Conversation of Death

I saw her again she was my mystery girl…

She smiled at me and just passed by again…

Again I saw her and again the same feeling griped me of unknown…

She looks into my eyes and it seems like time has frozen …

I saw her again she wanted to say something but dint say anything…

But her silence speaks more than her words...

I saw her again as I closed by eye I still found her beside me…

She holds my hand tightly l &makes another promise that she would never let go my hand...

But she goes just like that without saying anything … she is my mysterious girl...

Why do you go in search of me? ..Am the one who follows

You always find me in the deep dark hallows

We cannot be together but will never be apart…

People around are scared to be my part they keep me away but I still come their way…

All your questions I will surely answer my dear…

And that day you would n near…

Everything about nothing

George says “Nothing happens on the show. You see, it's just like life. You know, you eat, you go shopping, and you read. You eat, you read, you go shopping."

Hard to believe but yes this Show was indeed about nothing. And yet after 20 years when I sit down to watch Seinfeld it still makes me laugh to the point that my stomach starts paining.

Seinfeld is one of the most successful sitcom of its time. It was launched in 1989 by NBC. Written by Larry Davi (George who is one of the main characters was loosely based on Larry) and Jerry Seinfeld. There was no plot no story it was a sitcom which talked about the actions involved in day to day life, like shopping, answering annoying telephone calls, torturous neighbor , hatred about social events, unemployment, the trouble with the laundry guy fighting over TV remote, unable to find parking spot and so on.

As opposed to traditional daily soaps with Seinfeld ,there were no any guilt trips, sympathies or tensed moments it’s almost like reflections of your thoughts . The characters on the show were as good as real, you could just relate to them but yet feel nothing for them, no sympathy no nothing. This was one of greatest show but strangely ,had nothing to boast about it.

Having said that I would like to welcome the central characters of the greatest show which has nothing to boast about it. Jerry Seinfeld is a standup comedian, a minor celebrity in his thirties yet single. His problem in life is he is a neat clean guy doesn’t like to get things messy. Every time he manages to find a right woman he messes up the relation ship to some or other issues.

Jerry’s best friend George consstanza confused bold, fat, unsuccessful obsessed with himself, complain freak. Just like Jerry he too is unable to sustain a successful relationship or even his career. He has all the cheap tricks under his sleeves to escape from every kind of situation. His relation with his parents is always in distress.

Cosmo Kramer Jobless witty always comes with weird business ideas like selling old fashion raincoats, coffee table book, his own talk show, pizza place where people can make their own pizza. He thinks he knows the world in and out and has a solution for each and every situation. Who’s he ? he is Jerry’s long time neighbor.

And now it’s time to introduce you to my favorite character on the show Elaine Benes and Jerry’s ex girlfriend. Ambitious, intelligent, beautiful, adorable women. Always straight on the face which always gets her into some kind of trouble. She is in pursuit of becoming a successful writer , but always ends up with wrong job.

As I said earlier, this was a sitcom which standouts because of its content unlike many sitcom where things start to get monophonic , Seinfeld doesn’t go into that monophonic zone. Every single character on Seinfeld is proud they do not see why they should they be wrong. The dialogues are funny witty especially those between Jerry and George and then between Jerry and Elaine/. There is always a amazing spontaneity when they speak. Adding icing to cake is antics of George whether it’s about his meeting with NBC producers or death of his finance Susena, taking up the job of parking cars, afraid of massage given by male the list is quite big. And then on the other side we have Kramer who wants to builds his house in levels, does a free movie service, drives fire brigade van without license, decides to mentor a kid , butters his whole body with butter, mocking down a celebrity, again the list is too long.

The best part of Seinfeld is its not a sitcom where you have a story to tell, it’s a sitcom that deals with day to day life. But even after almost 20 years we can identify with each and every situation in the show. For a show to have no story and yet be able to crack up peoples funny bone says lot about the show.

Mumbai Unraveled

It’s a tough task to write a review of a book especially when you open a book and find first three pages containing rave reviews from across the world. But yet I found the courage to write about this book, sole reason being after finishing this book 2 months back I can still recall Ganesh Gaitonde evolving form a young lad to become a vicious and most fearsome gangster of Mumbai . I still remember Sartaj Singh’s loneliness in city of thousand people Bombay. And I still can recall Mumbai’s chowpati, slums, skyscrapers etc. Scared Games is not just a book about gun chase between a cop and super villain. It’s more then that, Scared games is a book which reveals the dark secrets of the city Bombay. And if ever a movie was made on this novel than Mumbai will have a major a role in the movie.

A book which is about Sartaj Singh a lonely police officer in his forties on blink of career as a cop and nothing to cheer about. But then one day he gets a tip about Ganseh Gaitonde’s(Indian most wanted gangster ) hide out place. But then fate decides to play its part and where, Ganesh Gaitonde who is on blink of death deicides to share his story with the forty year cop. So the book takes you back into the life of Ganesh on how an innocent child became the most wanted man by police world. Ganesh that plays out all the card about his life form his childhood stories, betrayal by his best friend ,losing his wife and kid in the a gang war, spending kingsize life in the jail, fleeing to Thailand spending time and helping out young Indian actress to establish in Bollywood, becoming producer of film, finding a spiritual guru. On other hand we have the Life of Sartaj singh who is involved in medicore case about a husband and wife fight, his quench for love, guilt of been laid down by the man he admired the most, losing his co worker ,and last but not more importantly trying to figure out the mystery behind Ganesh Giatondes’s death .

Sounds complex to write but then that is where the Chandra’s narration helps, it is uncomplicated and he has kept it as simple as he could have . And never does one loose the grip of book. Chandra shows us Mumbai in manner never seen before, he takes us to high society of Mumbaikar’s , shows us the dirty world of politics, shows us the dark side bollywood , narrates about the police world and then puts a new light on the struggle of slum dwellers. But what strikes me most about the book is how Chandra has managed to pen down and managed to switch between the past and the present. As you start to turn the pages then you begin with Sartaj the police inspector and very next chapter you get deep into the world of Ganesh.

Each relationship in book has been beautifully penned down. Relationships with complexity, love, guilt, and hidden secrets you will find it all in the book. Sartaj’s relationship with his mom is especially beautifully crafted. Also Sartaj’s mom’s past is is revealed beautifully where Chandra takes us from metro Bombay to Punjab that of pre-independence era and deals with social dilemma that the Indian society faces even today.

Vikram Chandra does not try to tone down the narration in what so ever manner whether its use of the slang language use dirty tale he tells us, about bollywood, crime in high society etc, but instead Chandra hits you straight in your face . Sometimes even making you feel like yuck. The book is not for those who have a pampered heart. It’s not a goody goody book which will make you feel good about the city of dreams, but this book deals with real Mumbai with the world that which we have only heard of but with this book we live it.

The Ultimate Saga Of Life

Shantaram…a look was enough for me to decide that this book cannot be completed my. But then I read the first page then second then third and without realizing I had finished 100 pages of 900 pages book in a day’s time. Unlike other bestselling book where only where it’s embossed that book is a bestseller Shantaram actually lives up to its bestselling expectation. This is a book that makes you wanting more, hoping the book never ends but like every other good things sadly enough Shantaram also ends.

The plot of books which revolves around protagonist Lindsay/Lin/Shantaram who arrives in Bombay with little money, an assumed name, false papers, an untellable past, and no plans for the future. Where he meets Prabaker (who names Lindsay as Lin) right away, a sweet, smiling man who is a street guide. Stays six months in village where is reborn as Shantaram. Return to Mumbai becomes Shataram opens up a clinic in for slum dwellers, with help mafia form where medicines comes. Acts in Bollywood movies. Falls for a girl know as Karla. Is tortured by police, goes in depression, goes to Afghanistan fights a war.

There is surely originality in this book the way it has been written. But every good book or so called bestselling books have what we call a wow factor so what is the wow factor of Shantaram. Well the wow factor of Shantaram is the way the Gregory David Roberts handle violence and romance at the same time. It’s quite disturbing sometimes to read his thoughts and fantasies about murder in one paragraph and then have him fill up the gaps in his life with sweet tender love and devotion in the next. There are no exorbitant subplots or irrelevant characters, and the momentum never slows down. The characters are strongly formed and memorable. Even the minor ones have an important role to play at various points in the novel. In a novel of such breadth and subplots, it’s easy for one to get lost in the number of new characters and their complicated relationships

Gregory David Roberts writes with air of freshness. He describes every small thing from floor of much loved Leoplod café in Mumbai to his love Shantaram’s love interest Karla who deserves a special; mention because she was my favorite character in the book to perfection. Shantaram is just not about Lin baba it’s about the city the city of dreams, city of people it’s more about Mumbai and what makes Mumbai. It’s about the sorrowfulness, bitterness; hope; love finding happiness .Shantaram is not just a book it’s a city which you become a part of which you breathe till very last page of the book. Sometimes you become dective trying figure out who Sapna Killer is? Sometimes you become Prabaker a man small village who comes to city with big dreams. And sometimes you’re the protagonist who in search of unknown as in words of Shantaram “Sometimes we love with nothing more than hope. Sometimes we cry with everything exept tears. In the end that's all there is: love and its duty, sorrow and its truth. In the end that's all we have - to hold on tight until the dawn”