American Idol 6:

Why do they show more of the crap rather than show more of who got selected, how and why? Last night, was the 2 hr season premiere of American Idol and the auditions kicked off in the home town of Prince, Minneapolis. Of the 10,000 people who auditioned there, only 17 qualified for the Hollywood Round. The jury besides the usual Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell, also included guest jury member, Country Singer Jewel. But the point is, among the 17 selected for the next round, we only got to witness the selection of mere 4 or may b 5. What happened to the others? We were overtly subjected to the histrionics of Simon and new to this season, Randy was so damn rude!!!! Simon's comments have become utterly repetitive, and the IQ levels of the auditioning participants have hit an all time low. I mean, c'mon for God's sake, who comes to an American Idol audition dressed in a red boxing suit with the gloves on, or for that matter show off ur tap-dancing skills along with juggling sticks. Wake up......

For the latest buzz go to the official website
American Idol

News 24X7

Whatever, wherever, whenever..seriously, that is what I consider the condition of News Television in India.News is never being reported nowadays, its made, fabricated and produced.Gone are the days when the news meant a report of the 'important' events that happened nationally,or internationally.Today, news has got a serious lesson from its step-brother, the entertainment industry.News today is nothing less treated as Entertainment.With Page 3 parties, to Sting operations being the flavour of the Season, what more could you expect.

With a plethora of players jumping into this segment, the Indian News Channel business has been dumbing down more and more, and right when you think it can't get dumber than this, they just keep surprising you with more and even more dumber tactics of dumbing down the serious business of News,making new limits of getting dumber every time and breaking them the next time.

It all started with the fight over being the first News Channel of India, the controversy still persists, whether its Zee News(then Zee India TV which itself was EL TV prior to that) or STAR News(then headed by the Creative team of Prannoy Roy at NDTV).Nevertheless, things were still going great until the emergence of yet another player in the arena , TV Today's Aaj Tak.It had already carved its niche in the market with its Exit Poll shows and Morning Programming on Doordarshan .Aaj Tak's entry in the news market just in simple terms revolutionised the waynews got marketed.From picking up local advertisers on , to broadcasting each and every happening in a street near you, News television was about to conquer not only our lives, but also of those who lived in celluloid.
Star News came back in a new only Hindi Avatar, when its partnership with NDTV ended, the latter producing its own news channels,NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India(and NDTV Profit).News Programming however also witnessed certain big achievements like NDTV's Big Fight(hosted by Rajdeep Sardesai, who now is with some other News Channel).
The point is if we start counting the number of NEWS channels which are there ,if you can really count them, it would be the breaking news of the day.Last heard, CNBC TV-18 has its business channel bouquet expanded from just being Englih, to a Hindi Business Channel called Aawaz, SAB group has its own Janmat(which I do not know can be considered as a News Channel), Rajat Sharma(of Aapki Adalat fame and bad hair day infame) has India TV along with Tarun 'Tehelka" Tejpal, Channel-7,Zee's Business News Channel, and of course the innumerable breed of Sahara's Zonal news channels, ABP and Star's Star Ananda, to name of a few(very few).So, if there are so many in the list, what do they show.Everything and anything.From Sting operations conducted by hiddden-cams exposing not to be seen images of " wanna-be"s and starlets, to making Crime Night fighting a half an hour adult show(the credit though goes to Shoaib Illiyasi's India's Most Wanted).You get it all, plus you get your daily news too, may be sometimes.News is no News anymore.Its Reality TV.And if the West thinks, they have pushed the limits of Reality TV with their shows like Fear Factor, Survivor or even the channel Reality TV, think again.You should some time watch these Indian News Channels.You get a taste of the Spicy Indian Daily Life happening at a gully near you, all spiced up, just for you.

Until then,keep glued to your TV sets, throw that remote away, and grab your POPkorn,because NEWS is entertaining.

Rahul Dev Burman, the legend

Each and every word or phrase written in his praise falls short..Because he is the papa of all Music Directorson the face of the Indian Music Industry...Because he is the reason why today's "music directors" wanted to be it,.. Because the entire Remix industry exists because of his yesteryear's hits..Because it is for his albums that DJs and retro nights exist..Because he can make asha Bhonsle sound the best,whether it is a ghazal, hindustani classical song, cabaret,or simply bollywood...Because he is Pancham, RDX, Rahul Dev Burman..

To the Baap of Bollywood Music..this is my heartfelt "paay-laagu" or "pairi-pona" of sorts.Because I am so small to talk of his genius.But that is not going to make me stop writing this blog about him.Because I have grown up on his music, totally breathed it ,had literally lived on it till today, and I am sure will, till I die.
We all remember the song "Boss Kaun hai" from Jhankar Beats directed by Sujoy Ghosh(I do take pride that another guy by my name is out there making movies,hah ha).So to start it, lets enjoy this entire musical journey from the beginning.

Rahul Dev Burman was born on 27 June 1939.Story goes that when veteran Ashok Kumar saw Sachin Dev Burman's newborn uttering the syllable 'Pa' repeatedly, he nicknamed him Pancham. And the name stuck. To many, he's still Pancham Da.To me he is Boss(yeah U can say Jhankaar Beats influences.)To him, music came easy and early. He learnt to play the Sarod from the legendary Ustad Ali Akbar Khan at very young age, one of his many instruments in which he mastered.At 9 years, came his first composition, 'Aye Meri Topi Palat Ke Aa..', which was later used for the film Funtoosh and the very next year, his father borrowed the tune of 'Sar Jo Tera Chakraye..' for the Guru Dutt film Pyaasa. The first film for which R.D.Burman scored music for was Mehmoood's "Chote Nawab" in 1961 and the first song in the film was to be recorded was by Lata Mangeshkar. The film marked the reconciliation between S. D. Burman and Lata Mangeshkar who had stopped recording together six years ago.

R.D. Burman had scored music for many a films, including "Bhoot Bangla" in whch he co-starred Mehmood.The film also featured the song "Aao twist karein" which reflected the Elvis revolution that was taking the world by storm then.But, the title of R.D. Burman's first Hit score would definitely go to "Teesri Manzil"(1966), featuring the evergreen , repeatedly remixed hits "O Haseena Zulfowali", "O mere Sona re", and unforgettable intoxicating "Aaja Aaja..main hu pyaar tera ". Vijay Anand can be credited with bringing about R D Burman's first big break. He arranged a music session for the youngster before Nasir Hussain commenced the production of Tesri Manzil. Shammi Kapoor, who heard RD's tunes, is said to have screamed 'Yahoo' in sheer appreciation while Nasir Hussain signed R.D. Burman for six of his forthcoming films.After Teesri Manzil, it wasn't looking back anymore.Followed hits like Padosan,Kati Patang,Pyar ka Mausam,Amar Prem , Caravan,Hare Rama Hare Krishna,Parichay, Jawaani Deewani,Namak Haraam, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Aandhi..the list is endless and the music ..Immortal.


R D Burman's constant efforts to break musical typecast and explore new possibilities came through in the music that he made. Be it the poignant tunes of Kati Patang, the love songs of Pyar Ka Mausam, the fun numbers from Padosan or the soulful melodies of Amar Prem, Pancham had done them all. While making music was his profession, singing always remained R D's passion. He sang occasionally and when he did, it was never went unnoticed. Though he did as much justice to serious tunes as he did to the light numbers that he sang, the groovier tunes always gained more popularity. Though Asha Bhosle is remembered for the legendary cabaret 'Piya Tu Ab To Aaja..', the wild cry of 'Monica O My Darling' belongs to R D Burman. together with RD. The composer also sang the sizzling 'Mehbooba Mehbooba..' for Sholay picturised on Helen and Jalal Agha. He however, did not record too many duets with Asha Bhosle who was by then the love interest of his life too. The high-pitched, outlandish 'Duniya Mein Logon Ko Dhoka Kabhi Ho Jaata Hai..', is one of their best remembered duets. No one can doubt the vibe that oozed out with his musical ventures Asha and Kishore.


And yes, who doesn't remember the experiments that he did with his compositions,..be it the clinging of glasses in "Churaliya hai tumne jo dil ko ", or the only-bass rythmn in "Tere Bina jeeya jaaye naa".Take his classical based compositions, Piya Bawari(Khubsoorat), Beeti Na Beetaiyee(Parichay) and we find ourselves immersed in his music and feel so amazed whether it is the same man who brought us the Qawwalis of Hum kisi se kam nahi,or the truly Bollywood isshtyle Romantic numbers of Love Story.Towards the mid-80s though, Panchamda was going through a rough patch as his films were bombing at the Box-Office.Bappi Lahiri and the Disco age had overtaken him and R.D's producers just disappeared. It was very unfortunate for us that during the nineties, when Indian Music was going throught the stupid Pop-Disco Wave and MTV had just entered our lives, R.D.Burman had not many compositions then.He was last heard in Ijaazat (1987), after huge hits like Saagar,Betaab and Masoom in the 1980's.And Parinda in 1989 also provided the everlasting hit..Tumse Milke.

Fortunately for us, Vidhu Vinod Chopra approached Panchamda for his ambitious 1942-A Love Story.And rest as they say, is history.The music today is considered as his "Swan Song", as Panchamda left for his heavenly abode on Jan 4, 1994. He wasnt there to recieve his last Filmfare award for the film's music.

From his expertise in Hindustani Classical and Indian Ragas to a keen interest and influence at times of american Jazz and Rock n' Roll, RD's musical interests stretched from 'ear' to eternity.It was R.D. Burman who really brought the groove into Hindi Film Music, ushering in the era of electronic rock and providing Hindi film Music with a whole new 'happening' sound. His hip and energetic youthful compositions proved extremely popular from the late 1960s till the early to mid-1980s providing much of the music that defines today's Bollywood.


Stand up and Salute to the Master, the Baap, the Boss...Rahul Dev Burman!!

Whats up with the News today??

Idols drinking milk,Sea Water getting sweet, National Hockey Players getting accidentally shot in train, Encounter- killing one in Antop Hill, and above all One year in captivity, dreams to be the next MLA. Phew, let me take a breather. News today seems so very DRAMATIC. Everything seems so enticing and spiced up. From Sadhu Secret Sex Scandals to Hidden Camera Revealations, to Looped Broadcast of Rakhi-Mika Smooch Marathon , to Latest Wardrobe Malfunction on the Ramp. Where has all the News gone? The only real News seems to be the Cinderella Story of Yamini from Chandigarh picked up by Satish Kaushik for his latest flick after he saw the girl on the cover page of TOI. Give some share to the photographer too I say. Oh, where is Prince by the way these days? I guess, the amount of footage that he demanded from all the news channels, left the Aishwaryas and the Bachhans feeling neglected.

Chaos Prevails

Chaotic dynamics
Sensitivity to initial conditions means that two points in such a system may move in vastly different trajectories in their phase space even if the difference in their initial configurations is very small. The systems behave identically only if their initial configurations are exactly the same.
Sensitivity to initial conditions is popularly known as the "butterfly effect", suggesting that the flapping of a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere, which could over time cause a tornado to occur. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale phenomena. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different.

Switch over to India , circa 30th May 2006. India surrounded by the Chaos of the Reservation Uproar, the Chaos of Crashing Markets, Chaos of Militant attacks in the North,North-East and the South tormented by Nature's tremors. What is it with India and Chaos? Was it all caused by some butterfly? As Dylan would say it,"The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind...."
Arjun Fucking Singh...I just do not want to censor out my words, not for this man.Wish I could write beautiful abuses , ones which you find or probably listen at the New York Street Fights, or ...forget it..we all know who he is, and what kind of a death is he marching towards..Who the Fuck is he to decide the fate of the millions of us..Yes, we did elect him to get to the chair on which he is resting his arse' upon, but does that give him enough justification to do what he is upto ...Post Reservation, the scene would look somewhat like 50.9% for the General. Doesn't this look like some kind of reservation. Talented, deserving people would definitely flock to foreign universities and stay happy earning dollars on foreign soil, and those who cannot afford to do that, end up somewhere where they do not belong. On one hand, the government spends millions in organising the Pravasi Divas with Sharukh Khan shaking hips to Bollywood Tunes, and on the other hand, the same government promotes Brain Drain. Last heard, the governement appealed Laxmi Mittal to come back to India. Give me one good reason why he should after all this has happened.And to end it all, the Government is all set to pass the bill, and then to me and you, it will be a law. Coming up next is the Reservation in the Private Sector.I kid you not. All in the name of democracy my friend.

Next in the offering, the Narmada Andolan Uproar which has taken an all new twist similar to a Manmohan Desai flick. Aamir Khan adjudged as unjustified and guilty for voicing out his opinions and public display of support to the Narmada Bachao Andolan. As a result, Rang de Basanti stripped off from the theatres, and Fanaa banned in Gujrat. Wonderful news is what I say. Today , in a world when news is fabricated, this seems like some delicious apple pie journalists across all channels would love to gulp down.I mean, if Aamir Khan decides one day that whatever is happening out there is wrong and wants to support it, who the hell are these petty organisations to control or I say censor his views. Screw 'em. Over and above, the Media in its pursuit to sensationalise things( as usual) , is trying hard to relate this very issue with the Coke issue of pesticide or no pesticide. Aamir Khan is being questioned whether he would be continuing to endorse Coke or not. To this Aamir replied that , he is in talks with the Coke people personally and is asking for explanations, and if he finds that the allegations are found out to be true, he would quit endorsing Coke.Poor guy, he asked for it. The Indian Media spares none. Not even Mr.Arjun Singh.
Well again coming back to the reservation issue, everyone was a witness to the televised version of Kaavya Viswanathan's next novel (inspired froma true interview , not from famous bestsellers) titled, How Arjun Singh Got Kicked,Got Screwed and Got a NationWide Thrashing Live on National Television.If you still didn't get it, I am talking about the recent interview ( was it, I think Karan Thapar waited for this) of the Minister of HRD in "Devil's Advocate". Excerpts are given in the following link.
Devil's Advocate Interview

I just loved that.
Hmm, what else has been chaotic? Aaah..Da Vinci Code. This time India did not remain an exception. Well, almost. The I&B ministry had to demand for a special screening just to defer the national release date to a week later than the World Wide Release date. The movie is now banned in Goa and Punjab. Why in Punjab, I am the wrong person to ask to.And well, Why at the first place the I&B ministry decided to poke its nose, when it finally left the decision in the hands of the Censor Board,even when the movie was passed by the CBFC? Well, probably because it did not go for the advanced booking of the tickets and hence could not arrange for the tickets for his friends and family.I mean, it was just plain simple ridiculous to find out that of all the places inthe world, India was the first place where the movie was on the verge of getting banned, even when it was being screened in countries like US,UK where Christianity is definitely not a minority, and also in Rome, where the Pope himself resides.I would like to qoute here what a priest had said himself in an interview to NDTV, that a movie or a simple fictional idea cannot shake the basis of a religion and belief so old and followed by billions.

Well, keep watching this space, will be back with more

Who is V? u ask...The answer is....

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.

I am V

Behind me, I see them all
The shadows , as they rise and fall
For the end, I can hear them call
Standing we are, in a dark deserted hall,

And oh , they got their guns in their hands,
Cowards they are, so behind they stand,
All of them ready to shoot at my back.
And they plan to wrap my corpse in a sack

C'mon, if you are worth your birth ,fight facing my face,
If you got it in you, try matching my pace,
Try tearing my lungs by Stabbin me thrice
Try Rippin off my veins, and pouring some ice

But you cant of course live up to that
Your bodies too thin, your asses too fat
And its now my turn to show what I've got in me,
Behold everyone, make room for V

I am V, the one who broke his nose
I am V, the one who choked him close
I am V, the one ,the forgotten from the past
I am V, the one who kicked thou ass,

So its time for you scums to face your destiny,
So who will be the one who's gonna be slaughtered by me,
Your skulls are wide opened up, I see your pink brains,
The hook is angled on your neck, and your blood flows in the drains

Yeah...

Is there no one else, to face the wrath of me!
I'llrip them off, I'll crush 'em down and show my hospitality
If you still think you can win try taking another shot at me
Enuff is enuff, no no..fine..Its time for penalty...

C'mon, if you are worth your birth ,fight facing my face,
If you got it in you, try matching my pace,
Try tearing my lungs by Stabbin me thrice
Try Rippin off my veins, and pouring some ice

But you cant of course live up to that
Your bodies too thin, your asses too fat
And its now my turn to show what I've got in me,
Behold everyone, make room for V

I am V, the one who broke his nose
I am V, the one who choked him close
I am V, the one ,the forgotten from the past
I am V, the one who kicked thou ass,