

ME...THE COMPULSIVE PHOTOGRAPHER !!

Can you find a single individual on this Earth who denies having a passion for something? It can be anything.... From stamp collecting to Star-gazing, from river rafting to sky-diving. It maybe adventurous, dangerous, silly and it can even be as simple as whiling away time by sleeping.


Eversince my childhood days, I had this extra keen interest towards the crisp sound of the 'Shutter'. With time, My ears got accustomed to this sound which seemed like the sweetest sound. My curious eyes would immediately turn around, everytime my eager ears couls sense such a sound.

Yes! am referring to the world of 'FLASHES', 'LENS', 'FILMS' and most importantly, the 'CAMERAS'.

When I was young, it seemed the most puzzling mystery yet so very entertaining, the way the snaps would be developed so beautifully. This was the time when I started falling in love with the camera. Only I knew how much I loved the flashlight and only the cameras knew what a crazy admirer they had in me. I could never imagine any of my special moments complete without a click.


This madness lasted for almost a decade.

Then came the separation and, the frame hardly saw me roaming infront of him. A distance was formed between us just to bring us closer than ever. No more would I enjoy staring at the lens, with a constant smile because now, it was my time to handle the clicks. It was the other side of the camera that attracted me. No more would everybody find me in almost every photograph in the album. I was turning into the CREATOR now. Very soon, I cultivated a strange mania about clicking photos.


It was back during the days of the Cameras being able to capture only 36 stills as the scientific advancement was on yet widespread in India. Hence, there was a line drawn very distinctly and I had to limit my mind wandering from one scene to another.
It was my Dad's jet black Yashica camera, that paved my way towards My first ever photographic creation. It dates back to November, 1999...the Aguada Fort, Goa. That's where my Photographic journey commenced.
Thereafter, the love for clicking snaps kept on deepening.
But, it took me over 8 years to unleash my desire for clicking without any lines drawn anywhere. It was the summer of 2005, when Dad bought the Nikon Digicam and revolutionized my passion for photography. It gave wings to my imagination to fly and create psychedalic snaps.







Today, the mere Interest of mine has Transformed Into an Obsession..

The camera is no more any want for me, it is infact, a necessity.
I have developed a phobia... Neither HYDROPHOBIA nor ALTOPHOBIA... it is the phobia of NOT HAVING THE CAMERA with me. I simply cannot trace back the last memory which I have not captured in the digital frame.





I would love to term the camera as "My Best Friend" because it never demands anything, gifts me smiles as it keeps a colourful track of every special moment and understands my imagination the best. I hardly feel lonely when am with this lifeless object. It is lively in it's own unique way and that is what distinguishes the Camera from anything else.


The liking for the lens that entered my life during my early childhood days, shaped up into the love very soon and flourished as an intense passion, which is now at its zenith...infact, it's nothing less than any obsession.

A truly COMPULSIVE PHOTOGRAPHER...that's what I am TODAY!

"Our Body Is The Temple Of The Living God"

Am certainly not here to shake the faith of the Atheists around and, nor do I wish to prove their way of thinking wrong.
Over the years, it's been the most purplexing thought for me and I guess, many readers too might have faced the same situation while pondering about God's Residence.
It's been a matter of debate for millions of centuries and yet, mankind has not been able to deduce any concrete answer to the question....

"WHERE DOES GOD LIVE? WHERE IS HIS HOMETOWN?"

The answer to these questions differ everytime it's asked.
Some believe to see God in disguise, behind the innocence of the toddlers, while, some proclaim that God is not confined in any shrine or temple but, God is within our hearts. While the Bible states that God lives above seven skies and Our Earth is his 'Fotstool'.
But, what is the truth ? Has anybody ever seen Him? No! Maybe, we are not strong enough to face the silhouette and the glimmering halo of the Supreme Power.

Here I am, with my new post, filled with what I feel about God's existence.

I personally am of the view that we can neither find him behind the faces of the kids and nor is he deep down in our hearts.
But, we can feel and see him almost everywhere and every moment. The morning begins with Him, spreading the bright rays of hope in the form of the radiant Sunrise, while he wraps up the day with a sky full of his blessings in the form of a shiny star-filled palette above us. During the rainy season, we can feel God's presence in the form of the several-hued rainbow.
God dwells in every subtle object, every miniscule emotion, around us and within us.
We can get a glimpse of God in every individual, we meet during our life's journey. Even in the harshest tyrant, we can see something of a softer nature. God lodges in the simple rosary beads of our Grandparents. The entire universe is His creation and hence, at every nook and corner of the Earth, we can witness his virtues.

The Pagan mythology believes in paying obeisance to Him via worshipping the four elements of nature, namely, EARTH, WATER, FIRE AND AIR. This belief is not restricted only to the Islam but even the Elizabethan period was ruled by the very same concept.
Our actions and deeds are often prompted by our hearts, but, behind all our ways, it's HIS hand guiding us through the doldrums of our life!

"CONSCIENCE IS GOD'S PRESENCE IN MAN!"
Perfectly said by the great philoshoper, Emanuel Swedenborg.

To conclude the post I, would love to put forth my idea about God's Home via one statement....

"GOD'S ADDDRESS IS WHEREVER WE ALL ARE BECAUSE HE IS OMNIPRESENT, OMNISCIENT AND OMNIPOTENT!"

As We Depart!

The doom’s day is approaching,
My mind going blank again…
Devoid of words..
And, the emotions filling me up with pain.

So many Plans…
Getting shattered in a moment,
Is it some fiction??
Or a fate to lament…??

Oh Time..!!.. listen to me,
Can’t you stop just once..
My heart ain’t that strong..
To own so many hurts…!!..

Am I the one,
Embraced by this misfortune,
Parting was never so tough..
Even for The sun and the Moon…

Flaunting a smile, was never a hobby,
Though, a routine..
That it has become now for me…

Hee-Haws and giggles,
Jokes separated…
A sad saga commenced..
As we daparted..!!..

[Had Written This One... The day My best friend, Grishma Shifted... 2nd April, 2007...

Though...We are on different ways now.. yet very much Connected!]