The Big Business of Television

Taarak Mehta ka Oolta Chashma -  has celebrated two years of its presence on SAB TV, in the TV segment of entertainment. And the reason to be happy, 269 days of a year, this serial is tele-casted and Advertisements showcased during 15 mins of this serial, points out to its success. There is more to TV business than meets our eye. That is because there is minute detailing that producer has to be looking out for - right from bonding between cast and director to development of story line with each passing day, this while also keeping in mind audience reaction!

Finally TV has come a long way in becoming an entertainment right in the comfort of our homes! Today we also see the merging of TV and Cinema - with new releases being premiered on our home screens.

Rajneeti Movie Review

Rajneeti - Movie Review

A Prakash Jha film, Rajneeti explores politics in the Indian context finely well. It explores a little beyond the politics and that is the fine net of relationships that underplay the political scenario.

RAJNEETI is a story about many people. It is a story of Bhaskar, of Sooraj, of Brij Gopal to name a few. As it is a story of Verendra Pratap, Prithvi Pratap, Indu, Sarah and Samar Pratap. It is each one's personal bias, pointing to the way they behave with each other. This FORMS the theme of Rajneeti. And all this is placed in the context of POLITICS - and Indian POLITICS specifically. 

Let's look at, to take an example, into Brij Gopal's character traits. Played by Nana Patekar, Brij Gopal shuns all political ambitions. But it is he who becomes the GODFATHER of Samar Pratap. This is how he plays his game - In order to wield an upper hand in the game of power, he helps Samar Pratap expose dark and ugly secret of his No 1 enemy - Verendra Pratap's loyal man. Sooraj's character - another point in e.g; is as if he is rising from the phoenix, but the reality of his birth is never leaving him. He climbs up the ladder of political ambition with his strategical leadership.

The man with a heart of GOLD with his heart in its place is Prithvi Pratap played by Arjun Rampal but because of impatience in heiring his political legacy - leads himself to Doom, is another e.g. Manoj Bajpai plays the mastercraft - Verendra Pratap who will do anything to be on the throne of India's promising Empire. He plays his game along with Sooraj.

Samar Pratap (Ranbir Kapoor), an alien to this power politics, soon becomes an insider.

In order to save his family's political achievements - he becomes the man behind the reason of the CLIMAX of Rajneeti.

INDU (Katrina Kaif)- simple, beautiful and in love with life. Expects the same from it - but fate has something else for her - when the love of her life rejects her. She becomes the epitome of sacrifice, then. Later she accepts reality, and accepts it well. Determination to lead the battle to fight - makes her the herione of RAJNEETI. Making her deserve to be the talk of Rajneeti.

If the plot opens in the first half of Rajneeti, the strands come together in the second half of the film. A fine attempt, I'd say!

FASTING and Feasting

FASTING and Feasting

A beautiful day that begins with rising early, and praying and reading AL-Quran, and you know it is the time when we observe fasting.

Fasting is observed many times during a lunar year that we believe in and follow. Apart from the holy month of RAMAZAN, fasting is observed on many other days that are auspicious. Last week, me and my folks observed fasting for month of RAJAB, for three days. For RAJAB is the month when IMAM Ali's birth is celebrated by believers.

Fasting has its health benefits, apart from having its spiritual benefits too. Like this time I took up fasting of three days for RAJAB; (this is after a very long time), and I felt a new lease of life.

I realized the importance of food and water every single time even before I took up fasting. But the realization has grown more after I've taken up fasting. I feel that I am blessed, to be blessed with food and water supplied to me, whenever my body is in need for it.

Fasting is a food for thought. Since feastings' value emerges only when it is accompanied by a healthy dose of FASTING.

A New Trip.

Trip to Mysore and Coorg

It was a wonderful, with new clothes, and new mindset, it was a new start altogether. I was scared to travel, because it was after two years that I took up travelling alone after my loved one passed away. Bus journey is what I remember.

We stopped at a place for tea. And then take on again. By dancing to music, we passed our time. We reach Mysore at 9.00 am. After a nourishing breakfast we start for sightseeing. We are a small group of 12 with two teachers accompanying us. We go to the Chamundeshwari Temple, atop the hill. On way down, we also stop by to look at the Nandi Hills. We get back to Hotel. Have lunch.

Move out to go to St. Philomena's Church. Millions of bees greet us from their hives at every nook in this Heritage Church. And once stepping inside, a beautiful peace calms us down.

I've got my instant photo taken by the local guide, and I'm happy as I can take this back as a souvenir . After a lovely one hour that we spend at St. Philomena's Church,we move on to the Mysore Palace. We spend our time in a different era of life, examining artefacts that stand testimony to the glory of this Wodeyar King. Taking in the beauty of this historical place, we move on to the Brindavan Gardens.

We literally run in the Brindavan Gardens to have the time of our life. That is because it is a sunday, and it is 7:15 pm when we reach Brindavan Gardens. And 7:30 pm, the Fountain Show starts. We are running, jogging, sprinting and dodging the crowds as we herd towards our goal - the fountain show. The fountain show that lasts for several minutes, we enjoy and come back the same way - running, jogging, sprinting and dodging! We retire for the night at the hotel with a non-veg dinner and an ice-cream.

Coorg

On day three, while we are heading towards Coorg, we visit the Buddhist Monastery. The Buddhist Monastery is a huge and well-looked after place. What is beautiful about this Buddhist Monastery is that it is huge, but inspite of which one is still able to hear the still small voice from within.

With this feeling, we move on. We lunch at hotel and move on to visit the Raja's Seat. We click photos and decide to stay on in the nearby gardens. It is 5:30 pm, and as we drink in fresh air, we decide to freshen up our minds by singing to ANTAKSHARI. It is 6:45 pm, and we then have to move back to our hotel - where we treat ourselves to non-veg food! And the next day, we get up to have breakfast and after a quick check-out, we move out to watch the Abbey Falls. After quite some time of anticipation about this place which never seemed to arrive, we finally do sight the falls.

Watching Abbey Falls revealing its beauty, we also get to watch something else - and that is SHOOTING that is taking place at the Abbey Falls.

With this, we move to the bus which takes us to Mysore Station - from where we will get back home. Before that, we take a halt at a hotel to have lunch. And by 4:30 pm we are at the Mysore Station, ready to board 6:30 pm train which is home-bound!

This is dedicated to Nethra, a member of this 12-member trip.

She has lost her father recently and this is dedicated to her and her family's well-being.

Day after Mangalore Tragedy

In May 2010, just a day after the Mangalore Air Crash in which many persons had perished. I was about to take a journey by Air, just a day after. These are my feelings.

I always think of Mangalore as this beautiful idyllic place. Because Mangalore is none like others.

It is both beachy and hilly, which makes it a very different place altogether. I've been to Mangalore more than once in the past and recently more than twice and everytime I think about it I conjure up images of silent beauty that filled me when I visited Mangalore sixteen years back.

That's why when I heard about Mangalore accident on 22nd May, 2010, I was deeply shocked. I went back in my mind to all those lovely memories, saved up in my mind about Mangalore. I couldn't believe that a silent city is witnessing heart-rending cries on this day. What froze me more was that next day I was travelling by air on my own!

Morning I woke up and found myself reading about the accident in graphic detail. A Prayer for lost souls comes out from me. I pray that all goes well with my flight. Time moves on and I'm at airport, waiting to catch my flight. I thank God and say a word of Prayer. Every movement of the flight makes me aware of how're lucky I am that I'm alive! And I thank God for it.

I've reached Chennai safely.

Today I look back and realise, I've been lucky. What if I was on Dubai - Mangalore Flight B 737 - 800 on that ill-fated day?

Dedicated to Huzefa Unjhawala whom we have lost in a bike accident last October, and hundreds of others who have lost their lives in the recent Plane and Train Accidents.

When an Adventure Becomes a Misadventure

Gloominess starts to surround, when amidst death, accident happens. And an accident such as a freak one hurts you more than anything else. One such freak accident, freaks me out one sunday when I decided to drive my bike on the road. Deciding to drive the bike itself was a decision that has been very sacred to me. And I say my Prayers asking Allah to protect me and everybody else while I'm on the road. My next step is to go for a warm-up ride. Now I gain enough confidence to take it out into the real road. [Please remember now that this is my first ride on road for work]. All is well so far. The climax of this narrative is coming near. Road is straight till now. Now the challenge comes when I take a turn. All is well still. It is a busy street, but still I feel that all is in control till this god-forsaken slope comes in. The slope is high, uneven, narrow and surrounded by poles. In short, it is RISKY. I put on the accelerator. I vroom in. And that's it. Instead of going up. I go down. I am hurt. But my spirit doesn't get hurt. Of course it was painful. But few hours later, I'm alright and writing this.

But it doesn't mean that everytime I do something like this and can get away with it. Because I have seen that accidents can turn fatal. Be it bike, Plane or Train.

Welcome Home dear Visitor

Hi. My name is Alifia.

And I'm starting my new blog on Jun 15, 2010. This is In the name of Allah.

And i especially thank the persons who believe that i can make beneficial use of the media of blogging.

Through this blog, I intend to publish events that have made an impact on my mind.

I am sure I am going to have a nice time from now onwards!

Thank you for your time.