Mystery and Me

Growing up, parents always felt there was a derth of good clean family drama on tv and this was true, as I remember Tara, Swabhimaan and Shanti were the pioneers of popular television shows in India in my generation and were aired on prime time on National Channel. They were hardly appropriate for kids. Alas, at that time the only kids shows were "Potli Baba Ki" and "The Jungle Book". Once cable television kicked in, I upgraded slowly to Saanp Seedi (the Mohan Kapoor show) and then to Crystal Maze - I used to love that show. It was because of Crystal Maze that I picked up interest in puzzle solving, which in turn has made me into this crime thriller fanatic that I'm today.

My tryst with mystery started with Byomkesh Bakshi - the Rajat Kapoor starrer tv show.

As a kid, I used to love watching this show. This was considered a clean family drama by my family. So, every wednesday dinner was spent in front of the television watching the adventures of the genuis Bengali Investigator. I would love to own all the seasons on DVD if possible, as I understand there was more than one season. I did find some of the episodes I hadn't seen on youtube, but "Yeh Dil Maange More."

After this came - Commander and Tehkikaat on DD Metro - the satellite channel for DD National. Of this Tehkikaat was more of my favourite.

The show featured Vijay Anand as the detective Sam and Saurbah Shukla as his trusted side kick Gopi. "Hum tehkikaat karne aaye hain" - from the opening credits is still fresh in my mind. This show also had a funny bone. Comedy is Saurabh Shukla's forte, so he played it with a lot of ease. Compared to Byomkesh Bakshi, this show was slightly on the adult side of the TV Show audience spectrum. Since, we didn't grow up on Nicklodean, we don't know the PG, PG-13 and PG-15 concepts. And good we don't.

Then came Raja Aur Rancho and some other shows which I didn't like very much. Like a drop of water in a desert, came CID.

ACP Pradyuman and his team kept me on the edge of my seat for a very long time. I have to admit that I have this really long ever lasting still continuing crush on Inspector Daya. The character of Dr. Salunkhe, the genius forensic doctor, is very interesting. Made me wonder, how you can tell so much about a dead person by carefully inspecting the body and carrying out some chemical tests on the body. I do understand that the real life of a Forensic doctor isn't as glamourous. If this extra glamourisation, helps highlight a potential employment oppourtunity, why not do this extra drama. "Give her an inch and she'll ask for the whole continent" was when I would watch CID. This hunger for more murder mysteries was satiated by CSI (all three) - CSI, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY.

Grissom and his crime lab team-mates, did teach me a thing or two about forensic investigation. I owe my higtened observation skills to them. And this skill wouldn't have been sharpened had I not chanced upon CSI while watching AXN. The show might have been popular in US, but we caught onto to it pretty late. Once I saw one episode, there was no looking back. In many ways, it reminded me of CID and I would often find myself comparing the two shows and like any Asian, I would prefer CSI over CID. Not because of fair skin, blonde hair and accent, but because of better presentation. Soon, I was to discover a little more glam version of CSI - CSI: Miami.

What happens when you up the glam quotient of CSI, you get CSI: Miami. Better looking actors, more suave and slick with oddles of attitude like the Pierce Bronsnan bond (just the way I like it). In fact, Prince Charming also liked CSI:Miami when he saw it the other day :) :). Smaller team, no infighting and politics of promotions and demotions, good, clean, mystery solving. Though, later I did realise that the whole in-office romance can never be ruled out. Nevertheless, less conflicts between characters makes it a better watch for me. Horatio Cane if my fav in the team. The character sketching is interesting for me. Caring, conflicted yet saving the day everyday. So, what happens when you think that maybe you aren't able to get enough viewers on east coast. You give them CSI with a flavour of the east side :) - CSI:NY.

When you get a chance of getting a free guided

tour of New York, shouldn't really say no and I didn't too. With great reluctance, I started watching CSI:NY, hoping that I wasn't heading towards an overdose of CSI. I wasn't. Took me a while to warm up to the show, but I was able to identify with characters, situations, references and places easily, as I had walked those very NY streets when I was studying at Philadelphia. This is when I also understood, the reasoning behind CID and CID: Special Bureau. Though I didn't like Special Bureau, but at least I was able to understand the rationale that might have driven it - potential business oppourtunity. Unlike, in the case of CSI, that franchise of CID didn't last too long. Anyways, lets talk about my new addiction - The Genius "Monk" who solves crimes for San Francisco Police Dept.

Monk, my latest favourite murder mystery. Cleanest, least side-effects but impactful. Reminds me of Byomkesh Bakshi. The difference is that Byomkesh Bakshi didn't have phobias. Monk, as most of you know, is the story about a brilliant ex San Francisco Police Dept (SFPD) detective working as an external consultant for SFPD. I discovered Monk in 2004, the year I landed on US soil to pursue my bachelors and have always tried to catch all episodes of the show. After Byomkesh Bakshi, Monk is my most favourite show ever.

I haven't mentioned some of my other discoveries - Special Squad, Numbers, Bones, JAG, Casa Picola, Law and Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Murder She Wrote.

My list ends with Monk and does have exclusions, which are listed above. The reason for the exclusion is simple - don't like them much. The reasons for the dislike are only few - too much glam, sub plots running helter skelter within the main plot and weak acting by actors. Now, I'm sure some of you disagree with all that I've written. Looking forward to your observations and comments.

Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival - Day 2 - Awsome!!

Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival started here at Hyderabad this Monday Oct 26, 2009. It has an interesting line up of Hindi, English, Marathi, Telugu and even German performances. Just attended the second play of the festival today and was completely bowled over. Qadir Ali Baig, I hear, was a quiet a popular writer. His son, Mohammad Ali Baig runs the Qadir Ali Baig foundation. This foundation organizes the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival annually since 2007. Today was Day 2.

Day 2 of the festival was featuring the second play by Naseeruddin Shah - Ismat Aapa ke Naam Part 2. I had missed this play once in Bangalore, during Dusshera time this year. So, when I realised that I was getting a second chance and that mom would also love to watch it, I bought the tickets. The play was very nice. The style presentation, as Manoj Pahwa reminded us in the introduction, was more of a narration style. The character would narrate as well as enact the story. This was quiet an interesting narration style. The plots were interesting too.

The play "Ismat Aapa ke Naam" as the name suggests was a colourful ensemble of stories written by Ismat Chugtai - India's first liberal women writers. Naseer and team had chosen 3 stories - Amar Bel, Nannhi ki Naani and Do Haath. Of the the three stories - I love "Do Haath" the best. All in all good second day at the theatre festival.

Though I will miss the one tomorrow, but always wishing that we have many more events like these. Looking forward to the second leg of the festival to be organised at Ravindra Bharti from Nov 6th.h

Soul Soothing - Jai Ho

Rehman Bhai kee Jai Ho....is the after thought that is part of the after effect of most soul soothing and exhilarating weekend experience....the AR Rehman Jai Ho concert here at Hyderabad on 24th Oct 2009. It was always a secret dream to attend an AR Rehman concert.

Especially after watching the magnificient AR Rehman concert held in Delhi on TV, always always secretly prayed that I should also be presented with an oppourtunity to attend the concert live and watch 2 of my most favourite musicians - AR Rehman and Sivamani.

The evening started off with a bang. I don't want to recap the whole event. All I want to say is that it was an out of this world experience.....with numbers like Dil Se, Khawaja Mere Khawaja and Ring Ring Ringaa. Once the concert started, I didn't look left or right, I was stuck staring at the stage. Rehmaan sahab gave us a power packed night with fast songs, love songs, classical, sufi, rap. The conclusion was the best. My most favourite part was the sitar jugalbandi. Full respect for all performers, and all the love for Rehmaan and Sivamani. Loved our part of audience section.....people sitting in front of us and in a few rows behind were all very sporting.......we all shouted a lot of songs during the concert and, clapped and waved our hands. It was good they asked me to keep the camera in the car, as I wouldn't have used it. I was busy shouting the songs and dancing on my seat. The conclusion was befitting a Rehman concert.

He ended with - Jai Ho and Vande Mataram. We all stood up for Jai Ho and we were all shouting and jumping for Jai Ho and of course we all did a full throated shout on Vande Mataram.

Rehman is simply the best and I feel lucky to have finally attended his concert live.

I sound like a love struck puppy...don't I. Don't care, I was just part of most one of most previleged group of people who watched AR Rehman live.

My Tryst with Theatre

I come from a fine arts loving family and a family where everyone is encouraged to learn at least one of the forms - dance, music, theatre. My grandparents used to play the sitar. My uncles have learnt instruments and my aunt Kathak. I also tried to keep the tradition going.

1. I trained in Kathak for 3 years.
2. I tried to learn the keyoboard, but wasn't too successful.

Then I found performance.

I started with attending the concert by Mr. Anup Jalota and another one by Mr. Jagjit Singh. Then, I went to US to finish my study and then I came back and discovered theatre.

I attended my first play 2 weekends ago, 2nd October. I never thought I would watch Mr. Naseeruddin Shah perform as my first play to attend. It was a great experience. The play was titled "Katha Collage".

Katha Collage - as it was a collection of 3 plays - Bade Bhai Sahab, Shatranj Ke Khiladi and Samantran. The first two were written by Munshi Premchand.

I've probably just read one or two stories written by Munshi Premchand, as part of course work. But, I would definitely like to read Bade Bhai Sahab.

Naseer's son Imad had played the protagonist in this play. He was very good and a very very close resemblence with Naseer, even in the voice.

All in all it was a very enjoyable experience and very theraputic for curing the stress built up for weeks.

Me and mom agreed, that plays and theatre definiltely improves our quality of life. Fine arts isn't a very expensive hobby if compared with the shopping and movies people do every weekend.

Discovering Sudha Murty - the author

We all know her as the better half of the software entrepreneurship icon, but I just discovered Sudha Murty, the author.

During my long hiatus, about which you can read on my other blog, on my way back from Bangalore after attending Preetam bhaiya's wedding I discovered 2 books written by Sudha Murty - Mahasheta and Gently Falls the Bakula.

Easy reads and but awsome books. Had I not fallen asleep on my way back to Hyderabad, I would've definitely finished Mahashweta.

Mahashweta is a simple story which we can all relate to - struggle of a woman when she discoveres she has lucoderma and how her fairy tale wedding comes to an end and she realises the true colours of her husband and in-laws. The other book was more close to my heart - Gently Falls the Bakula.

Gently falls the Bakula is about the emptyness of a woman's life when she totally becomes her husband's shadow and how the female protoganist realises this and takes a bold decision to reconstruct her life. The book made me realise all the struggles and sacrifices my mother has happily gone through for us. And makes me want to stop her from sacrificing anymore and want everyone else around including me to do a little more than we do because its a previlege that a woman sacrifices for her family, its not her duty. This is the first time I read about a strong female protagonist.

Not a lot of stories I read, where the female protagonists are strong to rise to the challenge independently and face them successfully. Somewhere, these novels give me a reassurance that my principle of being completely independent isn't wrong. The only interesting this is that in both the stories the protagonists walk out of their marriage, sorry Mrs. Murty I'm giving away the endings. It almost feels like an indenpendent woman can't make a marriage work because her husband always feels threatened because of her fierce independent attitude. This is also a major point of difference between me and mom.

Mom always tells me that to make a marriage and a family successful, the wife has to take the backseat in terms of work and go into the shadows because one person has to look after the family and kids and nurtuting them and making them a better human being. I don't disagree that a mother has to spend more time with the kids when they are growing up, I've seen this true in our own family. Though, I don't agree with the shadow part.

A woman is most precious gift a man from God gets in his life and he should respect her and cherish her. And when there is a family, the whole family should realise her contributions and sacrifices and not take her for granted. I would love to read a book where a woman lives on her own terms and has a sucessful marriage and happy family.

Mrs. Murty, since you've seen the world more than I have, I want to ask you," Is there no reality where a woman is able to fulfil her dreams and still have a successful marriage and a happy well developed family." If there is, please write about it. I'm not very sure if a woman has to pay the price of being independent as walking out of a marriage and having no family.

Soothing the heart with Music & Lyrics

Ever seen a movie and just said, "Aww, that felt nice." Music and Lyrics did that to me.

It's a heart soothing watch, on a rainy sunday with some coffee/tea/cola/fruit punch (whatever you may prefer). For me, it was like watching one of the lesser known movies which are worth watching once because they are built using the same basic formula without too much glitter and gloss.

I keep watching different types of movies, so sometimes I want to watch the old run of the mill movie. Reminded me of "Never Been Kissed", one of the other lesser known movies of Drew Barrymore. Though, I watched Music & Lyrics for Hugh Grant.

Being a Hugh Grant, I make it a point to watch all his movies - that have come out since I came of age. He is undoubtedly one of the best chocolate boys of English movies. And he plays the romantic roles with best of the best English charm that he doesn't have to try to bring out, it flows naturally. His portrayal of the coming of the age of the pop-sensation in the movie was good to watch. Technically, the movie lacked a lot of things, but I don't want to get into all that.

I had a soothing experience at the end of it, that's what I'm going with. Would definitely have to start with a Hugh Grant collection now.

Raaz 2 - Bhatt can't so without inspiration

Raaz 2 was on my list of movies to watch and I finally caught up with it last night. Bhatt seems to have his director inspired not only by the stories from Hollywood but also the movie making style. Emraan was good, Kangana and Adhyayan were themselves - wooden and for Jackie Dada it was business as usual.

All in all ok.....but watch it on rented DVD.

Don't want to say much.

Raaz was a much better inspiration.