Tujh Me Khuda

Kabhi Tujh Se Mil Kar Khuda Ko Bhee Bhulane Ko Jee Chahta Hei

Kabhi Tujh Me Hee Khuda Paa Kar Tujhe Poojne Ko Jee Chahta Hei
Is Hee Kash ma Kash Mei Jab Bhee Tuj Ko Mil Kar Ke Aata Hoon
Puja Ke Phulon Kee Tarah Teri Khushboo, Teri Yaden Saath Hee Le Aata Hoon

Ek chand uddhaar..

Saanjh Ne Dhoop Se Daman Chuda Kar, Jab Raat Ka Aanchal Oddha
Har Taraf Hua Andhera to Kaha Khuda Ne Dar Kar Mujhe Thoda
Kar Diya Hei Chand Ne Aaj Nikal Aane Se Inqaar
Chehre Tere Dildar Ka Chahiye Mujhko Toh Uddhaar

Yoon Toh Khuda Ne Kuch Bhee Manga Hei Mujhse Pehli Baar
Vaise Bhee Bahut Mushkil Hei Kar Paana Khuda Se Kuch Bhee Inqaar
Magar Sochta Hoon Phir Bhee Kar Doon Kaise Usko Khuda Kei Havale
Phir Suna Hei Hotein Hein Sitare Bhee Bahut Diwane

Phir Yeh Na Ho Kee Khuda Bhee Lotane Se Karne Lage Bahana
Khoobsurat Hei Itna Mehboob Mera Ho Sakta Hei Khuda Bhee Diwana

Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman

He was the brooding, intense actor-director, a connoisseur of lights and lyrics. She the embodiment of classic beauty, a persona of resplendence and one of the greatest actresses the Indian cinema has ever seen. And their romance - a riddle wrapped in an enigma. Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman, together with their intense on-screen chemistry, creating magic in every film they shared.

He spotted the gifted maiden with the veiled charm, and together they created history. During the making of Pyaasa, the 1957 near autobiographical masterpiece, Guru Dutt fell in love with her. The struggling poet, Vijay trying to make his works known sought respite in the arms of the noble-hearted courtesan ‘Gulab’ who eventually helps him get his poems published. Rehman delivered an absolutely brilliant performance in her first major lead role in Hindi cinema that has held up beautifully till date. Her blend of nuances of love, desire and despair as she follows Guru Dutt up the stairs to the terrace to the strains of Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Laga Lo leaves inerasable impressions in mind of viewers. It is ironic that his wife Geeta Dutt's sensual voice was used on Waheeda Rehman the actress as she 'sang' for Guru Dutt on screen.

 

Dutt was a man ahead of his time and the manner in which he played with cinematography and protracted her characters, transformed the simplest emotion into the countenance of a goddess.  In no time, the starry eyed duo shot to stardom, their romance dominating drawing room discussions and one would never be named without mentioning the other. 

But as all good things pass, so did this famous fairytale. He took his life and she took to silence, never to talk about him again, but the forlorn lovers, Dutt and Rehman, together bejewelled the Indian Cinema with the most eternally soulful moments in celluloid history...

My review of Amit Shankar's Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11. No, this is not a reference book on the nuances of the chapter by the same name in the USA Bankruptcy Code that deals with corporate insolvency. Amit Shankar’s second book is a pure fiction but yes, based around an event of insolvency. His first book – The flight of Hilsa was a bestseller.   In Chapter 11, Amit weaves a fascinating story around the event to articulate a number of powerful emotions, of personal faith, hope, dejection, love, courage and self discovery.

Amit makes a brilliant use of the protagonist, an ambitious boy from a small town, who arrives in a big city to join his dream job only to find that his employer has become insolvent, to tell a compelling tale of corporate sleaze and manipulation. The protagonist serves not only an effective but an interesting medium to communicate the author’s message. Like his many other colleagues, for many days, the protagonist refuses to believe that such a mammoth sized enterprise could ever go bankrupt. As their fate hangs in fire, they anxiously wait and watch the fast-unfolding developments around them shocked by the mediocrity, nepotism, and irresponsibility of their leadership. They witness everything - blame game, cover-up, scapegoat-finding-exercise but no sincere effort to revive the business.  Without revival their jobs are gone, their dreams are shattered. Emotions and anxieties of employees are portrayed beautifully by Amit.

Before he realises the protagonist himself gets sucked into the corruption muck. What eventually happens I leave for you to find out! An extra-marital affair and a number of other fashionable indulges of the corporate world have been thrown in by Amit to provide an added impact. They serve a bit like Bollywood masala in the book but remain relevant and provide the twists and thrusts any book needs.  Full credits to Amit for employing a brilliant approach to make an otherwise boring subject of corporate greed and insolvency, not simply interesting but equally exciting!  A gripping book which moves at a desirable pace! Amit mixes a number of diverse ingredients to produce a dazzling cocktail. A must drink (read).

The book demonstrates an impressive understanding of the fundamental issues of corporate functioning by the author. Having served in a corporation which filed chapter eleven proceedings Amit was probably a witness to the proceedings that went on behind the scene. His narration is no less than the story of a whistle-blower.  Brilliantly told.

Clearly Amit seeks to serve many objectives using his book including conveying many strong messages. He does it commendably. And all this while retaining the charm of  a fiction which is what he claims it indeed is.