Long Read - In the mood for some blogging

It's Sunday. It's 4.25pm. Lunch taken. Parents sleeping. Sister's out. Brother's out.
So what do I do? What do I feel like doing seems like a more appropriate question. Heheh!

Feels like watching a Hindi film but nothing's on TV. I'm sure youtube can help me solve this problem but I'm kind of lazy. So what do I do?

Blogging what else? :D



I'm becoming more of Deepika Padukone's fan nowadays. Have always like her since her Om Shanti Om's debut. I guess I can't resist her dimples..

Back to serious business. What had I wanted to blog about earlier?

I thought hard and decided to write a little bit of how I've been influenced by Bollywood.

See that ear cuff I'm wearing? It's very much inspired from Bollywood. I saw Aishwarya wearing it in Josh and I caught glimpse of it in Yeh Sama Yeh Nazare's song in Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke too.

Try seeing if you can spot it on Aishwarya in this song.



This film is the only Aishwarya-Abhishek jodi that I like. It's such a sweet love story... Sighh..

Another inspiration that I got from Bollywood is the Erich Segal's Love Story. In the film Mujhse Dosti Karoge, Rani Mukherjee's character, Pooja had shared about this book to Hrithk Roshan's character, Raj. In the middle of the film, during a conflicting scenario, when Uday Chopra's Rohan wanted to buy Pooja a Love Story book, Pooja declined saying everyone needs to have only one love story. Ever since then, I've been searching for the book in the library and only recently got to read it.

It's actually a very simple love story with a couple of life lessons thrown in. I can't believe the story was written in 1970! Such a simple story about L.O.V.E.

So there is evidently two things I was inspired from Bollywood. Now who says there's nothing in a Bollywood film?

Undeniably, watching Bollywood and their wedding scenes made me wish to have one of my very own Bollywood-filmy style wedding with the nach gaana, mehndi, sangeet.
Sometimes, I secretly wish to break into a song and dance in the middle of the street with strangers magically knowing our dance steps :D

I admit it's too much, too filmy but hey it's harmless! I'm still very much rooted to the ground and standing on reality ground. Things like this makes life more interesting and fun so why not? ;)

Long Read - Love for old charm romance

My love for Bollywood and Hindi films need not be explain anymore. I've grown up watching Hindi films, recognise more people from this industry than Hollywood.

Was watching a song from An Evening In Paris, Deewane ka naam to poochho and suddenly it strike me how beautiful Sharmila Tagore looks, with her classy elegance-ness walking through Paris in a sari!

It's that feeling of being your own self, your own culture and identity to a foreign land. (This calls for another blog post, another time!)



Being me, I tweeted about this, look out for the song and it's translation (It's better to always check for translation of the song.. You'll fall in love more believe me!).

Deewane ka naam to poochho,
At least ask the name of your lover

Pyaar se dekho
Look upon him with love

Kaam to poochho
At least ask "why he is here."

Chaahe phir na milna, arre chaahe phir na milna
If you don't like don't meet afterwards

Gussa chhodo ...baat to maano
Forget anger...agree with me

Iss bande ko apna jaano
Consider this person yours

Door se dhokha haan,... ho sakta tha haan
You could habve been mistaken from far away..Yes it could

Door se dhokha ho sakta tha
You could habve been mistaken from far away

Paas ho ab to ab pehchaano
But now when I am near do recognize me

Deewane ka naam to poochho,
At least ask the name of your lover

Hat gaya aakhir bharam ka saaya
At last the shodows of illusion have disappeared

Ab samjha main ab yaad aaya
Now I understand, Now I remember

Khwaab mein tum ko aksar dekha
I often saw you in my dreams

Aaj mujjasim saamne mein paya
But it is only today I found

Deewane ka naam to poochho, ....
Atleast ask the name of your lover


Yeh paris ki shaam suhaani
It is a beautiful evening in Paris

Pyaar ki nagri... roop ki raani
City of Love... Queen of beauty

Banke rahegaa haan koyi afsana haan
Something is bound to happen

Banke rahegaa koyi afsana
Some new story will surely start

Chid ke rahegi koyi kahaani
A story is waiting to stir up

Deewane ka naam to poochho

(Song translation found @ http://www.allthelyrics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95980. Old Melodies and Beautiful Lyrics. I can't help but agree :D)

So it's An Evening In Paris we're talking about. Of course my favourite song is Raat Ke Humsafar.



Raat Ke Humsafar brought me to this blog of Mr & Mrs 55 - Classic Bollywood Revisited, http://mrandmrs55.com/2012/12/19/raat-ke-humsafar-lyrics-and-translation-lets-learn-urdu-hindi/.

Raat ke hamsafar thak ke ghar ko chale.
Oh companion of the night, let us wander home wearily,

Jhuumtii aa rahii hai subaah pyaar kii
As the dawn of love arrives, swaying about.

Dekh kar saamne ruup kii raushnii
After encountering the light of your beauty,

Phir lutii jaa rahii hai subaah pyaar kii
the dawn of love is being stolen away.

Sonevaalon ko hans kar jagaanaa bhii hai
Those who are sleeping are to be awakened with a smile.

Raat ke jaagaton ko sulaanaa bhii hai
Those who have stayed awake tonight are to be lulled to sleep.

Detii hai jaagne kii sadaa saath hii
Though it also gives the call to awaken,

Loriyaan gaa rahii hai subaah pyaar kii
this dawn of love evokes calm by singing lullabies.

Raat ne pyaar ke jaam bhar kar diiye
The night has filled our wine goblets of love.

Aankhon aankhon se jo maine tum ne piiye
You and I drank from them with our eyes.

Hosh to ab talak jaa ke lauTe nahiin
After leaving us, our consciousness has yet to return.

Aur kyaa laa rahii hai subaah pyaar kii?
What else does this dawn of love have in store?

Kyaa kyaa vaade hue, kis ne khaayii qasam?
What promises were made tonight? Who has sworn to new vows?

Is nayii raah par ham ne rakhe qadam
Upon this new path, we have taken our first steps.

Chhup sakaa pyaar kab? Ham chhupaayen to kyaa?
When could our love be hidden? Even if we could, so what?

Sab samajh paa rahii hai subaah pyaar kii
This dawn of love is able to understand everything.

Raat ke hamsafar thak ke ghar ko chalen
Oh companion of the night, let us wander home wearily,

Jhuumtii aa rahii hai subaah pyaar kii
as the dawn of love arrives, swaying about.

I seriously do not know if it's the words, the singer's melodious voice or the romantic-ness of this song that made me fall in love with it. I can listen to it over and over and won't get bored.

Bollywood now and then is so similar yet so different. It's so hard to find a good song or fall in love with a song like old films did. Perhaps, because of the branding of Bollywood. Bollywood, a spin-off Hollywood thus more ideas are drawn, inspired from Hollywood for films nowadays. Reason, they said the younger generations and non-desi can't relate and understand the old Hindi charm, the need to be modern to follow the direction of today. They got it so wrong I'll say! I fell in love with Bollywood and hindi films because I wanted something different from Hollywood and it's no strings attached messages most films portray. Perhaps because older films are made during "Hindi films" and not Bollywood that we get to see the old charm of Hindi films.

Having said that, it's not like all Hindi films are not worth watching. There are still some good ones but it's so rare to see the old charm of Hindi old films. I just wish that the directors, producers, actors, actresses and all in the Bollywood industry will never stop producing HINDI films that is HINDI films. A few films with no nach gaana is fine but if all follow suit, Bollywood is no different than Hollywood and that would just be a huge waste.