> 1. What is height of Fashion?
> Ans : Dhoti with a zip .

>
> 2. What is height of Secrecy?
> Ans : Offering blank visiting cards.

>
> 3. What is height of Active laziness?
> Ans : Asking for a lift to house while on a morning walk.

>
> 4. What is height of Craziness?
> Ans : Getting a blank paper Xeroxed.

>
> 5. What is height of Forgetfulness?
> Ans : Seeing the mirror and trying to recollect when you
> saw him / her last.

>
> 6. What is height of Stupidity?
> Ans : A person looking through a keyhole of a glass door.

>
> 7. What is height of Honesty?
> Ans : A pregnant woman taking one and a half ticket.

>
> 8. What is height of Suicide?
> Ans : A dwarf jumping from the footpath on the road.

>
> 9. What is height of De-hydration?
> Ans : A cow giving milk powder.

> 10. What is Height of Kanjoosi ?
> Ans : Banta’s house has caught fire and he is giving
> miss calls to the Fire brigade!!!

There are aplenty of hopeless people around the world. Did they all become hopeless all of a sudden, or did they have any choice? Understanding this is complex. However, I believe terrible helplessness at some point of time makes people hopeless. If they ever had any other choice, they would opt for it!

Image from www.emotionalcompetency.com

This is a song (as well as the whole movie) portrays the helplessness of six different people who are close friends. I have been listening to the songs of this movie, Kaante, since it was released, and I never got bored. Oh, but I felt somewhere I am missing one song out of the movie (which I had heard a lot sometime) and upon Googling for the lyrics, I got it back! Do not know how but I accidentally seem to have deleted this song back. Maybe, because it was Punjabi and I did not even get an essence of it then. It is 6 years that I am listening to the songs of this movie, but I happened to watch this movie only yesterday night on Star Gold.

I am yet to come out with any better movie that portrays the helplessness of people in personal lives so precisely. All actors were great, but Mahesh Manjrekar (originally a director) stood different as an actor in this, and so did Sanjay Dutt. Kumar Gaurav and Amitabh were great as usual. Suniel Shetty and Lucky Ali did not have many dialogues as always but their body language spoke a lot.

As such, this movie is ‘inspired from’ Reservoir Dogs, but many have told me that this one is better presented. Whatever, this post is about the song and not the movie. The song will show the helpless situations of the six friends in the video itself. I found it touching. It is originally in Punjabi, and I got it translated from a Punjabi speaking friend.

I wish I should have heard it daily for the last 4 years!

By the way, this song appears in the movie when Amitabh’s wife (played by Rati Agnihotri) is about to die and Amitabh wishes to get her back. He has no one to live for except her. He is asking for his own thing to God, but he cannot get it. The initial lines are in Punjabi, next two in the brackets are in Hindi, and the last two are in English. If you know any one of the three languages, you will understand!

Yaar Mangiyasi Rabba Tetho Ro ke, Kedi Main Khudaai Mang Laayi
Mar Jaan De Kisi Da Mainu Ho Ke
Kedi Main Khudaai
(Yaar manga tha Rabba Tujhse Ro Ke, Kaunsi Maine Khudaai Maang Li
Mar Jaane De Kisi Ka Mujhe Ho Ke, Kaunsi Khudaai)

I only asked for my dear (wife), I did not ask for your (God’s) kingdom

Let me die for the sake of my dear, I am not asking for your (God’s) kingdom…

Kinniya Duawan Mangga, Koyi Vi Na Manni Jaaye
Kaanu Roz Roz deve sanu dhokhe
Kedi Mein Khudai
(Kitni Duayeein Mangu, Koi bhi Na Mani Jaaye (or sunee jaye)
Kyun Roz Roz De Mujhe Dhokhe, Kaunsi Khudaai)

How many times I’ve prayed, not a single one is reaching you,

Why give me trauma everyday? I did not ask for your kingdom…

Pyaar Mera, Kar Rabba Mere Hawale, Yaar Bin Dil Mera Kaun Sambhale
Cheez Apni Hi Mangi Maine Tuhjse, Kedi Mein Paarai Manglaayi
Mar Jaan De Kisi Da Mainu Ho Ke, Kedi Main Khudaai
(mera pyar, kar mere hawale rabba, yaar ke bina kaun dil sambhale
cheez apni hi mangi thi maine tujhse, kaunsi parrai (kisi aur ki) mang li
Mar jaane de mujhe kisi ka hoke ..kaunsi khudai….)

Give me my love (wife) back, who will look after me without my dear?

I have asked for something of my own, did I ask for anything of others?

Let me die for the sake of my dear, I am not asking for your (God’s) kingdom…

Mera Ye Naseeba, Hai Meri Nahin Sunta
Sapno Ke Jaal Yeh To, Roz Roz Bunta
Kabhi Sun Le Tu Meri Bhi Duhaai, Kedi Mein Khudai
(meri ye kistman , hai meri nahi sunti Sapno Ke Jaal Yeh To, Roz Roz Bunti
Kabhi Sun Le Tu Meri Bhi Duhaai, Kaunsi Maine Khudai)

O my luck, doesn’t even listen to me, weaving out dreams of its own daily and daily,

Sometime listen to my two lines of prayer, I am not asking for your (God’s) kingdom…..

Okay, I am back to post after a long time. I had lost internet connection for some time, courtesy rains and courtesy BSNL. Well, I do not want to write anything with facts and stats, analyses, on economy, business, politics or whatever this time, or rather from now onwards. I have not even been in touch about current affairs from some time, as all the time I am busy enjoying and watching movies.

This last month, I watched some four movies, starting from Paying Guest, then Terminator Salvation, and finally Transformer: The Revenge of the Fallen. After these three, I watched a movie named Gunda. Most people call it a cheap B – grade flick, and adding to it the fact that Mithun – da has acted in it, most elite watchers leave it there. Nevertheless, then even most people believed that the earth is flat and it turned out wrong, right? This is a logical fallacy called as Argumentum ad populum.

Right from the start until the end, the movie is full of rhymes, and one cannot stop oneself from enjoying it! The comments about the movie on IMDB seemed great, and I do not think any B – grade movie has ever achieved any feat like that. In Transformers, the hero is saved so many times that it becomes hard to believe the stuff we watch. However, in Gunda, the villain has to save himself some 200 times! There are aplenty of unbelievable stunts, but after I saw Transformers, do not know why but I found it less stupid!

Overall, it is a great comedy pack with action that would put behind the Terminator (s). Caution, it is to be viewed only by above 18, and I would rather not recommended it to females because of the tremendous cheap obscenity. Ishrat Ali was at his best! The names of characters are Lamboo Ataa (played by Ishrat Ali), Pote (Mohan Joshi), Bulla (Mukesh Rishi), Chutiya (Shakti Kapoor), Ibu Hatela (Harish Patel), etc. Noteworthy fact is that these actors have acted in many quality movies, even by 1998. There is everything from fighting with bare hands to even rocket launchers. I think this movie has even sparked an inspiration for a video game series where Mithoon would be the protagonist, on a mission to kill the villains one by one.

These are some of the dialogues from the movie and I believe they are the greatest in any movie I ever saw! And they were all delivered at some serious scenes in the movie, which makes it all the more enjoyable! I think the actors couldn’t have stopped themselves from laughing.. Wonder to whom the Best Dialogue Award went in 1998… You need to watch the actual movie to enjoy these and some other great ones! Comment below and let me know which one you liked.

Bheegi hui cigarette kabhi jalegi nahi,

Aur yeh tay hain ki, teri maut ki tarikh kabhi talegi nahin!

Aaj 1 tarikh hain, 2,4,6,8 aur dus,

Ab bass, dekhna main hota hoon kya tass se mass,

Jab train aati hain tab jaise station kaapta hain,

Waise meri khauff ke bukhaar se, tumhare andar ki hamdardi bhi kaapne lagegi

Jahan dekho wahan jurm hain, jahan dekho wahan paap,

Insaan aaj ke to hain, jurm aur paap me shaitaanon ke bhi baap

Mera naam hai Ibu Hatela,

Maa meri chudail ki cheli, baap mera shaitaan ka chela,

Khayega kela?

Mera naam hai pote,

Hum who hain joh apne baap ke bhi nahi hote,

Mera naam hai bulla,

Main rakhta hoon khulla,

Are a kundan,

Lagaaungi tuzko chandan,

Aur bhejungi tuze isi hawai jahaaj se London!

Inspector kale,

Ab lagnewaale,

Tere mooh pe, maut ke taale,

Kitna bada risk hain,

Teri maut ki date fixed hain

Are main to ek nariyal jaisa hoon,

Jo bahar se garam par andar se bada naram hoon,

Muze tum jaise garibon par badi hamdardi hain,

Hum samaaj ki karte hain seva,

Aur badle me dete hai gundon ko thoda mewa,

Hat jaao varna phaad ke rakh dunga,

Saamne ayaa koi toh gaad ke rakh dunga

Bhaiyya,  bhaiyya maine kya bura kiya,

Kisiki ijjat lutna bura hota hain kya?

Hum sab Ravan milke ab tuz jaise Ram ko maarnewale hain,

Itihaas hi nahi balki sabkuch ab se ulta likha jaayega aur padha jaayega

Are abhi to tere tube me light ayaa thee,

Aur Shankar ne to tera fuse hi udaa diya,

Waah, khote sikke ne kya baat hain boli,

Boli toh aise hai boli jaise ho koi bandook ki goli!

Are bulla,

tune khullam khulla,

Lamboo Ataa ko maut ke tawe me senk diya,

Uski laash ko Worli ke gutter me phek diya?

Villain: A kaun hai be tu?

Hero: Main hoon jurm se nafrat karnewaalaa,

sharifon ke liye jyoti, gundo ke liye jwaalaa,

Villain: Ab rakh dunga tuze banakar maut ke mooh ka niwaalaa, tere seene me gaad dunga maut ka bhaalaa,

Edited To Add: The 1998 Best Movie Dialogue was awarded to ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ which I honestly think is a joke. On request of Amit Simant, there is one more dialogue added.

Munni meri bahan Munni, Ooth,

To Tu Mar Gayi?

Lamboo Ataa ne tuze lamba kar diya?

Maachis ki tili ko khamba kar diya?

Economic recession has hit countries the entire world hard. It included even the most booming ones like India and China, where the estimated growth was not reached. In case of India, it happened to achieve lesser growth than the expected even though the economy did expand. So, a question remains which countries survived the economic recession best?

Answer – Australia

Servcorp carried out the survey. The countries that were worst hit were all the Western ones. The unemployment is growing high in the developed West, whereas it went up even in the Third World Arab countries, which are traditionally having a high unemployment. In the survey too, the list does not have any name in the top 10 except for Canada.

Image Credit : Digital Inspiration

It seems having a not – so – open economy helps. The external diseases do not hit hard enough, but conversely when the world economy booms, the external growth does not come in fast too. Followed by Australia were China and India/Singapore. New Zealand stands at ninth stop. Many names are from the Eastern world. Clearly, this is the century where rise of the Asian countries phenomenon can be seen. In his book, ‘The Post – American World’, Fareed Zakaria talks in detail about the phenomenon which he calls ‘The Rise of The Rest’. It means the rise of other powers apart from America.

The 19^th century belonged to the British, the 20^th century belonged to the Americans, and it seems the 21^st century belongs to Asians!

As for the major western powers, there were all booming when the world markets were booming. The effect of recession they felt was also high when the global recession took place.

It is not so easy to say whether an open economy helps or not. In most cases, an open economy only helps. If the whole world opted for open economies, well, the world would be much more free, peaceful and prosperous then. Countries indulging into free trade do not have any skirmishes or any problems with each other. That is the beauty of free trade.

A British politician, Richard Cobden once (1857) said:

“Free Trade is God’s diplomacy and there is no other certain way of uniting people in the bonds of peace.”

[Source]

At this time of recession, Obama’s policies are turning out more protectionists. Pranab Mukherji, earlier Foreign Minister of India had also accused him for the same. This same mistake was done by the Western countries back in ‘70s and the outcome was nothing good. What different can we predict in case of America?

Coming to the survey, when people in Australia were asked which countries do they find surviving the recession best, Australia was the answer from their side as well!

Still, I do have a doubt. The survey was carried out by Servcorp. It seems an Australian based firm, and if you observe, the countries that you find there in the survey list are very close to the ones where the firm has its locations!

Now, that is quite fuzzy, but still I would rather rely this as Australian Dollar is hitting high from last eight months even in the times of recession.

The survey is can be found by clicking here.

The top countries best surviving the global recession:

1st – Australia
2nd – China
3rd – India and Singapore (equal)
5th – Hong Kong
6th – Canada
7th – Japan and Qatar (equal)
9th – New Zealand
10th – Malaysia, Sweden and Vietnam (equal)

Never before have I seen a Marathi movie as good as this. No, I generally do not watch Marathi movies, and the number of them focusing on the urban middle class audience is less. This was one is a gem of a movie I must say. It is released at a right time, as the media hype over the local politics was high some time back. Mahesh Manjrekar is excellent in all he does, be it writing, directing or acting. Some of the incidents in Shivaji’s life were very excellently correlated with scenes in the movie and the theme is about a common person voicing opinion in politics. The movie is somewhere similar to Nayak only that this one has a high focus on the Marathi cause and people. As a matter of fact and coincidence, the protagonist in the movie Nayak: The Real Hero was also Shivaji Rao (played by Anil Kapoor). Nevertheless, the presentation is awesome. Before the time comes that saying ‘I am proud of being Marathi’ means your affiliation with some right – wing political party, a movie that brings of sense of pride among the people was certainly the need of the hour.

A movie still from Mee Shivaji Raje Bhosle Boltoy

The protagonist (Sachin Khedekar) of the movie is a clerk in a bank in south Mumbai, from a typical middle class Marathi household with two kids. The son (Abhijit Kelkar) is a computer-engineering aspirant, and the daughter (Priya Bapat) is an aspiring actor. The protagonist is more like a loser living in the heartland of Mumbai, in a thwarting big old bungalow. The movie is all about his personal experiences of being discriminated as a Ghaati (a term used for lower middle class Maharashtrians), the loser feeling that he gets and the encounters with a builder (Vidyadhar Joshi) who wants to vacate his bungalow. The builder intends to build a multi – storey complex at the place of his bungalow, and send Mr. Bhonsle to Badlapur, a town in the outskirts of Mumbai along with the gift of a car. The drama is all about this fight. Typically, a middle class person would not go for any fight with a builder who already has contacts with goons and the government offices. Nevertheless, Mr. Bhonsle despite being the kind of a looser he is goes on to fight against the builder when Shivaji starts appearing to him the Lage Raho Munnabhai style. The fight is no that smooth, there are wonderful vicissitudes midway.

When his son is attacked, he refrains from the fight anymore as the matter has reached his home, but then followed by a powada, (a form of Marathi song) his imaginary Shivaji starts motivating him again. The fight between Shivaji and Afzal Khan is presented in between the powada very wonderfully. He rises up again, and then there is the episode when his whole family is kidnapped, and again the imaginary Shivaji comes up with another incidence.

The 10 – minute speech on politics is a good one. The important point that politics is dirty because we people are dirty is a notable one. After all, it is rule by the people. The discrimination faced in the first half, and answered in the second half is a must-watch. This movie will bring your pride of being a Marathi up, and on a very positive note. This movie does not look for bringing up a Marathi spirit by any common hatred (the way dictators look for doing), but by binding of some common goals. This film does not have any racial slurs, or anything against any community.

However, I do feel the case of the protagonist is somewhere exaggerated; it does not represent the common middle class Marathi man. The middle class Marathis too are having their own achievements and a decent education, openness to modernity and modesty. The average middle class Marathis are not that naïve as much as shown in the movie (my personal perception). We can say this one is for the naïve, who has not waked up for the caliber he has, and the opportunities in front of him in MH itself.

The dialogues are very exact, with those in the first half being a little on the losing side, whereas those in the second half were glorifying. A must watch for the Marathi pseudo – liberals and the extreme right – wingers (hoping both will have a shift in their opinion).

The best part of the movie was the presentation of the story. The way incidents of real life of Shivaji are connected with the story of the movie are something worth seeing. This one will not make you to give any jingoistic ‘jai Bhavani, jai Shivaji’ chant, but one filled with a meaning!

My rating: ****