tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51365330912319594232024-03-13T22:13:42.194+05:30Sunrise and Joy!All good things that spell a New Tomorrow!juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-84278436813665839842020-03-21T23:12:00.001+05:302020-03-21T23:12:13.129+05:30Stayin' Alive: Life in the Times of Corona!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Dec 26, 2019</b>: Planet Earth witnessed a major solar eclipse.One that was talked about and referred to for days before it happened, it came almost uninvited (some would reckon!) and hit us like it wasn't supposed to. I remember it being the nucleus time of the festive season - the holiday season as you'd term it. of course, who was ready to recognize this as an indicator of a 'not-so-smooth-time-staring-at-us.'I also remember being advised by my master to recognise this chalening event and do a lot of chanting, prayers and meditation on that day and the days following it. I remember having asked our kitchen helper to ensure no cooking is done during the eclipse period and spent most part of the day chanting and praying for the world, as we were guided. What I 'do not' remember knowing is that the time would turn sooner than what any of us could have guessed. So essentially the last week of December had started to embroil something major (albeit unseen then) that were to unfold and grip the entire world in weeks to come.<br />
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<b>Mar 11, 2020</b>: After having felt a lot of emotional and physical stress for a few weeks and having resisted the effort and urge, I finally decided to check into a detox and wellness treatment last week. It was going to be a gruesome 4 days of ayurvedic treatments, taxing and marathon yoga, cutting down from the world and family and a lot more at mental and emotional level but I felt like I needed it now. At some level, after knowing for years that I needed that lax period and yet resisting it, I finally decided at about 11 in the night to report the next morning at 6 am for the program. I knew the next dates for not coming up until the next 3 months and somewhere it felt right to pause as I could sense the universe and the globe too slowing down on the accelerator. So I did too!<br />
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<b>Mar 21, 2020</b>: I am back from the detox and here we are today as not a country, sect or community but as a human race dealing with the fear and wrath of the 'unknown.' This time round, there's no war that's been caused by strategic alliances, or incompetent or insecure agendas, nor by fleeting radical views but by something that we can't see, or sense or anticipate. We are battling a calamity that is fast spreading before we can even spell it or pronounce it. But are we headed towards doom? NO.<br />
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This is a situation that needs nations, departments, people, ideologies, competencies and solutions to come together to face it. Look at it - for the first time in our living memory, we are not talking about murders, political agendas or cheating, we are talking about just wanting to protect the human race. and guess what we need to do here -- we need to just step back, shut all outside doors and activity and repose in the self. History has brought upon tremendous battles for mankind to fight, we need to redeem ourselves not in a battlefield but in the very comfort of our homes. the couch is the weapon now. you just need to drop everything (like I found myself doing symbolically). And to tell you the truth - it felt right to drop everything. If you've studied science and the concept on two objects in motion with varying speeds, then you would know that I am trying to draw an analogy between the planet and the human here. We both have been racing at our different velocity (speed) and now need to slow down at measured rates for the tandem of journey to be maintained. So this time, Planet Earth decides to drop her resilience and guard mankind - almost like a 'S<b>hut up and Shut down</b>.' So for the first time, everything around you is at a standstill - while you mourn this pace given the hectic pace you're attuned to but it's actually a blessing in disguise. It's god's way of helping us retract and then come up like a phoenix again. It's her way of letting us repose in our ourselves and come back fresh and alive. So take the cue please - don't loathe it or let it consume you with anxiety and loneliness. So please, please try to spend some time with yourself, meditate and chant. If that doesn't come easy to you, try sitting with your eyes shut and just keep positive thoughts. just exercise, dance, look after yourself. Keep a healthy diet (avoid junk food), eat lesser than you usually do, bless your family and friends, connect back with family members across the globe and friends (either distant or old time ones), make a list of all that you wanted to do (writing, cooking, singing, painting etc.) or just anything else that makes you forget the rush of your mechanical life. Go, spend time with your parents, laugh with them, cook for them, do something nice for your spouse, play with your children. Just do anything that has nothing to do with your career, designation and social position (of course, outside your 'work from home' hours).<br />
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Basically, in due course, this pace will start seeming rhythmic to you. Suddenly, everything will start making a lot of sense and you will find your peace and faith with whatever is happening in the world. Yeah, and keep your humor intact as you go through it all, life without humor is too dry - don't take yourself too seriously and cut slack to those who you think might/could have hurt you in the past.<br />
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And yeah breath - pay attention to your breathing. stop and take deep long breaths- that, my friend, is an antidote to any and every problem in life. You would get to know it once you try it (will not sell that point too much :))<br />
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Oh and - most of us are asking about things that we can do during the quarantine phase, yes, that will come up soon. I will also post some experimental videos on cooking and dancing (haha yes!) very soon. And some handy DIY ideas for home made soaps, ayurveda and yoga tips for wellness and much more!<br />
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As I sign off from this post, know that <b>we will overcome this</b>. This will be past us. Just take good care of yourself and your families. Be safe, be healthy and be connected!<br />
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God Bless..</div>
juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-43846093336962004722019-12-31T20:47:00.003+05:302019-12-31T21:01:12.407+05:30Saying Hello to 2020, looking back at 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i><span style="color: blue;">Let’s see how you shaped up, ’19!</span></i></b></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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It took me a mammoth 13 months to pay attention to you.
While you came calling many a times with the invitation to pen my thoughts, I
admit, you had me a wrapped in a tight foil of sorts for most part of the year
forcing me to ditch my inner craving to write and just stay suspended. I was
thinking of an apt word – was it sadness, or grief, was I numb, did it get lame
or anything else?? I think I will settle at ‘suspended’. You had me drop so
much of what I could have offered so many times this year but I didn’t. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t love you (of course!) and yet I
couldn’t hate you either. I’m easily going to identify you as a personally very
challenging year but I’m never going to loathe you, in fact if anything, I’ll
look back at you with an earnest smile down the line for I know your toughness
wasn’t my enemy – it made me stellar…Stellar enough for me to know and identify
it, stellar enough for me to want to genuinely get back to my blogging after a
year and more so, stellar enough for me to have finally found my peace with all
that you gave and offered with a new found maturity and wisdom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: blue;">So let’s visit you…</span></i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The heartbreak started in December 2018 and carried out in
bits and parts. I lost three very special people I’ve known since birth to the
raw wrath of this thing called ‘death’ and I found myself weak – weak in their
memories, weak in their loss and weak in the comfort I felt around them. Of
course, life will never leave you un-confused and admonished so here we were
celebrating a beautiful wedding in my immediate family this year (thank you so
much!), then another one had a beautiful baby (aww adorable!). So there was
happiness – just that it was to be lived and celebrated as we moved along. I
admit losing my maternal grandmother this year left me vulnerable like no other
event I believed could do that her going away left a void that no amount of fun
could churn away. Of course we all move on and find our little place of peace
and happiness within, we travel, we seek solace in our friends, our hobbies,
our passions but most times it’s only a picture we show to ourselves. She was
someone whose one gaze and touch could vacuum clean all my pain and fill me
with hope and love. With her gone, the world seemed harsher – but truly that’s
when her blessing really started. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Of all the pain of separation and sadness that came this
year, without my realizing, there also came a slightly visible but powerfully
present (albeit!) ray of hope and happiness. I can’t truly define the last few
months that I have witnessed. I may not have too much in my hands to boast of
but I know I’m there! I’m really and truly blessed to be saying this today that
I am truly happy. I don’t think I consciously worked on being the good cheer
again but I’m amazed at what’s unfolded gradually and beautifully. My angels up
there are closer to the impactful headquarters now (it seems!) and they’re
working up some amazing magic. I actually feel I glow more than I ever have. When
I pass a mirror now, I stop by and glance back to admire myself. I now smile a
lot more (my eyes too smile now!). I have started out reaching out more to
people and allowing them to judge me. I no longer hold back with the ‘conversation
starting’ resistance and dive straight in If I’m up to it .You see after being
so absent to my own self, I came back to pay more attention to myself. It’s
truly and fairly about myself now – I hear I’m happier, more focused and more humorous
than I’ve ever been. There’s no accrual pain and expectations that I’m
carrying, the tears have dried up not because I’m bored but because I’m good
with the understanding that everything’s okay. And I have to say this I have this
super envious mini army of a few people I can’t survive without – they know me
like a book and have been there to hold me and cheer me up whenever the chips
were down. So I’m back and there’s lots planned for the coming year coz Baby –
2020 is waiting for us! Don’t you dare miss the razor sharp fun that awaits you
in the new decade.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: blue;">So<o:p></o:p> what have I been actually up to (cutting the chase!)</span></i></b></div>
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I’m busy chasing my dreams – in action, not thoughts anymore
– I’m only to share this much as I write. But what I can share is this – I’ve
gotten back to keyboard playing and juke boxing (my Junior Diploma in keyboard
almost haunted me to get back to it!), I am learning technological scripting
(something that I always wanted to do!), I’m reading the mystical texts that I was
waiting for since 2 years, I pay more attention to styling and aesthetics (something
that I know I’m a natural at!) and I’m reconnecting with all my friends and
family who I want in my life. I’ve seen off people who I don’t need for their
energy excruciating powers and I’m actually spending some quality time thinking
and working towards how my times on the planet can benefit the lesser fortunate
ones. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: blue;">2020 and You??</span></i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Oh it’s going to be a ball! I say this since I can feel it
in my bones, my cells and my spirit. I know 2020 is going to be breakthrough
year for mostly everyone. It’s a transformational year on so many fronts. But you’re
not going to regret it – It’s going to open boxes of opportunities, of
possibilities, of capabilities and arenas of making difference to the world.
Start anywhere, continue from anywhere but be on bandwagon – be there to do
something fantastic and don’t be afraid. You could fall but not fail. 2020 is
your year if you’re reading this right now (I swear I’ve got goose bumps as I
write this!) So Go! Make it happen!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: blue;">And I want to say..</span></i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I know I’m back and I want to say that 2019 got me closer to
who I truly am – this loving giver of a human who would always want to be
loving, helpful and there for others. So if there’s anything that I can ever do
for you (impact you some smiles, wisdom and more) then do reach out. Here’s
wishing you a super bright and beautiful 2020. Ensure to say adios to the pain
and doubts that 2019 gave you. They were all for good measure, to be learned
from and dispelled this year itself. So slay your way into 2020 and remember me
the next time you feel like “Wow! Here’s my 2020, baby!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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PS - I'm sharing the last picture of 2019 as a reminder of the resolve to spread and live happiness! Live it, Love it!<br />
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See you over the horizon in 2020! And by the way – any plans
for the 20-20 WC tournament in Australia?<o:p></o:p></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-9110292828254895702018-11-24T16:43:00.001+05:302018-11-24T16:43:45.954+05:30And That's What It's Been!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Can't believe that I wrote last in Jan! Well officially at least.<br />
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I've missed this space so much, but not to say that I've been lax with my thoughts and world. I've been writing almost every single day, well virtually I I may say so- there's been a lot of healthy and interesting monologue that's been whipping up storms, designs and logical streams in my head - I've been writing during my quite moments - while bathing, driving, waking up, meditating, even cooking. So there's been a lot of 'coming together' and 'understanding' a lot of things but it's been seasoned with all flavors - hasn't been all pretty, but definitely all worth it.<br />
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Where do I even start? I hope I can remember most or at least, some of it. The year's been pretty nice and gracious - got an unexpected promotion, started emotional wellness sessions at a lot of places including my workplace, studied a lot on topics that interest me, piqued my interest in vegan cooking, got picked up for a very exciting exciting, creative project (outside work), made some very deep connections with some very beautiful human beings, left some who drained my emotionally and finally, started gathering myself to help me get to my better, aspired self.<br />
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So let's start with cooking! I realize that meditation brings up things and qualities that you never ever thought you could have - so I'm going to start with the most obvious and tangible of it all - all those who'v had a glimpse of my gourmet-like vegan cooking pics, would know that I have been a good cook but an average one at that! I haven't been someone with an 'eye for the emerald' when it comes to ingredients, nutrition value and taste - but off late, a lot sprung up. I played around with ingredients, combinations, flavors, cooking styles and most importantly, brought together food basis their nutrition value. where did that even come from??<br />
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Then I move on to aesthetic touch in interiors and designs - I suddenly feel this year, my mundane curtain's risen for good - I now have an eye for the slick - for the dainty, the elegant and the graceful art. As I started to blend in with my newer-found preferences this year, then came about my inner pulse. Just I started to settle in with the above, I was flooded with a deep desire to really go out there and make a difference - I know that sounds so vague so let me zero down to the point - I decided to keep it plain and simple - decided that Let me start with simple wishes and simple desires if I wanted to change the world and bless it with happiness. So having started this on my own, I in no time, got together with a cozy set of friends and started to do 'let's cook a meal for someone' saturdays (we call these 'Super Saturday Seva days) wherein we all together pre-decide a menu, cook some food our selves, stack it up in our cars and drive around to serve that food to someone who's slogging it out in the sun to earn a living. Serving with love each day, month after month, with a smile has made us realize that we are so blessed and that there is no service greater than making someone smile for such a simple thing like a meal. The satisfaction, the zeal and the understanding that this activity has provided us has been immense - I am very proud to share that today, we are almost 15-16 people who get together one saturday every month for this.<br />
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With all of this, also came a change in my mindset and my concepts - It would be safe to say that a lot of concepts got smashed this year. A lot of my mainstream thinking shattered through the ceiling and I realized it actually meant nothing - it means nothing to hold on to your ancient beliefs if it doesn't bring you happiness and peace of mind. I realized that no thought is of value if it doesn't liberate you - but what's important while you do weave a new mindset is to never lose your integrity, never to infiltrate on someone's peace and joy, and to always be committed to a cause/person (as the case may be!). Basically - never do this at the cost of something or someone that really, really matters in your life. Oh and yes! the staircase fall was bad but with this grace, doing so much better now and have even re-started my yoga. Realized how yoga and exercise play such a vital role in our lives in managing not just our body, but our minds too.<br />
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And this year - I traveled with the master for knowledge, happiness and grace. I attended some beautiful programs that helped me to re-contain myself, focus on the positives and re-group my energies to create an even better tomorrow. Tell you what - there's a lot of activity happening beneath the surface - I almost feel like the swan, who above the sea level is very poised and easy, but doing heavy paddling with its legs beneath the sea level. But it's all good..because there's no better existence that earning what you achieve in life - whatever wisdom, grace and good things throng your life - it ought to be well earned and well deserved! And with that add on to your life some very special people who make you smile at life and yourself - that's also worth holding onto! It's important to just bear-hug those people who care for you, who make you feel armed and protected, who make you feel uplifted and serene, and those who have a plan for you to come out of life's event unscathed. I think I'm very, very grateful to god to have people who see me beyond my exterior - who see me beyond my toughness, my clumsiness and my sometimes mundane thinking - they are the one who fight for my happiness when I myself stop believing in it, they are the ones who keep my dreams going when I choose to open my eyes and wake up, they are the ones who push me to move forward when I want to stop and abandon the journey...they are my jewels! If you're reading this - do count yours :)<br />
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So nothing more to say in this one except for a book that I wanted to recommend - I came across this lovely opening synopsis on the upcoming book 'HAPPINESS EXPRESS' by celebrated TED speakers, Bawa and Dinesh! They've written down this very interesting book on 'how to be happy'..pretty basic, right?...WRONG! this book is filled with crazy facts and ideas that can enhance your health and happiness..I'm not telling you more..If you trust me, go to Amazon and get your copy now.<br />
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Next write up, will have lots of interesting details rather than just an generic 'I feel like this' account..Wait for it! Toodles...</div>
juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-48464376939771780482018-01-29T00:28:00.003+05:302018-01-29T01:12:01.795+05:30'Padmaavat' Movie review : A tale of Rajput Grandeur and Honor showed right!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Let this be said first, “You are no less than a brave rajput if you saw Padmaavat in a movie theater this</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> weekend.” (Ok, Pun Intended.) Needless to say, everyone’s been waiting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">magnum opus, Padmaavat (originally titled ‘Padmaavati.’)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Have to say, SLB’s Padmaavat was worth the 2.5 hours and every seat that was taken in the hall. It was</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> a complete sell-out - had to be. After all, the incessant buzz and controversies surrounding the movie </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">had pipped the curiosity quotient to its peak. Everyone who cared, and did not care, wanted to see it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Well, the story line does not need an introduction - The epic drama is a fictional account of a folklore tale</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> set in Northern India of 13th century where half the country was under the invasive spell of the Sultans </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(originally from Afghanistan) and the other half, the mewars of Rajasthan. So the tale revolves around </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the supposed-to-be-the-prettiest queen of India, Rani Padmaavati (played by Deepika Padukone) who is</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> married to the King (played by Shahid Kapoor) of Chittor (Rajasthan province). The then-sultan of Delhi,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Mohd. Alauddin Khilji (menacingly played by Ranveer Singh) sets his desires on the Rani and wants to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> capture her. The movie is a depiction of his obsessive pursuit and how his ill-wish destroys Chittor and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the lives of its royal family. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">So first the performances - Deepika as the poised and dew-beautiful Maharani Padmavati is a delightful </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">restrain. She holds back her charm, sense of drama and her mannerisms exactly as it is required to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> carry out the role of pretty yet subtle-ly intelligent queen. She is portrayed to be god gifted in all spheres</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> of existence - physical beauty, inner sensitivity and wordly and spiritly intelligent. The introduction scene</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> between her and the disgraced priest of Chittor, Raghav Chetan with some racy Q&A session is a</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> depiction of her clarity, her vision and her understanding of life. Deepika gracefully blends into the</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> rajasthani folk dance ‘ghoomar’ in the celebrated song and efforlessly oozes pain from her eyes in the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">dramatic scenes. Her attire and jewellery is a proud representation of the class and charm that </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Rajputana ladies are known for. Shahid, is a quite a revelation - He doesn’t really have an author backed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> role and does well to come across as a fine rajpur king - brave, ethical and not overtly emotional. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Having seen him in my childhood as a small boy, it’s always hard for me to envision him in a character’s</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> skin but this once, he totally moulds into Raja Ratan Singh of Mewar. Now the creamy character - </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Sultan Alauddin Khilji. He is shown to be a brutal, stubborn, purely evil king who does not bat an eyelid </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">before killing, backstabbing and indulging in adultery with his narcissicistic and menacing tendencies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Ranveer totally aces the act and you end up despising his menacing eyes, body language and way of </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">SLB doesn’t go wrong with the character artistes (special mention for Raja Ratan Singh’s Senapati </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Badaal and Khilji’s elegant and pretty wife, Mehrunissa played by Aditi Rao Hydari). But the top mention</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> is probably for JIm Sarbh who plays the gay slave of Khilji. His evil buffoonery and vicious body </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">l</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">anguage makes you really dislike him - the forbidden attraction between him and Khilji is however, very</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> delicately handled and no where does it go crass. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2s4S88Yt0EDu6yefDJFT4j6r8nKSMotl1g4q_HnyO91jx5WYXZcJ-AeSTY_AiphF02FyJhdeaP4ljTm54S2b9xAVFOZioTVRPTc10uMWrq-p_aZeJZlID9rIEeI-hDE5WNn3ibJ-1Li4/s1600/demo-pic_1516890723.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="750" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2s4S88Yt0EDu6yefDJFT4j6r8nKSMotl1g4q_HnyO91jx5WYXZcJ-AeSTY_AiphF02FyJhdeaP4ljTm54S2b9xAVFOZioTVRPTc10uMWrq-p_aZeJZlID9rIEeI-hDE5WNn3ibJ-1Li4/s400/demo-pic_1516890723.webp" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I have a very strong Rajasthan connection from my mother’s side of the family and I’ve got to admit, my </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">eyes light up on anything rajasthani - from the forts to the gorgeous dressing to the dance styles to the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> elegant ways - I notice it all. The artists, the choreographer, director of photography and the director </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">ensure they do not make a caricature of the set up at any instance and that is a huge win for the team. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The scenes of warfare are impressive, and rest heavily on video graphics. Good show there!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The music perks up at the right time and is evenly stacked with the pace of the film. BUt what walks away</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> with the ultimate accolodes is the deep background score of the movie. The background music will haunt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> you even as you walk out of the theater once the moview ends, and is the hero in the climax scene. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Speaking of climax - the much talked about ‘Jauhar’ scene has been very aesthetically shot and depicted</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> and does not in any way, promotes sati as a concept. If you’re contesting that, remember, this was set </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">up in 13th century where Sati was prevalent in the society. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Before I wrap up the review, want to really say this! There is nothing objectionable in the movie that would</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> disgrace Rajputs. I, infact, felt that the movie only glorifies the aan, baan and shaan of the Rajputanas. It</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> does not try to poke fun or sling mud at any castes. Hence, I do not understand the uproar that’s been </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">raging for the past 304 months. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">So clearly, you can’t miss this one since no one recreates history like the way Sanjay does! He is a </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">magician with opulent sets, dishy dresses, larger than life characters and historic stories. He knows his</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> art</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> and he worships it..It’s visible - so please - do go and watch it and celebrate India in its historic </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">grandeur and heritage. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Rating - 4/5</span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-39768811913178144412018-01-07T15:48:00.002+05:302018-01-07T15:59:15.200+05:30HNY '18: The Year that was, The Year that shall be..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It’s a brand new year! Drum roll for 2018 please.</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-538702c8-d025-f03f-9f21-578bcd8d5426"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First of all, please accept my heartfelt, deepest and warmest wishes for a wisdom filled 2018 and a year that fills your life with happiness, good health, success and peace.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjovmtJb-hohcW_PZ4SCT4nAphMJQupCVKu0DKFmqHi4taoOGJw5uT1zn6wfpM6fxrFP2gS_-EjBnSKdI2YGcydeHExi0JsbXHpkHx564KV5Om4VPCQ0lTkccOCcvv274bHcBfBMHqCo8/s1600/wallpaper-for-happy-new-year-2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjovmtJb-hohcW_PZ4SCT4nAphMJQupCVKu0DKFmqHi4taoOGJw5uT1zn6wfpM6fxrFP2gS_-EjBnSKdI2YGcydeHExi0JsbXHpkHx564KV5Om4VPCQ0lTkccOCcvv274bHcBfBMHqCo8/s320/wallpaper-for-happy-new-year-2018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-538702c8-d025-f03f-9f21-578bcd8d5426"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So ideally this post should have been written and posted almost 10 days back since it’s my ode to 2017 but there was something that was keeping me from penning this one. I perhaps, just wasn’t ready with the summarizing and the depth that this post demanded. 7 days into the new year, the attempt is ready to translate into a post.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, how was 2017? If you ask me (or even if you don’t ;-)), 2017 was a whirlwind of a year. It was a very qualitative year marked with a lot of growth, ups and downs, hard work, and a lot of introspection. Not everything was hunky-dory but the learning was immense. I learned a lot about people, perspectives, mindsets, ideologies, insecurities, capabilities and love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2017 had started with a celebration of a close friend’s wedding which turned out to be bitter-sweet, since it left me with a freak injury on my left foot’s finger, miles away from my home. It scared me, made me miss my family and basically tested my nerves - I thought I had nerves of steel only to realise, witness and address my vulnerability in those 3 days and the months that followed. The months thereafter were filled with a lot of travel, a great deal of exposure to different people, different cultures and different viewpoints. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then came the most special part of 2017 - I embarked on an inner journey of two weeks where I went through a lot of toil physically, mentally and emotionally to come out like the bruised but shining miner straight from the coal mines with the rarest and the brightest of diamonds in his hands - yes, I became an AOL faculty and now take courses where I teach friends, family, acquaintances and strangers on how to mediate, manage the self and lead a happy, peaceful life - the biggest gift that the divine can bestow on us, clearly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, I had my share of ups and downs and still do to be honest - but I never became a teacher with the disclaimer of never having to feel down and out, or low or victimized or any other emotion that I should not feel. I only subscribed to the fact when I became a teacher that we all are learners on this journey of life. This stamp is not a certification of our superiority but a human reminder that I will learn myself when I will talk knowledge and impart lessons and activities. I actually learn the most when I am teaching - It’s a resounding lesson. I realised that I do not need to be hard on myself, and keep proving myself to everyone around me - I realised that I am all heart and that the stamp from the world will not be the make-or-break of my life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SO here’s a little summary of my lessons that ought to help each one of us</span></div>
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<li>Not everything in life goes as per us but as they say “Whatever is happening, is either the best or for the best.” I actually accepted that and shrugged my shoulders well enough this year. I made sure I didn’t exercise ‘passive acceptance’ but ‘active acceptance’ - and that was the key. Gradually, it took away all my fears, sense of inertia and filled me a with a lot of hope. </li>
<li>Never ever subscribe to external voices, fears and notions. Pick up that relentless inner voice, no matter how bleak it is, pick on that, cultivate it with right thoughts, affirmations and observations and let it guide you to make your right choices. Please take note - there’s nothing like ‘the’ right choices. If anything like that exists, it’s only ‘your’ right choices. We all know what’s best for us, so best to go with that inner voice - It’s your constant self talking back to you about hidden dangers, real love and hidden opportunities. </li>
<li>I learned that fiction or conflict is only a visible evidence of your inner turmoil of emotions. When we have a conflict with someone over something, it’s really not them unless it’s about domestic violence, or some grave issue. Having a petty argument over something silly or immaterial is essentially us succumbing to all our temporary inner emotions. So either I can let that emotional cyclone pass by observing it or really give into it and create a little cyclone. Not worth giving in no?</li>
<li>Then I understood that travel is freedom. Travel is fresh air. Travel is a lethal break. Travel is respite. Whether something goes right or wrong, whether you are sad or not - do pack that travel bag once in a while and jet off. Get away to your happy place, one that makes you trip on life, one that makes you laugh that hearty laugh and gives a glint to your eyes, Why? Because you come back sane and detached. And no, Facebook pics and post are not always necessary - I followed that this year, kept people guessing where I was and enjoyed the maximum.</li>
<li>I realized that you need to dream - I mean you need to wish for something and chase it down to the point of your having achieved it. Ok, so I’m not talking about that girl or guy you’re obsessed with, I’m talking about some aspiration or some vision that you foddered in your life - now’s the time to gun for it. When you keep a bigger goal, the universe actually brings to you all resources, circumstances and people who will take you closer to attaining it.</li>
<li>I also realized that I love cooking :) I have always loved it, but I was never the gourmet kinds.But over the last few months, I picked up love for fresh, vegan ingredients that are healthy and joyful to the flavor palette at the same time. I learned to experiment with flavors, cooking techniques, presentation styles and healthy substitutes for designated old horse ingredients. Actually, it wasn’t the food that drove me to cooking but a rising sense of creativity that found it’s outlet in delicious food for my loved ones. </li>
<li>I also learned to say ‘So long’ to all those I didn’t need in my life - I cut out everyone who I knew is not going to make me a better person or even those who wanted to shake my inner peace. I can love ,of course, but not when you’re almost on the brink to ask for my inner beliefs and peace of mind. I can love unselfishly but never more than what my true inner being can allow. So ta-da to all those who thought I could stick to their whims endlessly. </li>
<li>I understood that true love is not in going after the most perfect but in going after that what may be imperfect but is yours.I realised true happiness is not when someone perfect comes and stands in front of you. There’s no big deal in loving someone who’s great in every regard. The big deal is in owning up your heart for someone who may be quirky, adamant and irritating but still oozes a mind blowing connection to your heart. </li>
<li>I also finally, made peace with the gazillion priorities in my life and took up multi-tasking with aplomb. I think I worked towards a lot of stuff this year and want to only intensify the efforts and fruits of those efforts in 2018.</li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s a lot more to share perhaps but I’ll keep it for some other time. But for now - I hope you create a ruckus of the right kind this year, raise the roof with your antics and create magic wherever you go, with whatever you do - Make the year count and make it to your life’s ‘Hall of Fame’ </span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-73412987468186679122017-12-02T22:36:00.000+05:302017-12-02T22:36:09.761+05:30It's Just A Story, Isn't it?!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So Sweet November it was. The birthday month was very special, and sprinkled with lots of love and bonding. More so, the day '11/11' was a terrific finale to one of the most spectacular years ever. The last 12 months preceding my this year’s birthday have been just so difficult to decode, for they have been special beyond my deserving and understanding both. I learned a lot this whole year, with the themes ranging over relationships to people to situations to a lot more that i can’t articulate. I met some very interesting and mesmerizing souls and witnessed journeys of the mind and soul that will walk with me lifetime after lifetime. I know for a fact that I’ve collected a treasure that will cross over with me - and I also know that this is a very special inflection point in my current life. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c9cebdfd-182f-fd0f-8ce5-d2cd0dd10c07" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the most special gifts that I received this year was to become an Art of Living teacher - something that I never wanted to become (to be honest). It’s almost like I was happy living a limited life filled with the preciousness of being a meditator only. I was somewhat devoid of an explicit desire to serve others. I found living in the side lanes safer and did not really care about creating a difference by being a medium. It never struck me - but thank god that god had different plans for me. So I became a teacher - and that really helped me to see myself without my mask and know my real purpose. Beautiful to say the least since the journey throws a new beautiful realisation and lesson each day. Well, the journey’s started and the feeling of guiding people to meditation, intuitively knowing what’s bothering everyone and being able to take their hand and walk them to a better land of being is a feeling that’s really irreplaceable. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then ‘sanyam’ happened - a beautiful experiential course that made me reach my highest self. I realised that we all are capable of living the state of no-mind and no-thoughtfulness so easily - if we know what to do and we do that - there’s no curtain between us and the higher euphoric mind. During this beautiful course, I met some brilliant, magical souls from across the globe who made life look like butter. They were so weaved and blended in knowledge, that I couldn’t stop gaping. I’ve always been very attracted to souls that live the high mind and this time really covered that part. So sharing one such instance from the course since we are at it, while sitting in the International’s dining area, gobbling up my dinner one evening, I happened to share my dining round table with two very noble and gentle american men, Jeff Poole and Jim Warner. Very kind and very pious they looked - they smiled as I sat to share my table and within minutes, we were having this very sweet conversation. I don’t remember exactly how my conversation started but I do remember realising within minutes that I had met an incredible person in the form of Jeff. Before you get me wrong, Jeff is an almost 60-plus something retired American man who used to own a million-dollar company and, used to live the high life till he went through some up and downs and developed a quest for something stronger, truer and more real. Jeff had been a meditator for years now, but had disappeared for a bit to balance his life’s other aspects - he went through business fiascos, a failed marriage and relationship, a crazy almost-fatal accident and a traumatic after-effect - he came back to life to sit like any other normal person would do and narrate his life’s experiences and learnings in the most coolest and casual manner. I remember him narrating about his life only to share this resounding lesson. He said, “ And So...after all this..I told myself - ‘This is just a story! Yeah, it’s just a story...Big Deal!” the ease with which he talked about his life made me gape at him, all wide-eyed, almost stoned with wonder and an incredible sense of self-depletion. As I got up last from the dining room, with these two gentlemen, to wash my utensils - i was overcome by a very silent wave of gratitude and realisation - I realised why I had come here after all, I realised that my becoming a faculty was not mere chance - I was supposed to be the santa in many lives to help them taste the highest, without forgetting how blessed I am. I realised that no matter what, I will always treasure these blissful moments of feeling the closeness with god and will always try and make others happy. </span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-88349675455235086132017-07-02T20:28:00.001+05:302017-07-02T20:28:30.409+05:30What's love supposed to look like anyways?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just last week, I again witnessed the pitfalls of marriages, love and relationships. Sadly and actually, fortunately, enough, my cousin brother who was supposed to tie the knot on Jun 27, had to call off his wedding at the nth hour to a girl he had known for just about 5 months. A match that was set and celebrated by two families ultimately came crashing down due to the girl's unearthly expectations from her husband-to-be. Sad, right? Actually, if you delve beyond the last-minute cancellations, crashing of the wedding preps and a wave of shocked and concerned relatives, It’s really not that bad. It’s actually more like having been able to do a last-min escape from a tumultuous Tsunami or a having missed a flight that was doomed to crash. And that, brings me to the crazy topic of love and marriage.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So much is made out of that silly chemical reaction that goes on inside us when we scoop out that special someone. So much romanticism, so much pressure on finding the right groom or bride for yourself, and so much expectation around sealing your love affair with a permanent ‘I Do’ is catching up. The Traditionalists and the liberals - none are spared. Everyone who is in a relationship is either expected to pop the question with a ring or at least they should be heading to the altar implicitly (moving in, talking the future as ‘we’ or ‘us etc.) Nothing wrong with that except for the fact that we all are in a hurry to auction in our special other half as the permanent bet. What does it even take to tell you that your ‘seemingly’ significant other is the one you’ll be glad to grow old with, how do you know this person who is so happily absorbed by your riches and beauty today will not throw the towel seeing your wrinkles, financial problems, family woes or your own inner demons? None.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The other day, as the rain gods obliged with a continuining shower spell with a cool breeze, I was walking down the garden path near my home and actually got myself to question -”what does love need to be/feel like?” - simple question you may think. It’s probably got a lot to do with the butterflies you feel in your stomach when you see your special someone, probably the universe-shattering god/goddess looks that make you go weak in your knees, probably the fact that you mentally connect palm-to-palm with that other person or probably have a host of similar linkings, hobbies, lifestyle, mentality and all other things that make you ‘click’ at the surface. The more I thought about that, the more my heart kept saying - No No! Love has nothing to do with all of that - all of the above is a feeling of likability, comfort, togetherness but not eternal love that makes you evolve and twinkle. Love is more than that.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">True love is supposed to make you a better, and a more sorted human being. It's supposed to be like that big teddy bear that you can hug out all your worries and problem to. True love is not a low-lying branch of your favorite tree. It’s probably the highest branch that stands tall and mighty, and refuses to give in too easily. It’s not that low-rung who has less standards. It’s going to make you pant, run, aim higher, try and try some more! True love has a major symptom - It’s not going to be easy and it’s going to rob you of every little strand of confidence and surety you’ve enjoyed thus far. And you know what all that happens - because true love between two people years for them as much they yearn for it to flower between them. It’s a gigantic call of the heart, and the universal energy that says - strive for it if you really want it bad. And no worries if you don’t, but then - just don’t call it love - then that’s an arrangement. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I see too many people settling down for arrangements these days. Arrangements of the hearts, maybe families or maybe just two practical individuals who only carry about money at the bank balance, good looks and a charming personality. I somehow feel that when we stand up to our innermost gut and shake the comfort zone of love that surrounds us, then a lot of answers start appearing and lots of stuff begins to come together. If we choose to stay immune, you just might be setting yourself on a life long journey that has no destination.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So after all this furore, what is true love after all? I’m truly no expert but I do know that when it exists between two people - you don’t need words. You don’t need perfect circumstances but just a true understanding of each other - their moods, their aspirations, their dreams, their fears, their weaknesses, their insecurities and their quirks. If after absorbing all of that, the mere thought of that person still makes you smile - then that’s true love. It may not be perfect, but it’ll be worth all the imperfection it carries. If only everyone starts owning up to that knowing or even waking up to the call that it’s needed (maybe it’s not there yet!), then a lot of people will save themselves the heartache and trauma of landing up with partners that are not their co-passengers in this journey of life. Marriages breaking or decisions taking a U-turn is not pretty for anyone involved, but sometimes manning up to that gut/intuition is always paramount.</span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-61613375785883209102017-04-06T08:25:00.002+05:302017-04-06T08:31:25.842+05:30The Exuberance of 'Zumba' : My journey in my words<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The girl picks up her water bottle, finds a spot and rests in on the floor, then she takes her hair, twirls them around to set them up in a bun, and gets ready for it. She then takes a deep breath in and breathes out slowly. She then extends both are arms, stretching them front wards and side wards, and then bends a little as she decides to quickly go through her little ’happy’ warm up. She then jogs up and down almost in the anticipation of the lovely one hour that awaits her. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She adjusts her gym wear, ensures her bun sits pretty and signals to the instructor - let’s start.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ok wait...Nothing fancy about the description of a girl’s one hour of zumba dancing, so you’ll be thinking. Correct. Well almost.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Agreed that there’s no fanciness to sketch out about what the seer sees in this but also important to know what goes on beyond the mundane. Maybe there’s something going on more if a girl/woman is tempted to write about her journey 6 weeks into her Zumba dancing classes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpO7Y1trMhGVgAFXHvapFPdsFgcGgsrV79KDmV2tOynHkfL1ish78ETQFH11PyIRMNHkCgYPSJNtFplnpshq-TvQKRFm5kRvw_e6sWOR67EOx0CzO7oGUCqf218SFNrHeIRvcouyxuWK0/s1600/fashion-dancing-girl-disco-m21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpO7Y1trMhGVgAFXHvapFPdsFgcGgsrV79KDmV2tOynHkfL1ish78ETQFH11PyIRMNHkCgYPSJNtFplnpshq-TvQKRFm5kRvw_e6sWOR67EOx0CzO7oGUCqf218SFNrHeIRvcouyxuWK0/s400/fashion-dancing-girl-disco-m21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So she gets ready. Away from the world of Perceptions. Assumptions. Malice and Expectations. She is ready to dive in her own indulgence in the hour that awaits her. She takes her spot - the one that she enjoys being at and gets ready to explore the moments as she gets set to dance her way to fitness and easiness. The music starts - the instructor starts moving her body. It seems like an epidemic - the moment the music starts to roll, the instructor’s face breaks into a smile that defines fashion, style and happiness. We can’t help but catch it on. Seconds into our first beat and rhythm, we’re all smiling that happening, sensual smile. As we get more intense with our steps, the mood starts to get more self-indulgent and within seconds the girl (let’s talk about her here!) is lifted from the mundane surrounding into her own world - he own happy place and the place where she feels valued and preserved. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She sways, and bends, and moves and turns. She jumps, she gallops, she hops, she rollicks. Her hair comes out swaying loose as she finishes her first two songs. She claps in gaity - it’s the feel-good hormones at work. She now gets her hair up in a ponytail and is ready to dive in the exuberance of her Zumba now. Play it on..</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She finds no time to stop now. She is full into her workout-cum-dancing and she finds herself easing out as the body gets tense and busy. She feels happiness pouring out of her every cell and pore and is ready to swing some more..</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She now is in the epic journey of not just her body dancing, but her soul swaying to the beat.. The beat within which tells her that she is beautiful. And talking of beauty, let’s start with the outer layer first - she feels her skin get pink with the rush of blood, she feels some sweat dabbing her cheeks, her lips feel pink and the skin reflects a glow that is owned not by compact and foundation but is a work of inner factory mechanics. She feels pretty as she lets loose and makes her own mark in the big room, that is currently her abode. But she is a hungry girl - she doesn’t stop at the outer layer and wants to delve deeper. She then decides to decode what happens inside - she goes within to realize that her body and mind are almost tossing signals that are in a rhythm- she finds her system in total sych and knows that there is nothing to know, nothing to rue over, nothing to think about and nothing to ask for as she is at it. She stops only to pick the beat once again - and before she knows it, she’s smiling once again and she realizes it only when the instructor makes eye contact with her to signal that she’s doing great. She then twirls in her own happiness, and almost bumps into another friend, she makes amends and goes on with her dance as if everything’s rosy and happy. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6MIqMrdFk0CN_ZQ2tHS2AwTNL6X_d6tuz0CMvdMfTOIfCxzxvOMOcIyR1lE9A0Da4djCc7RDq4LkhDrAisdvg5wpg67YlgMoYM2sAK2xN4VVgabCkzV3Dwnq1fPljwVuDq0xRHT1tiY/s1600/Carefree-Dancing-Woman-Silhouette.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6MIqMrdFk0CN_ZQ2tHS2AwTNL6X_d6tuz0CMvdMfTOIfCxzxvOMOcIyR1lE9A0Da4djCc7RDq4LkhDrAisdvg5wpg67YlgMoYM2sAK2xN4VVgabCkzV3Dwnq1fPljwVuDq0xRHT1tiY/s400/Carefree-Dancing-Woman-Silhouette.png" width="292" /></a></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-4025019919655507442017-03-25T11:38:00.004+05:302017-03-25T12:31:27.416+05:30When in Phillaur, love as the 'Phillauri's do - This fair of spirits lacks spirit!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">So Phillauri released yesterday and I managed to catch it on the first day itself! I am used to writing movie reviews but is this one special and unique?? - Yes, it is. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c59bfc52-0411-a7fc-1920-ed9d39d8d86c" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Phillauri’s been a ‘household’ name at home for over 7-8 months now, considering Sunil uncle (Sunil Mehra, my mom’s childhood friend from Jaipur) had landed a role in Anushka Sharma’s second home production and was busy shooting for this in Punjab in July/August last year.. So we all were actually waiting to catch him on the silver screen all this while, and catch we did, and floor he did with his ever-charming demeanor :-)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anushka Sharma and her brother, Karnesh Sharma co-produced this sweet movie - a great concept (must say!) to tell a story that is supposed to carry humour, love undercurrent and some historic drama to keep you at the edge of your seats and handkerchief box equally though it can’t be said that this movie is a masterpiece. Its languid pace sucks a lot of shine from the could-have-been-a-brilliant movie. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So the plot first - Kanan (played by Suraj Sharma of the ‘Life if Pi’ fame) is a Canada-returned munda who returns to Punjab (Phillaur precisely, a small town in Punjab) to marry his childhood sweetheart Anu ( played by Mehreen Peerzada) who he’s been dating since Class 10. The more confused, bewildered and less excited lad finds himself lost in front of his fiancee’s love and feels trapped at the thought of marriage at the age of 26. To make matters complicated, Kanan is a ‘manglik’ and needs to marry a tree now (seriously!!) to rid himself of the ill caused by his stars and horoscope. So Anu’s dad (Oh! The classy dad’s been played by Sunil uncle) ensures Kanan marries the tree and that’s where the problem - the tree was possessed by a good soul/spirit called Shashi (played by Anushka Sharma). Shashi starts tailing kanan involuntarily all the time since the ritual and that’s where the hilarious drama begins.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg502ma26yTTd0iBNFg4tLnzRAPb-rerb4OG8sOHJZVH7kuRWM3fNJKbdTerDfInPL-fqtH0Ye89shO1bE7LxGevnxBcD1yGkfKN7yEcaAiTjfjeBd7IE59DCa7A9NethTHXdosO4CE4/s1600/phillauri-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg502ma26yTTd0iBNFg4tLnzRAPb-rerb4OG8sOHJZVH7kuRWM3fNJKbdTerDfInPL-fqtH0Ye89shO1bE7LxGevnxBcD1yGkfKN7yEcaAiTjfjeBd7IE59DCa7A9NethTHXdosO4CE4/s400/phillauri-cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Diljit Dosanjh who plays the ( the ethereal mix of innocence and feel-goodness) does full justice to his role of a raanjha singer in Punjab of the early 1900s as part of Shashi’s flashback, when she was alive. The love story between Anushka and Diljit shines and sparkles in spurts and just when it peaks to become the high point of an otherwise lacklustre narrative, that’s when the movie changes track to a dramatic twist and climax. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The movie does have its winning points - Kana’s dadi who is a whisky -holding grandmother who wants her grandchildren to chill and doesn’t mind holding a drink at 1 in the night. The little cute child who’s shown as a house help in Anu’s home is cute as a button and how he mistakes Kanan to be gay and after young boys (hilarious scene!). The flowing poetry between Diljit and Anushka (Anushka’s a closet poetess!) leaves so much to be absorbed and cherished. Lots of subtle highs there…</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVLZaIwYeTQQOGXmdZiF5jNWvT3RnoQ2E14keQOp48yYmxt6Bg97prnUdyA3nbuUQ49Kp9Sf8nTSVpvVZg9CESHNAearH8gtFzgPK5kkLvgf_OM-bFTDwU2S84RZtdFNi1C2SxvHPfOs/s1600/Phillauri-Anushka-Sharma-still.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVLZaIwYeTQQOGXmdZiF5jNWvT3RnoQ2E14keQOp48yYmxt6Bg97prnUdyA3nbuUQ49Kp9Sf8nTSVpvVZg9CESHNAearH8gtFzgPK5kkLvgf_OM-bFTDwU2S84RZtdFNi1C2SxvHPfOs/s400/Phillauri-Anushka-Sharma-still.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What makes the movie dip is the lack of crackle in the narrative, the chemistry between today’s couple Kanan and Anu (sleepy romance is what they share, a far cry from today’s high bass romance) and the confusion that Anushka carries as a friendly ghost. Anushka is a pleasant actor to watch and she is more comfortable as the peppy Shashi from 1919 days. She doesn’t know what to do in the ghost avatar. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This move has some lovely musical renditions that you should not miss - more so if you understand punjabi :-). One time watch for sure but don’t expect some magic back home with you when you walk out. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Rating - 3/5</b></span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-82600185383134262472016-12-25T13:23:00.002+05:302016-12-25T13:32:00.627+05:30Dangal Movie Review: 'Dangal' packs the perfect year-end Punch!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Saw Dangal. Loved it” - Probably ought to be the shortest movie review that summarizes Dangal aptly. Aamir Khan’s latest flick, released on December 23, 2016 came and conquered! Aamir again lived up to his promise of delivering the perfect Christmas present for the Bollywood movie lover. He played the perfect Santa by doling out the most entertaining film of the year, wrapped with a subtle yet empowering social message on gender discrimination in India. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dangal, produced by Disney (co-produced by Aamir Khan Productions and UTV Motion Pictures) is a must watch for more ways than one. Depicting the real life journey of International Indian Women Wrestler sisters, Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat and their rise to the International arena, this movie packs many a punch through its brilliant, fast paced narrative, feisty haryanvi-laced dialogues, impressive performances by the cast and the emotions between relations. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UbnZ1KTS52P_Ws6JqjHyxXLifc-Zajazp0oiB1NtnONQKddrykiqbnKa4l6LQCBlP1uPEFuwxAj9RmRh3oR9QWUfP7QZlbmJrQXZ_UX6cP0NOMXQ74bu_YNr6dS3oI7OylS_VBPBlm8/s1600/DANGAL-NEW-POSTER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UbnZ1KTS52P_Ws6JqjHyxXLifc-Zajazp0oiB1NtnONQKddrykiqbnKa4l6LQCBlP1uPEFuwxAj9RmRh3oR9QWUfP7QZlbmJrQXZ_UX6cP0NOMXQ74bu_YNr6dS3oI7OylS_VBPBlm8/s400/DANGAL-NEW-POSTER.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So the story first: This is the story of a rural Haryanvi Indian Wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogal (Aamir Khan) whose dreams of winning a Gold Medal for his country get dusted when he fails to make it beyond the District playing team. He is forced by circumstances and poverty to stick to a mundane clerk job. Dejected, he starts nurturing a dream of having a wrestler son who could get the gold for India. But as luck would have it, his wife (Sakshi Tanwar) ends up delivering 4 daughters one after the other, thereby dashing his hopes. Mahavir’s rusted hopes take a new birth when one fine day, he encounters the wrestling streak of his 2 elder daughters Geeta and Babita (Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar) come home after bashing a local boy of their age. Aamir decides to train his young girls so that they get into the dangal and pick it as a professional career choice. Mahavir is a man of nerves of steel when he goes against his wife, society and his daughters to impose his will and dreams on the budding girls. He refuses to budge and finally gets them to make his dream theirs. After that, Mahavir never looks back and fights it out through his talent, strength, strategy, vision and single-minded dedication to make his daughters the best in this rare sport. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7A9dKAgNdaSLnm7FF7GrdUHDyVVKEDlVYMUxX3pBHCprPv5WhTgk-u_u6rE8YabT_VOiRIbF6ihyutRLqKC-2ktoUcHYPIP0yAqYnwxhrtIzeJt88oVOOY67v9z_1c9aeF_NwIpAIBM/s1600/367843356.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7A9dKAgNdaSLnm7FF7GrdUHDyVVKEDlVYMUxX3pBHCprPv5WhTgk-u_u6rE8YabT_VOiRIbF6ihyutRLqKC-2ktoUcHYPIP0yAqYnwxhrtIzeJt88oVOOY67v9z_1c9aeF_NwIpAIBM/s400/367843356.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aamir plays the dynamic, stubborn yet sensitive father - Mahavir Phogat with utter brilliance. From his haryanvi middle-age paunch to his thick haryanvi accent to his expressions, Aamir nails the inspiring dad. He maintains fine balance between being a super-strict, hard core unrelenting coach figure to a caring father with utmost ease. He switches on and off with such velvet that you get wonderstruck. He has some mind blowing scenes to himself - when he orders for his daughter’s long hair to be cut so that there are no distractions for their practice, the way he gets his vegetarian wife to make chicken for the girls daily all because they need protein in their diet to strengthen their body and the way he comes to their room in the middle of the night to press their tired feet - all go on to show the essence of being a father - one that wishes for his children to excel yet be in his protective shadows, when it matters the most. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kKvDVq3wXD6e8YEGRtyPpDit2Xlbm3xclXJtB64D7poI9_M1-LJW9GLiPEF2bl4_7LM-vzb3MYlJdwdop6d05shdTtck-hwxuJ9QsTr6T6kmg_Emf1uHYRSMGhdbSnddqC_3rHOnu1s/s1600/75825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kKvDVq3wXD6e8YEGRtyPpDit2Xlbm3xclXJtB64D7poI9_M1-LJW9GLiPEF2bl4_7LM-vzb3MYlJdwdop6d05shdTtck-hwxuJ9QsTr6T6kmg_Emf1uHYRSMGhdbSnddqC_3rHOnu1s/s400/75825.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Dangal girls play the gallery with aplomb. There are two phases to it - the sister duo when they are growing up (from junior to sub-junior) and the when they grow into senior wrestlers. The former is played by Zaira Wasim (as the little Geeta Phogat) and Suhani Bhatnagar (as the little Babita Phogat). The girls are a riot - their love for everything girly, their earnest request to their mum to save them from their dad’s tyrance on making them practice wrestling every morning at 5, their exchange of dialogues on their predicament and their scheming tactics to get their dad discouraged is just an expression of cinematic brilliance. Director Nitesh Tiwari has so effortlessly extracted such real emotions and expressions out of these young prodigies that you only end up wishing for more screen time with both of them. The best scene is the one where both end up trying to dissuade their father by saying how difficult wrestling is for each other. A delightful scene!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now the professional Dangal Sisters - the two girls grow up to be professional wrestlers who are undergoing professional coaching and training at the National Sports Academy at Patiala. Aptly played by Fatima Sana Sheikh (Geeta phogat) and Sanya Malhotra (Babita Phogat), the girls play their roles with great sensitivity and grit. They display perfect, professional level wrestling and even give us a very awe-inspiring peek into the lives and minds of a sportsperson and wrestler. They present to us marvellous moments when they share a silent rift, when an egoistic,city-trained Geeta challenges her aging father to a wrestling match and the way they again end up becoming each other’s strength and pillar of support will just make you want to watch this movie once again. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJFc82agnvvVJHZRvaavdkiu24vUTKiEy3rt6Mu8wGpUt-WGB1NRwTGpON5hKQQfuzj0GpJfIYkLNEu5zE6xcELOajOKR8kYQKNvnZpE59aQCvIKZNL64NSlBvobnvJsZQnn7bmeNN2o/s1600/dangal-trailer-reviw-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJFc82agnvvVJHZRvaavdkiu24vUTKiEy3rt6Mu8wGpUt-WGB1NRwTGpON5hKQQfuzj0GpJfIYkLNEu5zE6xcELOajOKR8kYQKNvnZpE59aQCvIKZNL64NSlBvobnvJsZQnn7bmeNN2o/s400/dangal-trailer-reviw-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Now the cherry - the title track Dangal (by Daler Mehendi) pitches up at the right time to take the narrative in the right direction, the track ‘Haanikarak Babu’ is a peppy, feel good track on the humourous injustice the father imposes on his cute-as-a-button daughters. The narrative by Mahavir’s Nephew who calls him ‘Tauji’ is just very cute and aptly positioned in the screenplay. The brightest moments of Dangal are probably the heart-wrenching fight between Aamir and Fatima, which screams out a million shades of a father-daughter relationship and perhaps the fighting bouts of the grown up Geeta Phogat with her opponents at the Common Wealth Games 2010. Aamir depicts the perfect coaching skills and takes his daughter to the finest form through his restrained coaching skills. The final scene where he acknowledges his daughter’s winning a Gold Medal is probably one of those scenes that get sealed as Celluloid exuberance. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you choose not to watch Dangal, you only miss this much - a great cinema piece, a relevant & pertinent social message, some stackful of great performances and some great poignant cinematic moments that come out straight from slices of our lives. Now you decide..</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rating - 9.2/10</span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-11844430994453505712016-10-30T18:10:00.002+05:302016-11-01T19:01:04.515+05:30'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' Movie Review: Karan comes of age to narrate a story about love!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have to admit, I was waiting to catch this one in its first week itself, and whether or not I’m glad I did is really not the point here. The point is - when you walk out of the movie theater after watching Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (ADHM), you walk out thinking that Karan Johar really has evolved to a more soulful and a less frivolous storytelling technique, he has grown into a mature film maker who knows that true love does not have to end in happy wedding sequences, dances with troupes of extra dancers and exchange of cliched love ballads. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The plot first - this story is about Ayaan (Ranbir Kapoor) and Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) who strike a lifelong felt camaraderie after their chance meeting at a London pub. Their friendship blooms into a platonic bond that is marked by bouts of no-holds dancing to 70s bollywood songs, peals of careless laughters, boy-crying-over-the-girl’s-shoulders and many heartfelt friendly moments. Alizeh loves Ayaan, no problem but only in a platonic,”we’re-only-friends” kind of way and that’s where the problem lies. Ayaan who is smitten, hooked and sold for life to Alizeh by now, is pining after her day and night, almost impractically, even after she confesses to him that she can’t get her ex-boyfriend Ali (Fawad Khan) out of her mind. Alizeh goes back to a crying and remorseful Ali only to marry him and leave a heartbroken Ayaan. And there begins the story of unrequited love and one-sided emotions. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5Bp6JjeSQRmdkYNFFtRXmy0EL0dkJYC6_KXPQzVLcslgYCtV_ThnzF0cm5yME-Kxl5Rb_lPGmPDYvLqSSM-sNVjruPkXt39zFwu_aImQnnrEt7FRrb3ImYqfgnijpMENlmghwmMxAYc/s1600/aedilhaimushkil-ranbir-aishwarya-anushka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5Bp6JjeSQRmdkYNFFtRXmy0EL0dkJYC6_KXPQzVLcslgYCtV_ThnzF0cm5yME-Kxl5Rb_lPGmPDYvLqSSM-sNVjruPkXt39zFwu_aImQnnrEt7FRrb3ImYqfgnijpMENlmghwmMxAYc/s400/aedilhaimushkil-ranbir-aishwarya-anushka.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So there’s some crackling music, a spunky Anushka who lights up the screen with her maturity,natural acting and sorted understanding of relationships, Ranbir who nails the frustrated-heartbroken-innocent-confused lover character with his emotions and outbursts and of course, then there’s this temptress of a poetess, Saba (Aishwarya Rai) who acts as a perfect distraction to Ayaan-Alizeh’s track. These are enough to make ADHM memorable. Definitely not a silhouette on Indian cinema but certainly a call out that love, emotions and passion are lived in real life and not in candy floss hindi films. “Love tedha hai” (meaning Love is imperfect) is what the movie starts with and lives up to in each frame, each scene. Fawad’s role comes out to be extremely confusing, aimless and clueless. So much furore for his presence, after all! He doesn’t carry anything spectacular to add to the narrative or cinematography.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The soul of the movie is the understanding of life that dances in Urdu shayari and sufi lines. The “Pyaar junoon hai, dosti sukoon hai” gives a multi dimensional name to Ayaan-Alizeh’s relationship. They hug, dance, sing together and understand each other without even a word spoken, but it still breathes without romanticism and passion, and that is the beauty of this movie.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQnnWy_4c50zaAX8rGtqsxhC3XVmL4Or1RohlLaFpc6y3fEsMquGVTc66XYmImUepktsL4bs0bUhHoNwV1BcqFUovUYUpUcnsiySuXY86WQAsJBNbZl2tuhgK3vkh9_T9OiyBNEobvSE/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQnnWy_4c50zaAX8rGtqsxhC3XVmL4Or1RohlLaFpc6y3fEsMquGVTc66XYmImUepktsL4bs0bUhHoNwV1BcqFUovUYUpUcnsiySuXY86WQAsJBNbZl2tuhgK3vkh9_T9OiyBNEobvSE/s400/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love going beneath the surface of a movie that tells a story like never before so I will take this chance - Ayaan is your everyday hunky guy who lives an “ameer” life as opposed to Alizeh’s “raeez” life (there’s a world of a difference between the two!, she says). He is pursuing his MBA in London, has a hot-shot, super sexy girlfriend (Lisa Haydon) who’s a perfect trophy to take to parties and post facebook pictures, nothing wrong with that. He enjoys a steamy relationship with her (nothing wrong with that too) but there comes the right part - so walks in the carefree but alive Alizeh who stirs his soul. As Ranbir mouthes “ Love is like a tight slap out of nowhere”. It arrives and how! So love happens to him but it doesn’t happen to her. Now what?! So he continues his hunt and on his rebound, bumps into the unbelievably pretty Saba (played by Aish) who doesn’t believe in conforming to the regular standards of love. They enter into a purely passionate and physical relationship. Ayaan thinks (like many other men) that this is the perfect antidote to his broken heart. The process involves Saba falling hard for him and him still pining for Anushka. The movie doles out a lot of complexity which is more like a food chain - Sample this - Shah Rukh Khan (in an impressive special appearance as Saba’s ex-Husband) loves Saba who loves Ayaan who loves Elizeh who loves Ali. Complicated, No?!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4kGSX724Yow5Cu8FZtHAqgwZ7j591iCSeXr7BMjfLxgBnoUDyux9zGnkTEeY6P4hyphenhyphenA6NhF10jUiBVzKsp_JOdwX_smvmAjfkJb2JB0OWrNGjiocT_dn19yAim7b8w1R6umo750HUyRU/s1600/ae-dil-hai-mushkil-12a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4kGSX724Yow5Cu8FZtHAqgwZ7j591iCSeXr7BMjfLxgBnoUDyux9zGnkTEeY6P4hyphenhyphenA6NhF10jUiBVzKsp_JOdwX_smvmAjfkJb2JB0OWrNGjiocT_dn19yAim7b8w1R6umo750HUyRU/s400/ae-dil-hai-mushkil-12a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now here is my cent on this - the movie shows and expedites one-sided love. But who falls for the trappings of one-sided affections today? I believe with all faith that when you feel immense love and bonding with someone, it’s never just one-sided. There’s always this exchange of energy and emotions even in the most unlikely bonds for even one person to feel strongly connected. So the ado over this bond is sometimes shown to be ‘over the top’ in ADHM. Love is boundless and shapeless. It can happen and exist between two people even without a color, shape or design. Love doesn'thave to get sulky, possessive or even vindictive. Love is just love. And like Shah Rukh Khan says - love has to be your strength, never your weakness because it doesn't need the other person's permission. And if it is romantic love, it will feel so between two people, else it’s that pure form of affection which we should refrain from confusing to be soulmates kind of love.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now the cream - Yes, the movie has subtle spurts of excellence - the scene where a dying Anushka explains to Ranbir her definition of love, Ranbir confessing to Anushka that he can’t understand why they can’t get romantic if they’re that comfortable with each other or even when Aishwarya realises the pain of having fallen in love with Ranbir while he still loves Anushka is just stuff that tells you that Karan Johar is going to only get more beautiful with his direction in times to come. He’s gotten over his DDLJ hangover and is almost spilling out as an Imtiaz Ali and all those other brave filmmakers who know how to tell a story.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If nothing else, the sufi tracks ‘Bulleya’ and 'Channa Mereya', SRK’s feisty dialogues and Aish’s riveting boldness and beauty will keep you hooked to your seats.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And yes, don’t do the ‘mushkil’ kind of love, Make love easy.. </span></div>
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And Happy Diwali :)</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rating: 3.5/5</span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-11747214580215055202016-09-10T13:14:00.001+05:302016-09-10T13:15:41.322+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-59706171883286452352016-09-10T13:14:00.000+05:302016-09-10T13:33:10.306+05:30"Baar Baar Dekho' Movie Review - SidKat giving us life lessons in 'Kala Chashma' <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>‘Baar Baar Dekho’</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> can be aptly summarized in one line - i</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>sko ek baar dekho, and smile, and think, and go -”what if..”?</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Baar Baar Dekho (BBD) almost starts with fooling you that it’s this slick Sci-fi movie till you realize it’s Bollywood’s way of narrating you a time-based story. It almost fetches back memories of Adam Sandler's 'Click'.</span><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BBD heavily relies on screenplay magic to narrate a story where its protagonists merrily travel through different stages of their lives and different years. Don't miss the technology-high Cambridge in 2023 and 2036. The actors age, get younger, go through relationship growing-up mess and almost live out fuzzy possibilities of their future on screen, only to give you a lesson in the end, that seems almost familiar by now - live in the present moment, don’t rue over your past and don’t fret over your future.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lesommiuhnf5lHMpO8hfAHBJDgkwK91V8ioS7WJfOAe6Q0-hZFAXmZPiOlvPI0uYj4x9ToQLUG9nRMrpNYXJsnkLguzfAFPwgA18eqUWqFZPpD_D9H6UnwKkkI9ZtQhykx91E5sU1-4/s1600/baar-baar-dekho-trailers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lesommiuhnf5lHMpO8hfAHBJDgkwK91V8ioS7WJfOAe6Q0-hZFAXmZPiOlvPI0uYj4x9ToQLUG9nRMrpNYXJsnkLguzfAFPwgA18eqUWqFZPpD_D9H6UnwKkkI9ZtQhykx91E5sU1-4/s400/baar-baar-dekho-trailers1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-64b45fd1-1305-3c04-94ec-40575fec9380" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So let’s see what BBD’s got here? So we have two very dishy looking actors - Siddharth Malhotra as Jai Verma, the mathematical genius who harbors a dream and a sizzling ambition to reach Cambridge and Harvard, while he stands on his love story’s door of commitment to the ‘abs’olutely stunning-looking Katrina Kaif as Dia Kapoor. The two are shown as childhood sweethearts who grow to passionately love each other, wanting to exchange marital vows (or woes??) and live their happily-ever-after. Pretty much set it, isn't it - except for the fact that Jai’s ambition rides over his feelings for Dia, so much so that he is ok to walk out of his marriage 24 hours before his wedding. His reasoning is that he doesn’t believe in anything that can’t be backed by calculation or logic. He believe everything can be derived and explained and there’s nothing in life that inspires wonder, emotions, depth of feelings and divine love. So obviously the 7 lifetimes theory doesn't cut ice here. Sounds familiar, no? Almost 75% of the people we come across live like that.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nothing wrong with that either, except for the fact that if we were to inject every living moment with real emotions, depth and love, and delete fear from the choices that we make today, our life could become a living dream - almost like whipped cream and strawberries, warm maple syrup kissing the highs and lows of a walnut and banana waffle. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please excuse the sweet distractions above :) So back to our story. The story-telling is definitely NOT a let-down because Jai goes through time travel in every next frame. Each time he sleeps after his altercation with Dia on his wedding eve, he opens his eye to a new day in a diff stage of his life, only having to cope with the sudden change. He gets up and he is clueless, and then begins his learning that it’s all about unlearning the logics that we are embedded with. Jai is made to go through different, confusing moments with a panache. Director Nitya Mehra exudes a maturity and stability in her treatment of Sid-Kat’s relationship, and how their marriage goes through its tough points. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOvRG34ElrxeQ7yIxgTYq7zthLDvDo0O9v0AYs9QodKAKjCq9TiPaxCF4uX4Z2U5F-DMpuUvZXk87vY08_2d-Zlkt57uj3SE0AMO5_HGHIXD2OnIyk1FOWCuEnrr7Od7QjwQmWCL1FZI/s1600/21tweet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOvRG34ElrxeQ7yIxgTYq7zthLDvDo0O9v0AYs9QodKAKjCq9TiPaxCF4uX4Z2U5F-DMpuUvZXk87vY08_2d-Zlkt57uj3SE0AMO5_HGHIXD2OnIyk1FOWCuEnrr7Od7QjwQmWCL1FZI/s400/21tweet1.jpg" width="365" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Highlights of the movie include - how the time travel track opens up, the intriguing background core, Katrina’s newly acquired super-fit figure and the ‘Kala Chashma’ track that comes t the end of the movie. the Of course, Sid is a delight to the female eyes with his soft eyes, and easy presence. If this Delhi boy is dishy and so-feel-good,his female actor, Kat matches him with sizzling oomph and a body that has abs ripping out. Eye candy for men, motivation for women. Only if Kat could leave her wooden expressions and tight presence home sometimes. It would have been great. Sid makes you melt with his stiff upper lip and logical mind in the first half ,and his almost eureka ‘I get It’ moments when he begins to understand that how his life could pan out better and more beautiful if he could go back and live the same moments again, this time, with a better understanding and awareness. The sequence in which the Director shows an encore of a normal day in Jai’s life in 2023 after he’s understood that it’s all about loving and being with his family, is a reminder that life is very uncertain and unpredictable. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfNns0sL1DDiUCCwl5MOFfGe1ETORFNcwWFRu2E_UNfUwVAHSyEA683Y-JWnKw8I0fjppCrKm8vQhK-OwOQRDhQzrimwQASHXBxDrUNo453LgkDocpvv-dAUPQ2JOZV2J67KbN42D6Ww/s1600/baarbaardekho-story%252Bfb_647_042116103226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfNns0sL1DDiUCCwl5MOFfGe1ETORFNcwWFRu2E_UNfUwVAHSyEA683Y-JWnKw8I0fjppCrKm8vQhK-OwOQRDhQzrimwQASHXBxDrUNo453LgkDocpvv-dAUPQ2JOZV2J67KbN42D6Ww/s400/baarbaardekho-story%252Bfb_647_042116103226.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now the lesson: Because you don’t know what tomorrow holds for you, the only effort you can make is to live today with utmost integrity, belief and happiness. You can only give your 100% to today, the past is gone and can’t be undone, what you also can’t do is live for future today. And the only thing that you can do is honor who and what you have today and value it. It’s incredible to see how we go through our life planning the biggest things and events, but what we cease to pay attention to are the little things - could we have smiled at a person today instead of ignoring him/her, could we hug our people today, could we confess exactly how we feel to people who matter and who care, could we let go of something for a bigger good today? At the end of our lives or a phase of our lives, we can only reflect back and live with regrets or pride, not opportunities to go back and fix all that went wrong because of us. It’s almost a case study in how to go about living life. So much food for thought this movie leaves you with. You could choose to pick up a lesson and apply on your life today, or you could chuckle - Nice flick!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Certainly a pleasant one-time watch from Dharma Productions .</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go for some hot caramel popcorn and fizzy cola, if you please, they go well with a ticking mind. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rating - 4/5</span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-87026263463905741192016-07-23T22:16:00.000+05:302016-07-23T22:16:26.990+05:30Thank you, Arun ji :) When grace meets destiny, bonds are formed..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">They say a man is often known by his words, his deeds and his influence.
What they did not say is that seldom also, a man is known by his silence, his
presence, his kindness and his understanding of life. The extension of the old
saying cannot be more true for a man who I’ve had the privilege and honor of
knowing, not just through his many courses and discourses, but also through the
lens with which he sees life, the simplicity with which he leads life and this
innocence and purity with which he welcomes each of us into his home and heart
alike - I am talking about the revered
and respected, Shri. Arun Madhavan ji.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">A very committed and devoted faculty of the Art of Living Foundation,
one who travels all over to spread the divine knowledge that Gurudev pioneered,
Arun ji (as we fondly call him!), is a seasoned faculty of the Art of Silence
program for years now. Having taken a premature retirement after a very
illustrious and successful career as an MNC banker, Arun ji has exemplified the
fine balance of Professional Excellence and Spiritual enigma; a combination
that all of us silently craves and aspire for, he has been there, tasted it,
achieved it and moved on. The first time you’ll probably come across him (in a
course or at his satsang - he sings beautifully), you’ll immediately realize
that this is a special soul. You may not know what it is, and what makes him
truly stand out but you surely will walk out knowing that he touched a chord
somewhere inside and that he is a very pure, simple soul. I am no different.
Four years back, when he was in Gurgaon to take an Advance Course and a
discourse on Yoga Vasishtha, I knew that I had to meet him. I could not do the
course with him back then but I knew I just had to visit him and talk to him. I
had never seen or met him, but had heard that he cannot be missed if he is in
your city. I am so glad that my ‘logic’ didn’t kick in and I went by the gut of
the devotee/teacher who recommended that I speak with him. Meeting him opened up a new perspective. If a
man as revered and accomplished as him could be so humble, innocent and so
happy to meet new souls, why could we not find happiness in our little moments?</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I would have happily walked away feeling content and not met him again
had he not been chivalrous enough to invite me to their home. Happy to have
been invited him, I grabbed the chance and went to meet him and Chitra aunty (I
love calling her aunty) when I visited Bangalore in June 2015. That was my
first visit to their home - should I call it home? Or a mini, warm ashram or a
temple full of divinity and grace? When I reached there, I remember feeling
consumed by a lovely fragrance of incense sticks (coincidental that I
completely love them) that were lit up. I sat in their living room and spoke to Arun ji
and Chitra aunty, almost forgetting that I am meeting them both for the first
time like that. The warmth of their hearts, the kindness in their words and
gaze, the serenity in their aura and the deliciousness in their food -
everything just got me hooked to them. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqP-Z6BSHjVPhxgH09amFbq4luwqsc6rxuAj41WXkLyXAs7DZlZHaJTcleoJ6Df5VDzLiJ2u9_iOt63BH64uapyoIruTb6GZW6LOt_Hx-DwKT1q99lm4jQcDcvY4_DpjWbsiib9C7FXU/s1600/BRS+welcome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqP-Z6BSHjVPhxgH09amFbq4luwqsc6rxuAj41WXkLyXAs7DZlZHaJTcleoJ6Df5VDzLiJ2u9_iOt63BH64uapyoIruTb6GZW6LOt_Hx-DwKT1q99lm4jQcDcvY4_DpjWbsiib9C7FXU/s400/BRS+welcome.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Coming back to Arun ji, what more can I say? I’ll perhaps just say that
this is nothing but grace and blessings of the Master that he got me in touch
with a man who is a living example of principles, clarity, vision, devotion and
traditional/vedic knowledge. Talking to Arun ji is truly a pure delight - the
way he blends traditional rituals with practical gyaan, the way he listens to
your version with keen attention, how he gives 100% time to your perspectives,
how he unwraps your mind to draw vivid conclusions (ones that you need to
know), and leads you to an understanding dawning out of wisdom, maturity and
practicality - all of it is makes him so special. He is a father figure who
guides his children with utmost care, thereby loading them with love and
affection. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Arun ji, I don’t know what I’ve done to warrant your guidance and
mentorship, I will put it purely to grace. Please continue to walk us through
the jungle, please continue to be our torch light and be a guiding force. I
promise I will give do my best to make you proud. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thank you once again!</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-37781130739347247762016-05-13T08:43:00.000+05:302016-05-13T08:44:20.680+05:3060 Years of Celebration: Happy Birthday, Sri Sri!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even 60 pages would fail to do justice to the magnanimity and incredibility of this genius of a man who completes 60 worthwhile years on this earth in this human body as the very well-known and revered humanitarian, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c9cd3dbc-a814-6b4f-b1e7-78ae676b0d70" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">13 May, 2016: A date that is a milestone in every regard for anyone who’s had the fortune to know him closely in person, spirit and understanding. Interesting to note how the weather changed drastically to rains, winds and breeze just as the clock struck 12 this midnight@ The morning of ‘Friday, 13th May’ woke us up with a new sunshine, one that every devotee will look forward to, in order to welcome the date and the day that gave us a master who’s changed a zillion lives already, and still continues to enlighten so many souls, so many lives.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GgDm4-ulcjuKhhhgVwLCIzeorqfM2RprO9Cl_OXB9xlLc22Qx0YL1X5TAv35oUqjqCkP2iQeezCd76JNgu5l1m-uBGXXB0qdl4tQaz3SgxHdg0zrBHUPoBmdx0DYu6iETcZ8TWK9M2o/s1600/srisri-timeline-infographic-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GgDm4-ulcjuKhhhgVwLCIzeorqfM2RprO9Cl_OXB9xlLc22Qx0YL1X5TAv35oUqjqCkP2iQeezCd76JNgu5l1m-uBGXXB0qdl4tQaz3SgxHdg0zrBHUPoBmdx0DYu6iETcZ8TWK9M2o/s400/srisri-timeline-infographic-full.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So how it all began:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Almost 15 years ago - I sat in my paternal grandmother’s room, almost bored and without a purpose. My pounding sense of emptiness forced me to reach out to the book kept on her bedside. I picked it up, and decided to flip its pages, out of curiosity. The title read ‘God Loves Fun’ and it had almost short-story like chapters. The book had been lying on the bedside for almost 7 days almost enticing me gradually towards it. I wondered then, why did my aunt have to gift a boring, philosophical book like that to a young girl like me. (It was a signed gift from my Dad’s first cousin, Renu Deva - a very respected and senior faculty of Art of Living). Before I knew it, 45 minutes had passed and almost 4 chapters had breezed past me, and a lot of stuff had started to make sense to my delicate, logical mind. I had started reflecting on the meaning of ‘thinking’ and ‘worries’. Maybe I understood, maybe I didn’t but till date I remember going, “Umm..Interesting!”. Maybe the work had begun, maybe I was still ready to be launched. But I just knew that something had clicked inside. And just as you would have guessed, all of it fell into oblivion and I came back to my routine line of thoughts and living. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Years later, well most 8 years from then, my brush with the Master and his Organization happened once again. This time, unable to contain the burden of worries and stress due to a situation back then, my mind leaped to the mental image of this bearded, smiling man who I had heard of from my bua’s guru from her days in South Africa (same aunt) and had seen in some fleeting, hazy images in ‘God Loves Fun’. So I decided to do the course, and I finally did that on 16 December 2009. Way back then, all of it seemed like a burden, after all, the course teacher expected me to leave tea and coffee for those 3 days of the course. But I relented & complied, and followed all instructions to the hilt, safely knowing that all things come to an end. Little did I know that this course and the man behind the course would change my life forever. I did the course, got associated actively with my AOL faculty (who gave me rock solid support in those difficult moments), practiced the sudarshan kriya daily ( I knew my scattered energy would find its answer in this only) and even indulged in some exciting seva projects by this new organization in my life, art of living.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsz7sm5mSfhZvww02qltA63I7HfhfU7yjxuqCKgvxhe46Um6KA0GPBKptqG6__aOhq29XHb2JNlVvSsP6yrfjtged82aVQrRptTp2j768_8UjZQKn82eCYf-ue9GtsL2pcfVskKq-Ldw/s1600/10923326_10155611643215235_2573044970020654828_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsz7sm5mSfhZvww02qltA63I7HfhfU7yjxuqCKgvxhe46Um6KA0GPBKptqG6__aOhq29XHb2JNlVvSsP6yrfjtged82aVQrRptTp2j768_8UjZQKn82eCYf-ue9GtsL2pcfVskKq-Ldw/s400/10923326_10155611643215235_2573044970020654828_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Initially, it all seemed surreal and like a dream. Everyone looked like units coming straight out of an assembly line - all smiling, glowing, eyes twinkling and humble at the core. Everyone oozed a lot of respect and affection for each other, and that struck a chord with me. All devotees and teachers seemed to beam every moment, and unaffected by the highs and lows of life. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ignorant that you may call me, it never struck me to analyse that if this is what they’ve become thanks to their master, how would the master be then. Surprisingly, even after doing my course, the thought of meeting this mastermind and master soul eluded me. And then as destiny would have it, I saw him live for the first time on 16 March 2010. And then a few months, later I got an appointment with ‘Him’. I remember going to this plush South Delhi house, to meet him. As luck would have it, I missed my appointment time by a whisker and ended up waiting for 3 hours before I finally got to go in front of him - I still remember it so vividly. His Secretary took me to pass through 4 tollgates, each one making me more anxious than the previous one. Don’t know why but my heart only started to pound and beat faster, and faster - all of this happening for a man I had never ever met or connected with in my life. And then finally, I reached this room which had only 6 people inside. Everyone including ‘him’ were standing - he was in a casual, mast mood and was busy flipping through the pages of Bhagavad Gita. Much different from what I saw in videos and pictures. As I stood there ,dumbstruck and dumbfounded, this very senior AOL faculty introduced me and passed on a message to him on my mum’s behalf. He blessed me with a shining apple, and just as I was about to leave, this teacher said “Guruji! But that’s not the only purpose she is here for! She has to talk to you about something, she has something to say”. I don’t know what transpired in those next thirty seconds but I ended up mumbling out my concern, something that was bothering me day and night, so easily, he got it out of me. I still remember him oscillating his gaze between me and the Gita, and then smiling that kindest smile you’ll ever come across - and said “Have patience! It will be alright”. TIll date, these words and the scene ring clearly in my existence. I knew that moment had sealed my association with him - I knew I was standing in front of MY master, and that only he could have ridden me off that burden.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many years passed, I became more mature, more colorful in my duties and offerings as a devotee. I met him several times, and encountered several Guru stories. Right from winning a guessing game that I based on his date of birth seven years back to him making me win the Banking Knowledge Quiz across my Investment Bank in Gurgaon, to him being there with me in those delicate personal moments - his grace has been unparalleled. Meeting him everytime has been so special and surreal - right from the racing heartbeats to the sudden breakdown and flow of tears of joy, he’s made me experience it all. As a devotee, I have been blessed to touch the pinnacle of euphoria every true devotee lives with. Even as a seva volunteer, he’s made sure I mature and refine myself. If he’s not made my life easy, he’s definitely made it worthy of it all. He has given so much - pampered me with special callouts for me at the ashram, listening to my silly tales and ideas, given me opportunities to carry out such beautiful mega seva projects involving my workplace and even made me reach my fullest potential. He’s made everything so worth it! </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last year, he spoiled me silly when he wrote an email to me blessing me for something that he wants me to do. I just could not believe it! Such care he takes of all of us. He’s been with me in all my moments - weak and strong alike, helping me maintain my equanimity. He’s made me find purposes that run deeper than mere financial goals or personal life milestones. He’s given me so much of food for thought to reflect on and apply in every situation daily. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remember being called cold, distant, insensitive and not expressive -and before I could even want to change it - he made me blossom into an affectionate, hungry-for-wisdom and skill professional, daughter, friend, sister, society and citizen. He showed the light and left us to choose our own path and choice just like a good daddy would, watch from afar, let us do what we want but guide silently and protect when needed. He truly embodies the spirit of love and humanity. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every pore of his body, every cell is on one mission - 24x7 - wanting to spread humanity and peace all over the world, he is working relentlessly to leave us a peaceful, non violent world. Today, is taking every ball of criticism and skepticism from the so called ‘intelligent quarters’ with his chin up. He is working strategically to work with all wrold leaders and influencers to help make an impact and bring a change in the world consciousness so that we can grow as a human race. And he passes through all this with a never-fading smile - and in between his crazy travels, meeting and appointments, he finds quality time for all his devotees and fills their lives with darshan memories that last a lifetime. He continues to attend to the call of queries (however little and mundane they be!) with as much attention that he gives to world peace matters. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFS0O1gJ7YJPiM_OF4L3g2mbaeCyKCtx_rVcFc7vbSeWLMAV0eLivpVLj57hNFppaHhAMl1_WHXPi_ToQLPblZ4QNaa0updYWQP3I31q4itWhccnuoIEO1qhvHOSeCnJoJ4JG8Gni2br8/s1600/art-of-living-ravi-shankar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFS0O1gJ7YJPiM_OF4L3g2mbaeCyKCtx_rVcFc7vbSeWLMAV0eLivpVLj57hNFppaHhAMl1_WHXPi_ToQLPblZ4QNaa0updYWQP3I31q4itWhccnuoIEO1qhvHOSeCnJoJ4JG8Gni2br8/s400/art-of-living-ravi-shankar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This man is not getting younger but he is getting hungrier for creating a utopian society with each passing day and year. He is wanting everyone to take out that little time to meditate and practice satvik lifestyle, so that this earth is proud to host us. For the first time, I have met a person who is here without a personal agenda. All of us, whether it’s our parents, friends, colleagues, acquaintances -everyone has some expectation, some demand. But here is a man whose only demand perhaps is seeing a smile on everyone’s face.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With Sri Sri, love and purity have acquired a new meaning. We learn waiting isn’t a waste, but that sweet nectar that enriches your life. I learnt with him, doing the right thing in life isn’t a burden, but something that you can effortlessly breeze through if you start understanding life with a deeper meaning. He taught me, without teaching me, that there is no room for self-pity and sorrow. You can feel and live like a queen every moment, and win at the game of life. WIth him, I understood where my true aspirations and dreams resided and realised my creative potential. He gave expression to my existence and changed me to become a more loving, expressive person. I learnt waiting to catch a glimpse of him at the airport after hours of wait was beyond the walls of personal ego and a treat to the soul and senses. I realised that love is not just beautiful to receive, but also equally beautiful to give to someone. He made me realise that there is a force that loves us even beyond the human relationships. He made me stellar, made me like iron - he truly gave wings to my limited understanding of life and its dimensions, and ensured I revered the connection and worshipped it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I could go on and on, and still not put the pen down. Such is his magic. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will just one last thing - Guruji, we will never be able to fathom what you’ve given us, it is so magnanimous that our senses can’t contain the depth of it. What we do know is, that each time we’ll slip or fail to be a true devotee, from our soul, we will never give up on the silent promise that we’ve made to you - that of spreading smiles and peace wherever we go. Of course, we could have our down and weak moments, but we’ll never break the bond, we will continue to walk the path. Today, as you enter the ‘Senior Citizens’ category, we promise to balance this off with a more intense commitment of volunteering and service. We will try and be the perfect foil to your big plans and make you proud.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happy 60th, Rockstar!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yours truly..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Juhi</span></div>
juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-6220534383991776622016-03-17T23:19:00.001+05:302016-03-17T23:52:05.816+05:30'World Culture Festival' and the Truth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the onset of this blog, I owe everyone a confession. I’ve been itching to write this blog post for over 2 weeks now but I was trying my best to reserve this post until the culmination of the three-day World Culture Festival. Having attended such a breathtaking gala event leaves me with unfolding pride and zeal, an event that is sure enough to live in our memories and veins till we are alive. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZZnBaJe5wBlEXffHp5XeUvD-P1x9iIxcELQqcrDn3s5Sofh23xBMdrSKHmdZwidNSOubqd2vB_AccUZW0UcYYD6Sphg0L4oZjWG-rq1LbKNPIFv2xxk2AZ-pVGOTkInPKN_jJF1-0ec/s1600/467594-worldculturefestival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZZnBaJe5wBlEXffHp5XeUvD-P1x9iIxcELQqcrDn3s5Sofh23xBMdrSKHmdZwidNSOubqd2vB_AccUZW0UcYYD6Sphg0L4oZjWG-rq1LbKNPIFv2xxk2AZ-pVGOTkInPKN_jJF1-0ec/s400/467594-worldculturefestival.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9ed015b2-85b0-3d3e-bfae-72aed4f84dd3" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So I could choose to keep this post circumventing around what made the event tick, how exorbitant and unbelievable the stage and the performances were, or how well managed the event was, or even how a multitude of cultures descended in one stream to create a rainbow of humanity. But no, the need of the hour and the sorry state of affairs force me to ‘defend’ the event, for a few cynics refuse to open up their eyes and see how enormous and significant this cultural event is for the world.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Currently, this is more of reply (not retaliation please!) to a school friend of me (If I can call him that!) who a few weeks back, raised an objections towards Sri Sri holding this festival.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So here are my thoughts:</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First on the list for us to address- why did Sri Sri Ravi Shankar need to waste crores of money on an event where people come to sing and dance? Wasteful expenditure right? Especially when the same money could have been put to use for many development and education projects across the country. Else, it could have been used to distribute alms to the poor and destitute : So, firstly, Sri Sri has a repertoire of 35 years and almost close to 1000 projects across Social and service programs, peace initiatives and re-establishment of human values. For someone who is seen as a Spiritual guru, world leader and environmentalist, Sri Sri has been doing his fair bit and driving his influence to create a difference across World peace initiatives, education, poverty, world ethics, environment, terrorism, drug rehabilitation, rural development, river restoration, prisoner refinement, hygiene and sanitation, among many other causes demanding local as well as global attention. So for a man who has always single-pointedly given so much to humanity, if for once, he wants to involve us in his world peace initiative by hosting and conducting such a dream mega event, if anything, we should only be thankful to him. You would have known had you chosen to experience this celebration by being there at Yamuna plains on 11,12 and 13 March. And now, to tell you how this event is not a detour from his vision of ‘One World Family’, this event brought 37.5 lakh people, 35,953 artists, Heads of States and Dignitaries from 100+ countries and spiritual leaders across a lineage of faiths at one ground and under one sky - only to celebrate ‘Oneness’ and humanity. For the first time, I witnessed everyone present reveling in the joy of one human race, shedding their labels of caste, creed, sex and religion. And now that brings us to the tag behind it all. How much money do you think this event would’ve eaten up? Only at a mere 25 Crore rupees, not too exorbitant considering that the Bollywood blockbusters are made at an average cost of 50+ crores these days. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And now It should be asked that why would he choose an absurd venue like Yamuna banks? For someone who’s restored 4 rivers in Karnataka, 2 in Tamil Nadu and 5 in Maharashtra, do you really think he is interested in harming the environment for his own selfish motive? In fact, Sri Sri should be lauded for his guts to choose such a filthy venue and for his pledge to restore the dying Yamuna. As I was crossing the footbridge to reach the WCF grounds, I confess I felt if it was a mistake to host the festival at the plains. But my doubts were rested by the fantastic work done by the Art of Living volunteers who took a step in this direction by creating scientifically-tested cleansing enzymes at home. All AOL volunteers know about this fermented organic enzyme liquid (made of vegetable peels, jaggery & water). A litre of this enzyme is enough to purify 1500 litres of polluted river water. Careful linking of water release drains and home pipes was made to ensure the enzymes flowed into the Yamuna when the enzymes were ready. All this was done so that we all could attend a three day gala at a place where a person could stand for not even 5 minutes without covering his/her nose. As we speak, Sri Sri is busy formulating a plan for Yamuna restoration with Art of Living and Delhi Government. Not sure if you are aware, but Sri Sri ran a Yamuna cleanliness drive, ‘Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna’ in March 2010, of which I was a part. We cleaned up waste adding to 512 tonnes of waste. If you do not believe me, check out my 2010 blog post on it.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that brings us to the tangible part? So the event came, saw and conquered. But what emerges out of it? The event, as most of us know by now, brought together the Central Government and Delhi Government on stage. Definitely can’t be seen as a move by Sri Sri to please any particular party. He invited excellencies, dignitaries and former heads of states from various nations around the globe, his motto being ‘Vasudeva Kutumbakum’ (One World Family Leaders from emerging and developed nations came on one page and recognised the dire need to restore world peace. Together.) The event and its magnitude has led to the following:</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: lower-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Australian PM wants Sri Sri to hold the next World Culture Festival in Australia</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: lower-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">David Cameron has invite Sri Sri to address the House of Commons</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: lower-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indian PM Sri Narendra Modi has hailed the power and divinity of Art of Living and has openly recognised the need for it in today’s global times</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: lower-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has officially requested Sri Sri to get AOL volunteers to work for Delhi Government projects</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Need I say more??</span></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This brings us to: what happened at the WCF? Well, nothing much! Except for the fact, that it brought together 37.5 lakh people, 35,953 artists and dignitaries from 95 countries. Everyone present there was celebrating one humanity, one race. There were only echos of brotherhood, humanity, peace and joy. The congregation was nothing short of a Culture Olympics where there all cultural and religious diversities melted into the pot of one spirit. This oneness is going to create a stellar wave of peace and human values restoration. The vibes that have been sent out to the universe by 37.5 lakh meditating people is going to change the world for the better. Won’t you want to leave a better world for your children? Think about it.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last but not the least, the cynical and paid media of our country should stop playing the victim card for their own good and start seeing the truth for what it is. Instead of spreading false, fabricated piece of news maligning Art of Living Foundation and Sri Sri for spoiling environment and Yamuna, they should actually wake up, smell the coffee and get their ethics and so-called-integrity together. The masala won’t last beyond your retirement years, but the burden of malicious reporting will. So choose your truth carefully.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So I hope I succeeded at least partially in putting my point across. And no, this post has not emerged out of anger, but a sheer sense of empathy and compassion for your ignorant take on this. Trust me, patriotism and peace are not signified by merely posting a picture of an India flag hoisted at a mall. All this begins with efforts, efforts that make our flag proud of us.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you.</span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-31495078289724006372016-01-03T00:13:00.002+05:302016-01-03T00:20:13.778+05:30Happy New Year 2016 - Awesome Times Ahead.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
And 2016 is here! I've been waiting for 2016 for the longest time now. It's been an amazing ride in 2015 with lots of learning, lessons, imbibing, evolution, coming off age and a lot of revelations. Anybody who's witnessed my last 12 months will know that it's been a little bumpy for me, albeit with lots of fun and love thrown in. The year started off with lots of travel (I traveled a lot till June) - rekindled some amazing ties, made some cool new friends, experimented with impromptu adventure/luxury trips and did some crazy things. Jumping into a dense river with then-strangers-now-friends, lapping up luxurious, pancaked breakfasts at exotic spas, and whirlwind reunions ruled the first half of the year mostly. And I almost forgot to add that I got sun burnt for the first time - thanks to the crazier rafting and river bathing escapades.<br />
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But hold on! That's not all - Just when I was planning the next round of fun trips, I was diagnosed with a severe case of typhoid that landed me in a hospital for about a week, and putting me out of action for a month - A time that I now look back and realize that it came for a reason! It came to slow down and calm down a hyperactive me, and it taught me to revel in the present, no matter how it may look like at that time. The recuperating after-months were slow but they got me extremely disciplined. I gave my best shot to gain back my lost strength and made some important decisions of my life. I finally gave up sugar this year in my recovery phase, and realized that nothing is impossible. If I can give up my sweet tooth, so can anyone else. And it wasn't to lose flab or weight. I knew sugar would have been a detriment to my health and I was just not ready to slow down my immunity further. What happened in my last 5 months of leaving sugar is a story i need to tell the world, and will - probably in my next post.<br />
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But sugar or no sugar, God's been super,duper kind. I met such fantastic lovely people this year- I have always been a sucker for the evolved soul, the ticking mind, the infectious jovial heart - and I met some who defined just that, and some delicious more. I learnt so much from everyone, and still am continuing to do so.<br />
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The year's been a true reflection of all that I needed to identify and resolve in myself. I'm glad someone up there worked on me relentlessly and opened my heart to what I needed to address and work on.I picked up skill, focus and commitment towards every waking moment of my life. I know I'm getting there slowly and steadily. I learnt a lot personally and professionally simply because some honorable people put in that effort to show me the way, and help me improvise. I know, I'm getting the gig and getting better at being a better person, in all respects.<br />
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This year, did the unthinkable for me. I opened myself to people. I forged some lovely bonds, made everlasting friendships and won silent, unspoken chemistry with a lot of beautiful souls. And yes, I bid adieu to all those I didn't need. I made peace with the ones that had to go their separate ways.<br />
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And in a new year post, that's just as much as you should be talking about the previous year. So it's time to usher in 2016. Somewhere, down the line, I started counting down to 2016 without realising. I know 2016 is a year beckoning celebration and festivity. I can feel it in my bones that It's going to be one big party- the world is going to smile this year and I'm ready to play the background score. The whole world is going to come together to celebrate their differences and uniqueness, and i can't wait for all the awesomeness unfold.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgryMLqOt-MQBAFk-JAbtcvQ2VJw9Rge9TYdNhclBDHuyPChUQ0pWqIBNbmKK4og1dDrZWWx3xG0n33WO3k1BvhTxwwS3KMW53cuk3BqCT9g2PvIeo44q035waz2pjmz1C7wRNJ8EJIQw/s1600/hny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgryMLqOt-MQBAFk-JAbtcvQ2VJw9Rge9TYdNhclBDHuyPChUQ0pWqIBNbmKK4og1dDrZWWx3xG0n33WO3k1BvhTxwwS3KMW53cuk3BqCT9g2PvIeo44q035waz2pjmz1C7wRNJ8EJIQw/s400/hny.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
This new year is special and different. Take my word for it. It will create awesomeness and happiness in your every moment if you're ready to pay attention and notice. Let's pledge to have more fun, crib lesser, forgive more, fall in love more, hug more, kiss more, let go more, sulk lesser, live bigger....Let's just give it our best, who knows, maybe our happiness rubs off on those who need it the most..<br />
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Happy New Year, Peeps...Live it Up!</div>
juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-19914211182740061402015-12-17T00:17:00.003+05:302015-12-17T00:41:55.280+05:30"When are you getting married?" - Of Coffee and Conversations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
And I was sitting with this friend of mine over a steaming cup of coffee and conversations blended in silence. He looked intently, smiled that toothy smile, leaned back on his chair. A moment later, he reached out for his little sache of sugar kept on that Starbucks table, tore it open, rather intently, and emptied it into his cup of cappuccino. He stirred his cup, and a second later looked up to ask me, "So why don't you get married? You're a great person and a lovely girl. What stops you from taking the plunge?". A question that I am not immune to or not used to, just that I've lived being pretty agnostic to whether marriage is a tollgate to cross or not.<br />
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So I looked up, smiled that full smile, because I knew the space from where this question had popped out. I know a lot of my friends, who know me in and out, have popped that inquisitive question in zest many a times, but there are times when my those very close friends get up and ask as if they're unable to unravel the mystery. They think there's always a right time to get hitched, and somewhere, anyone who's unhitched at that certain 'right time' is keeping himself or herself from the blitz of a new, phenomenal life.<br />
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I remembering really having wanted to give him that beautiful answer he was looking for (He knew I couldn't have been vain about it!) but I held back. Because a lot was conveyed in that moment of inquiry and wonder, and silent absorption. Today while I was heading back from an office get together, I think the appropriate answer hit me.<br />
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We all spend our lives meeting, accquanting and befriending a lot of people - some interesting, some not so interesting. Each time, each person leaves us with an impact - one that you carry either willingly or unwillingly. Each time we meet someone, we're either growing in our heart and mind with that person, or we're regressing (if we permit that!) I think having met so many people and knowing how our chosen people shape our lives for the better or worse, somewhere, while living this life, I made that little promise to myself to not let down myself in my bet to find a person that I want to grow old and wiser with. I realized that getting married was not going to be just a task down on my bucket list and was certainly not going to be a 'Oh!Let's get married' choice. I decided somewhere along the way, i won't choose a partner out of complacency and comfort, but will rather wait to be with someone who I like to think with, talk with and listen to.<br />
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I realized my that my initial primitive preferences and choices, and my demands fell like a pack of cards and made way to a high expectation of finding somewhere who has the passion to live life and even nurture it to bigger virtues, higher passions and vaster mentalities. I decided, without my even realizing it myself that I will choose to be with a progressive mindset and not a regressive one. I decided somewhere that he will not circumference me with his ideas and beliefs but will lead me to refine mine, just that it could take the time finding such a partner warrants.<br />
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Not just this cute friend of mine, but my family and loved ones too can't figure out why I can't tag a normal 9 to 5 kid of guy and settle into holy matrimony with. How does one explain to them that a woman does not need an arm candy these days. She needs solidity of emotion with a sensible head on those broad shoulders A woman today is not interested to show her mature mettle, she's ok to be classified as wavering, extreme, immature and impulsive maybe because, she's supposed to grow into the finesse along with him. It's ok today to be not wanting to have that man protect you at parties and roads. A woman can definitely hold her own fort and conquer other forts too. She knows today that when you meet a person - it has to be something like magic. Magic that spells like this:<br />
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"When a woman chooses a man, or let's say when a man and woman choose each other, their paths should choose each other. Do not choose a man because he charms you and flashes that killer smile of his, or because he can buy you a Diamond mine, or shower beautiful gifts, Choose him because his zest for life and his values inspire you to be a better version of yourself. Choose a man because he creates that room for you to redefine and discover yourself - be it a new talent, a new skill or a new mindset. Choose him because everything he does - he screams life. Sample this, your man can sketch whilst sitting by the shore and can accompany you to the finest of art galleries. Maybe, he's this official wizard when he's at a office presentation and a child when he's diving into the sea off that cliff. He's that concoction of innocence, goodness, love, focus and dignity with his every move. He lives because he honors life, and not because he follows a standard set by someone else. He cares because his heart forces him to and not because it's his duty. He loves children and he loves old people, He adores mountains and takes you scuba diving. Let him be the doorway to your becoming a better human being. Let him be the one to lead you on the ballet night and let him let you lead when you're planning a house party.Let him trust you to make newer choices, newer mistakes and newer experiences. Do not let him define you because a woman comes with no form, she's a pure canvas that gets painted by her people and surroundings. And so i decided, somewhere without even realizing that if some day, he comes, he comes as the guy I wrote about. And till he doesn't there's no love lost. It's still a very magical ride with lots of beauty thrown in. It's still so amazing that you find your own love as the warm light that makes your each sunrise ultra special. After he comes, it's not going to be like your life will become rosier and prettier for it already has become with the choice that your heart makes when it wants a partner like that."<br />
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And today, when I got my friend to read this, he just said one thing with a dignity that filled his voice and heart alike ' - "Amen to that! If he's there ,let him come".. And I smiled back, taking back a silent understanding of the respect my thoughts just won.<br />
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-56305938154410939772015-09-17T22:26:00.002+05:302015-09-17T22:27:27.865+05:30The ME Melodrama?? Or Something Else?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's the day of the God who sits on our writings like a blessing, and writes through us. It's said that Lord Ganesha has the power of blessings our expressions and enables the divine flow of words from the heart onto the paper - what a trip from energy to matter :)<br />
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Ok, So greetings for a a very Happy Ganesha Chaturthi to everyone reading this right now. I've still not relented from my indiscipline towards writing regularly but you can't blame me this time. So of course we start with a round up of what transpired in the last few weeks or months.<br />
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Just when everyone was reeling with taunts and comments to me on my frequent travels, Destiny decided to give me a break. So I was diagnosed with severe typhoid and bed ridden, with a trip to the hospital. Something to feel really rotten about, right? - But I realized something this time, that sometimes the moment that comes to you, comes to you in its right time, for the reason that could be right but looks far from being it. Marshaled with tendencies to see wrong things as wrong only entices us to indulge in self-pity and feel gutted over events that we didn't really want, but if you see the bigger picture, there could be really a silver lining to your clouds.<br />
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The last few weeks made me realize a host of things - It made me realize who mattered and who didn't, who I missed and who I didn't. It made me understand who truly cares and who doesn't (though nothing against those who don't care). I actually got so much of love and affection from my friends and family that tears of gratitude are not enough to reflect what I feel. Whether it was my immediate family or my close friends, or some loving relatives, they brought so much of joy to me in my days of pain and weakness - that it overwhelms me. Thank you God for the lovely flock of people that you've gifted me..means so much to have those who truly care for and love you.<br />
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But is that the points? Ha! Far from it! This is not about my ego pumping but about my soul-searching, realistically. I got to spent a lot of time with myself, all tamed down to a room, which has a LED but I refuse to watch it, given my aversion to Television. I was also limited in my reading habits given the strain it gives you, so what I best chose to do was lift my inner energy and create that inner chat with myself..I decided to explore myself a little more to understand what I want to do with my life. It gave me a lot of 'me time' - something that I always shy from gifting myself. It gave me a canvas where I sketched and painted my dreams and possibilities. As I get set to explore a long-cherished dream, I sometimes think if I'd even pursued it had it not been for my sudden break.<br />
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I'm back to BAU and happy at that! But I learnt one thing - never ever ignore your soul's call - if you want to travel solo, do that. If you want to paint and exhibit at a gallery, do that. If you want to move to another country, do that. If you want to write a movie script, do that. If you want to spend a day at a yacht, do that. If you want to part the night out, do that. If you want to not get married till you find your partner-in-crime, do that. If you want to take off suddenly with your friends on an impromptu vacation, do that..If you want to get inspired by your inner seed of reflection, do that NOW...because life is all about possiblities and chances. Take your chance and gamble your gut out. If you don't land with a victory, you'll atleast land with a lesson..<br />
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Know what I mean?? :)</div>
juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-88663805453567546292015-07-11T01:10:00.001+05:302015-07-11T01:14:45.864+05:30What Wimbledon Teaches Us..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s that time of the year, when racquets, lime green balls and the centre-court elegance rules the roost. Yes, It’s Wimbledon time. A name, that ideally should have been a tongue twister for me in my childhood was a backyard’s name, thanks to all us cousins being absolutely crazy about world’s most famous tennis tournament, since the tender age of 9 or 10. I remember all our plans, in those happy rainy days (ofcourse, what else did June end-July beginning signify?) meant sitting in front of Doordarshan TV and follow the live/deferred live coverage.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even strawberries and cream had this slurpy charm way back then. Wimbledon meant a sumptuous bowl of those luscious berries that you can drool at but can’t taste. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But today, when I switch on that HD channel to catch our annual dose of Wimbledon, I’m almost left smitten again, not because of that eloquent white at the grass courts, but because just watching Wimbledon, can give you very fine lessons to lead your life - if you pay attention.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Read on if you’re interested to see the ‘other side’ of the All England Lawn Tennis Club.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk07HJoOwexokJPNKERmE7nrR_IuQ8T9HFxg-gyzULTFi4sB9mFF_XVAjqmcQH-oNiyKWupu3u5JbE7p3S9EYJ6aiHRDuxTYd47W93W-CUq43td8SMDVO-jHyQl09RlDK-3d_E-WMlb40/s1600/wimbledon-crest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk07HJoOwexokJPNKERmE7nrR_IuQ8T9HFxg-gyzULTFi4sB9mFF_XVAjqmcQH-oNiyKWupu3u5JbE7p3S9EYJ6aiHRDuxTYd47W93W-CUq43td8SMDVO-jHyQl09RlDK-3d_E-WMlb40/s320/wimbledon-crest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nerves of Steel - Remember that heartbreak of Jana Novotna whch is famous for Steffi Graf clinching that match from Jana when she was ;match point’ down? If you still wonder what got her that match, it was a great can of nerves of steel. Steffi couldn’t have taken home that trophy if she were to be a bundle of edgy nerves that day. She kept her cool, held her own, anticipated no negative results and went on to create a landmark moment in World tennis history. History can be written off court too, if you decide too. Fight your battles like it’s so fashionable to win it the cool way..</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Patience - Tennis is not won in minutes, or jiffies. It’s won strategically over hours. A match can go upto 3-4 hours if both opponents are hellbent on a fight. Hours demand resilience, patience, hard work and consistency. Nothing comes through a short cut. Similarly, in life, there are no short cuts to excellence and victory. so work towards that IAS exam, that dream corporate job or that Ph.D. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Etiquettes - Wimbledon is incomplete if you don’t take a moment to honor the etiquettes, manners the spectators and staff show not just to the players, but to the spirit of the game. The ‘silence please’ dictum is enough to let you hear even a needle dropping. A far cry from the noisy cheers and music breakouts from other leagues and sports. It’s a game that commands respect. Akin to that, in life, one should always strive to lend respect and space to the other person. Ruthlessness and disrespect can win you temporary feats, but never those big milestones that we smile back at after years go by. The legendary manners of the Club will live, even after we cross ten more generations of tennis-oozers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7fI_KikSnkkUoeWDWT-E5fUyOHG8vlK_GnjsFCfnxktjZku8bfgDF8Bt_al343eS3Gce5Kw6NHtRf4fPTHPmC1eBVcBq9QX18L45I5OiOJVGXL0BtEHL8XuwM86TPm2Wbris8Tx97b0/s1600/The-Championships-Wimbledon-2013-Day-Ten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7fI_KikSnkkUoeWDWT-E5fUyOHG8vlK_GnjsFCfnxktjZku8bfgDF8Bt_al343eS3Gce5Kw6NHtRf4fPTHPmC1eBVcBq9QX18L45I5OiOJVGXL0BtEHL8XuwM86TPm2Wbris8Tx97b0/s320/The-Championships-Wimbledon-2013-Day-Ten.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teamwork - A cricket/baseball team can still have individual players in it but a tennis doubles’ team has two partners who know they are not playing for only themselves, but for each other, together. They could be from different nationalities, and backgrounds but together they are one - playing for a common pride. In life also, we get associated with different people, much different from us in form and thought, but the fun is to respect each other and come along together to achieve bigger goals.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Applause for calibre - In tennis also, you have fanatic fans who travel miles and miles just to see their favorite player scooping those volleys and backhands, but do you ever see a drop in cheer and applause when a not-so-loved player dishes that miracle shot? No, you don’t. Tennis is a beautifully restrained, unpartial game. Yes, Wimbledon ups the applause factor on each shot. Their support factor is a true example of sportsmanship.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Respect for protocol - It’s extremely cool to be yourself and natural but not when you’re disrespectful to the ballboys, the chair umpire, the opponent, the spectators and the media. Wimbledon ensures no one crosses that delicate line of conduct & behavior and gets away with it, thanks to its very strict rules. No player is spared the harsh fine to ensure the conduct code is not messed with. Life should also be like that - simple and beautiful, yet strict enough to not allow any loose behavior or disrespecting the protocol.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the end of it, I can just say, that no one can ever have enough of Wimbledon. Even two weeks are not enough to prevent you from waiting for next year. And as we pick our pretty pointers to lead life from here, there’s a wish rising in the heart - LONG LIVE WIMBLEDON.</span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-1011848313178482952015-05-05T23:18:00.001+05:302015-06-10T22:36:49.270+05:30 A Love Affair with Travel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can’t even begin to articulate what you all must be feeling seeing this post right now! For all the wait that you bestow on my blog, angst towards me not writing is just an understatement of what you should actually be feeling right now! I confess I should have honored my urge and your expectation a lot more that I actually did, but forgiveness is a god’s word, and giving me just that shall be god’s virtue coming through you :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, yeah, I’ve been itching to write,write and write..but I’ve been holding back, for no specific justification. Just that, some part of me has been trying to bottle up every view point and emotion that boils inside! But how long can you keep a writer from his/her canvas!! Ha Ha - Ho Ho!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ok, mocks aside, I’m going to launch my first real blogging topic for this year with something that we all identify with, something that we all wish we could do 24x7, something that many of us shy from indulging in from time to time, and something that we know is our free route, our escape mechanism.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You know there are times, obviously when I travel, that I end up having this serene sense of respect for Mother Earth - for she gave us innumerable terrains, so many countries, such diverse landscapes, such myriad of climates and such wonderful, unique memoirs to carry back from every place that we visit! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24JME5SoKWWvo_wkt5x1TEwqMAzhONuLHY-BbOd-chA2yZNAhXzeAOQCaji15QMO9cz24XmnCVPzHn_mG4JA92ZB_OUdh5p14e2nJXEjFrxvJfYiOu366IhOqGcT9540RB68YRDdsa-w/s1600/10858586_10155001977725235_5751846486603358836_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24JME5SoKWWvo_wkt5x1TEwqMAzhONuLHY-BbOd-chA2yZNAhXzeAOQCaji15QMO9cz24XmnCVPzHn_mG4JA92ZB_OUdh5p14e2nJXEjFrxvJfYiOu366IhOqGcT9540RB68YRDdsa-w/s320/10858586_10155001977725235_5751846486603358836_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m not someone who is a born traveler, but I can well take solace in being someone who loves to grab that little chance to land up at a new place every time an opportunity presents itself! I’m not very less-traveled also, and I’ve been to my share of very rich in culture and exciting places but the ones that keeps pulling me back to itself, magnetically of course, is the place that I visited last December - Pondicherry (Tamil Nadu, India). I remember being there with this fantastic (to put it mildly) group of friends in December 2nd week. I remember being extremely sick, so much so that I wanted to cancel my trip a night before we took off. Thanks to mum who deeply insisted that I will be better once I reach there and hit the beaches! for the first time, I remember detesting the idea of a vacation but I went, on insistence of my friends who refused to let me back out and assured they’ll be with me! So we reached Mahabalipuram and I remember being locked up back in the hotel and not doing anything that first day, while everyone went about their sight-seeing ritual! I preferred nursing myself back to good health as opposed to tiring it out! Next day i.e. 15th December, it was my turn to step into Pondicherry! that really was one eventful day - the day I visited the very famous Arunachalam Temple and the Ramana Maharishi Ashram - I can’t describe the beauty of my visit to these two places! what peace, what culture, what serenity! But hello! all this before we all were to hit the resort where we were staying! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After an exotic day of heritage sight seeing, it was time for us to call it a day and check into our resort, Le Pondy.. I remember the drive, the closing in to our resort, all amid silent whispers of Southern India’s roads and the lovely air that romances the night sky and the mighty Bay of Bengal..Now here’s what it was !</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“ I had been sick, quiet and a little home sick perhaps - with me not even being able to throw a fuss over not being 100% healthy that time! I was sombre and just could not wait to get into my room and just crash! I got down from our traveler, catching hold of my handbag and a water bottle. As I walked in, a soothing sense of peace and calmness took over me COMPLETELY! From a low mind state, I was suddenly transported to a No mind state! from being a little down to totally merging with the glory of that scenic place by the beach side, this was just a story being written! It felt like the first flush or tingle of love that you feel when you first realize that mushy feeling or falling in love with someone, it’s exciting yet soothing! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pondicherry is and will be truly special - I spent about 4 days in the cozy town from then and they were just magical, the magic sprinkled a little more with each passing day! I remember losing myself to the romantic rains and finding my little writing corner there! It’s another thing I could not get myself to put up my thoughts publicly but I did find my heart’s place there! As time passed, we all shared laughter, life’s little chapters centred by some bonding and getting to know each other a lot more! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPrZhdn3aVWyXe60RK0b16j9IW0QQE3daBzh8r5G0JXgOl12-jd5_MFRBVCt2q4bZt57xmsbf8pvwjufiDKm_jzc7JnXxuhxGcjJSQBJn8co9s3d45jftXwvcpfXWeooC1WRgcHLe73U/s1600/1510740_10155001976875235_4774892454702547462_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPrZhdn3aVWyXe60RK0b16j9IW0QQE3daBzh8r5G0JXgOl12-jd5_MFRBVCt2q4bZt57xmsbf8pvwjufiDKm_jzc7JnXxuhxGcjJSQBJn8co9s3d45jftXwvcpfXWeooC1WRgcHLe73U/s320/1510740_10155001976875235_4774892454702547462_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-10803872114194343122015-01-20T23:21:00.004+05:302015-01-20T23:22:44.105+05:30Words From a Place Unknown...Words of Heaven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Winds from lands afar blow today, blow hot, blow cold, blow dusty, and blow sheeny, but blow nevertheless they do..they come and take me, almost twirl me lovingly and welcomingly, into their lofty layers, as they melt away my vices and dust me with soft, velvety layers of creamy love and calibre that sing of magnanima. The shiny dust is here - I know it was approaching, fast and steady, but it will reach me like this, today and sudden, know - I did not. Whether it will even come and propose to my being, believe I did not. It comes, it’s almost here, and I know it. It shines on my mirror image and says, “My dearness, you earned it, shy do you, why?! I was always going to come and be with you, cry do you why?! you earned it, yes my dear, you earned it.” I wish the windy silhoutte could speak with me a little more and shower with its explicit candour but it says the way will pave for you, from here. You don’t need words from now, your inner mettle that shines with brightness and shimmer, will take you to your lands from now on. Fear not, my child - peaks a voice from within, you’re a true winner. Do you not want to know where the loving winds come from?? From the beautiful, loving and silken skies melt in golden and silver hues right before your eyes. They come from the lands of the cotton that layer in heavelny shades, ones the please the soul, much to the call of your inner being. They come from the land that celebrate both the Sun and the Moon, in their shining best glory. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>“Why do you think this is not yours? Why do oyu believe this is going to leave you?! It’s come here at this time and age, because it longs for you as much as you long for it. You passed the test my dear, you really did. your longing got you the god you always wanted to invite to your home, always wanted to keep on your lap and always wanted to cradle to your bosom. you are here, and so am I. Your yesterday is gone and dusted, your tomorrow is getting ready for an uplifted you. Your present, I tell you, my child, is golden. Your present is your gift, know it now. Doubt it not. You are getting glimpses of the magical glaze on your life, know that is a beautiful pattern on your destiny, not a random scribble on the plane of your life. It is a stroke of paint by the Majesty himself. Fear not, my child.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>You are a feather ball of all the beauty you wanted to shine with. Your fairy mother, and your loving, dangling angels heard you in your silent whines, your soul reached out to the Lord of the Universe to ask for its dues..Ask for your dues?? Did you have to? Did you not know you were inching to your glories with each passing second, did you really not recognise the way god was closing onto you? You are in your glory ride, dear, fear not. You are going to shine further as you tread forward..So my child, fear not the laps of the river. Tread in your rafit to the beautiful whirlpools of water, they will let you fall not.. they love you and care for you. You are their little child. Just get on with your journey. Unthought of and unheard glories and victories await you. So much awaits you to go and conquer it and you say you’re scared? Are you going to not play the match of your life, just because you could come second? Are you not going to sing because your voice could choke? Are you not going to raise your voice because someone could be louder than you? Are you really going to walk away from your gifts?</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Fear not, the time is yours. You are ready, and your will is strong. You are a living atom of your inner energy, shine and dazzle, as you walk. Sway your way into a zillion hearts and create your land. Pick your stick, mark your lines. the Land is yours. What you yearned for, is going to be yours. Your joys and happiness is all yours, go earn them, go embrace them..</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Worry not, my kid, your time is here, and now. Pick your lorry and ride into the lands of merging victory and take a winner’s lap..you are here, and the time is yours..</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Take a leap of faith…. “</i></span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-47726924853840092062014-12-20T23:04:00.000+05:302014-12-20T23:04:00.647+05:30An Open Letter to Raju Hirani<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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An Open Letter to Raju Hirani:</div>
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Dear Mr. Hirani,</div>
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First up, Congratulations for creating the perfect ripple with your latest outing, PK. Amid much bated breath and anticipated respects (from all quarters, I must admit!), almost every Indian, queued up in lines to get the 1st day tickets to your once-in-5-years piece of art. A figure of nonchalance, aloofness, stubborn righteousness and casual correctness, a film maker who is known to put his soul and human pulse in his movies, you've certainly created a big stamp of presence for yourself, and this is where you mistook your art's acknowledgement to be the final word on the way you perceive life, religion, and sadly, hinduism too.</div>
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Someone who's known to bring tears in the movie goer's eyes, is this one time, bringing tears to many a pair of eyes yet gain, for the sheer cheat of his very values and his very depiction of what he lives by and believes in. You might want to know what and how this unfolded, just in case you're still living like an Alice in Wonderland.</div>
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Just so that you know - your showing hinduism, gurus in an appalling light and how fake and frivolous our belief system is, just shows how hollow your understanding of life is. Your opening credits scream undefined gratitude to 'His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar' (apparently you seem really taken and indebted to him!) and then you go all out, full steam in showing Sri Sri's yagyashala area from the famed Art of Living International Center, Bangalore as the centre of 'Dhongi Babaness'. Wow, what irony!! The film maker wants to thank his guru, because his movie's theme surrounds 'Gurus'..albeit in a not-even-worth-mentioning light. For someone who's taken so much pride in Sri Sri's existence and his words all over the globe, and even joining Sri Sri's google hangouts to vocalise your support to the humanitarian who's slogging day and night to create a 'One World Family', this comes across as a ripping act of faith and trust of your own faith.</div>
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Mr. Hirani, do you really believe that all Gurus are the same? What is that makes you thank Sri Sri in the opening credits? Is it your guilt that makes you showcase your support to him or is that you consciously want to pin point that Sri Sri is not in the league of the Rampals, the Asaram Bapus and the Nirmal Babas..???? Really now?!</div>
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And of course, you go ahead and get the leading actor, Mr. Aamir Khan to voice the dialogue," Jo darta hai woh mandir jaata hai" Oh really? Then what explains Mr. Khan's haj trip in 2012? Toh kaun darta hai?? And Yes, now comes the part everyone's been raving about - your depiction of the true state of religion in our country, and what it ought to be. So first you make an unrealistic, unbelievable plot to roll to put your point of view and our darling viewers lap it all up with open eyes and applauding hands..So you're basically asking everyone to get sensitive about religion barriers and turn absolutely blond-ish in their acceptance of Aamir's language learning and speaking skills, an alien dancing and falling in love and finally an alien appearing on National Television..really now..I can imagine what lengths you had to go to, for you to make your desperate point.So here is what some of us think:</div>
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1. Religion is NOT the same as Spirituality.<br />2. Not every religion is or a sect is after money, and not everything has to be depicted with a cynical eye. Just because an 'Oh My God' comes and sweeps the ground, you don't need to get carried away.<br />3. Gurus CANNOT be generalized and standardized as a commodity coming out of a factory line. You're probably blocking the path of a million others who are waiting for so much wisdom, grace and knowledge to enter their lives ,all in the name of an entertaining record-breaking movie.<br />4. Your making fun of a religious practice and anything to do with 'God' is miles away from the beauty of having a true Guru, and a deep,deep faith in the Divine.</div>
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Why and what you did, only you know. What you may not know is that today, you have actually failed your sense of perfection with which you thought you understood life. You've truly failed to bring the right faith and belief that so many of us need, and probably, you've also failed yourself as a devotee today. that is, if you ever called yourself one..</div>
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But do remember, a true master is all forgiving and full of unlimited acceptance and grace. He surely does not need your endorsement but today, you lost the vote of confidence with so many of us who understand the gravity of what you've done.</div>
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May you be blessed with the finery of thought and action that India's finest film maker should ideally have...God Bless....</div>
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Regards,<br />An Indian.....</div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-67695441610449767852014-12-09T22:32:00.002+05:302014-12-09T22:32:25.638+05:30Game of Happiness...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last few months have been testimony to all that. I must say -this time is special. The people I’ve met in the last few months, both professionally and personally have been a revelation. I know I’m supposed to grow with each one of them, to evolve to a truer self that I would have to live one day. It’s definitely not easy, dragging down your older, suspected self and making new strides, but sometimes, that volley of an effort is so essential to break an old pattern and turn a new leaf, I’ve been struggling to do just that - sometimes managing, sometimes really knocking it off. I’ve had such amazing experiences, to a fantastic ‘working Birthday’ this year (something that I don’t like really!) and then living it up with such beautiful friends. Celebrations flew thick and fast, it’s been awesome to say the least. And then, God’s been showing some lessons on forgiveness. I learnt an amazing thing this year personally - I realised after forgiving some people in my life that I am no one to forgive/no forgive anyone and also, there isn’t anything for us to forgive. We’ve just got to live with a sense of shrug. We have to know how to shrug it off..carrying a burden doesn’t get us anywhere in life. It just makes you cynical about everyone around you. It’s so imp to do the right thing and I’m glad God showed me the lesson, and my heart knows what I’m saying. sometimes, God comes down to talk to us and leaves us all teary-eyed and choked. Yes, it happened with me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t know If I’m ready for year round-up blog as yet, but I know there’s a lot of beautiful stuff line out there. With that said, there’s so much to honor on the way. I hope I remember God is there - always - sometimes he adds to your happiness, sometimes to your character and integrity, sometimes he adds on to your wisdom and knowing. He may changes forms and manifestations but he’s always there, blessing us and enriching our lives. I hope, and really hope, I continue to work on the rhythm of my soul. And I hope to keep up the faith - As my work desk says, “ Faith- will take you everywhere now.” so If I say that I love to travel, I better get set to sit on the Faith jet!</span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5136533091231959423.post-52597624281246329142014-10-20T00:14:00.000+05:302014-10-20T00:14:01.134+05:30'Kalasthali' - Diwali Joys with the Children<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">19 October 2014 - unexpectedly, life turns a beautiful page..one that leaves me wrapped in wonder and stripped of a sense of lack.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I got this wonderful opportunity to ring in the Diwali weekend/Sunday night (well today, I mean) with the most satisfying celebrations at this wonderful destitute Children’s institute in Gurgaon. ‘Kalasthali.’ Bringing in the Diwali with them and their specialness is just undescribable. It was reallly a tailor-made trip today, one that was destined clearly. I took along with me, my mom, and one very adorable, cute-as-a-button kid who comes to her for tuitions daily. Turned out that other kids were far from interested and hence, only one boy came along. Apart from them, two cute teenage girls studying in Class XII who are whacky, crazy. spunky and spirited, equally in nightclubs and NGOs :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Five of us, reached the venue at about 6:30 PM and were greeted with kids (studying at the centre) decorating the beautiful, banal pathway with lights, diyas and artistic lamps, and their heart-knocking smiles. We reached the beautiful open-air seating in the spacious amphitheater and were greeted by a waiting, decorated stage that was all set to host a rocking show. Rest as they say is history - a gala event laden with songs, dance, music, clappings, drama and a theaterical show with a social message by these amazing young kids is enough to make hearts feel the glow of the lamps. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I dont’ think I stopped smiling for those 2 hours - these innocent, lovely souls brought such joy. Is joy so simple and so undervalued?? It’s almost like an exaggerated destination that can’t be reached with simple things. The joy that these little ones gave us when we distributed customised assorted gift packs of exotic candies was unmatchable. The glee and the glint in those eyes is the most precious diwali gift that one could ever have. No amount of late-night cards parties and fire crackers can give what making some else happy can! I know it, but still whenever it comes our way, it seems like the revelation of a lifetime..Ah! Life..!! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And yes, Happy Diwali everyone..Remember, LET THERE BE LIGHT.</span></div>
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juhi munjalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599065828558296423noreply@blogger.com0