Some recent photos

These are some photographs from my new digicam Canon Powershot S3 IS. I haven't really started posting all my work. So this is just an attempt in that direction.

The photographs that follow were taken at my home (Varanasi) from the terrace. It's a blend of adjusted and normal exposure.








Next are a few photographs taken from the bus while going to company picnic.





Finally, these photos were shot when I was returning to Bangalore from Mumbai after attending my convocation. Lonavala is an eye-candy for enthusiast photographer and I tried to capitalise on all the opportunities of capturing the beautiful landscape. Here are some of the best shots I got.







_{(Click on the photographs to view them at higher resolution)}

Rang De Basanti

I know it's pretty late to comment on this movie but I couldn't resist after watching it today yet another time. And even still, I am not sure what impact has this movie on the youth. You know there are a lot of places where they have actually said what you would say after watching the movie - "Ye sab movies mein hi achcha lagta hai yaar. Real life mein kuch bhi aise nahi hota." (All this looks good in movies only. It doesn't happen like this in real life). But given a choice, wouldn't you like to change the situation as it is today. Wouldn't you like to be the Bhagat Singh, Rajguru or Chandrashekhar Aazaad of today ? We all discuss it in the dorms, on the mess table about the relevance of the sacrifices made by these people and their significance in the present day context. But do we really care ?

What I remember most about this is a story, I read in Standard 7th or 8th. It's titled - Drawing-Hall Ke Veer (Brave men of drawing hall). I can't recall the author's name (probably Dharamveer Bharati, please correct me if I am wrong) but ironicaly, it was very true in its essence. What it basically conveyed was that when we listen to national anthem on the independence day or the republic day with the tricolor being unfurled, there's a sudden rush of adrenalin in our blood which you know, inspires us to really do something worthwhile for your country. But as the day passes, the fever goes down and you go back to your daily mundane life. In part, I think this is what Rang De... has achieved. How many of us do really believe that this movie will create the Bhagat Singhs and the Chandrashekhar Aazaads ? Well, maybe your eyes well up after watching the movie but do you really carry forward the message back with you. NO ! You go back, have a nice meal, go to bed and then begin a new day with something else on your mind.

I am not asking you to pick up a gun and shoot the politicians. And so does the movie ! If you can recall the message - Become an IAS^*, be a part of politics, join the military but play a role in making this country better. What is to be remembered from the movie is "Koi bhi desh perfect nahi hota. Use perfect banana padta hai" (No nation is perfect. You have to work to make it perfect). And that's what I beseech you and would like to do myself. When you walk past a poster of the movie next time - just try and catch a glimpse of the line "Mera Bharat Mahan OK !" (My India is Great OK !). Just try to be a little bit more honest with yourself. You will make a great deal of difference.

^*IAS - Indian Administrative Services

Obituary

Harpreet Singh, just like any other guy living your next door, died last night from complications of loosing his soulmate. He was 24 years old. A soft-spoken and obsessive, Harpreet never looked the part of a hopeless romantic but in the final days of his life, he revealed an unknown side of his psyche. This hidden quasi-Jungian persona surfaced during the Agatha Christie like pursuit for his long-reputed soulmate, a woman whom he only spent few precious moments with. Sadly, the protracted search ended late Monday night in complete and utter failure. Yet, even in certain defeat, the courageous Harpreet secretly clung to the belief that life is not a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. Uh-uh. But rather it's a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan. Asked about the loss of his dear friend, Mrityunjay Gautam described Harpreet as a changed man in the last days of his life. "Things were clear for him", Mrityunjay noted. Ultimately, Harpreet concluded that if we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all possess a powerful faith in what ancients used to call "fatum", what we currently refer to as Destiny.