Paan - Lucknow's obsession with the Betel Leaf

A Paan Shop

Chewing Paan has been an obsession in Lucknow from the times of the Nawabs, when Lucknow was known as Avadh. The paan also referred to as the 'gilourie' was consumed mostly by the royalty and was a symbol of sophistication and upward mobility. Movies like Shatranj ke Khilari and Umrao Jaan - both the 1981 and 2006 variants, portray the paan fetish of Lucknowites magnificently. Back then paan was offered to Nawabs in ornately carved silver cases known as Paan daans. The Paan daans had several small containers in it, each for the various accompaniments of Paan, like the Supari (Areca Nut), Kattha, Chuna (Slaked Lime) and various other spices usually consumed with Paan.

How to beat the Traffic Jam agony

Every morning when I tuck in my sandwich and rush out to beat the traffic jam at the busy Velachery signal, I wonder, why can't I have a device that will simply 'transmit' me a-la-startreck straight to my office - wish I could just use the magic words - "Beam-me-up, Scotty"  and find myself sitting in my cubicle, right in front of my computer! Traffic Jams have a new defination in India, where the vehicles are not just slow-moving, but can be a complete stand-still. While stuck in a traffic jam near the Richmond circle in Bangalore, I remember, parking my bike right in the middle of a chocablock street and going to a nearyby shop to buy some essentials, knowing fully well, that in the ten minutes in which I will be back, the traffic will move at most - a few lazy inches. I remember missing my flight once due to a traffic jam on the airport road.

Fifa World Cup and India

The 2010 Fifa World cup started this June. It is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, second only to the Olympics. Football is a sport which draws out the most basic instincts from man. And, any one who wants to play this game needs just two things, a ball and a place to play. Probably this is the reason why, unlike other more sophisticated sports like tennis, football has a following in almost ALL countries in the world. No wonder that finally the dark continent - Africa is getting its share of the world soccer pie. Although being late starters, Africa has given some of the finest football teams. South Africa got FIFA affiliation in the year 1992, 44 years later than when India got this affiliation in the year 1948. But South Africa has already made two apprearances in the World Cup, and this time they are hosting this prestigious event. Recently they gave a stunner when they defeated the former world champions France, 2 - 1!

The White Elephants of Lucknow

Much is said and written about Mayawati's fixation for elephants. The wild life enthusiasts would be elated by the fact that a CM in India is investing so much resources on building statues of this endangered species of the largest terrestrial mammal.

For the last ten years, the only development that U.P. has seen is by way of statues. So, it will not be wrong to say that U.P. is fast becoming a sculptor's paradise. Shravan Prajapati, the man behind most of the statues dotting the skyline of Lucknow cannot be happier. He is by far the most celebrated sculptor of our country , thanks to the megalomania of Mayawati, who has been dubiously titled as Daulat ki Beti by her opponents - for, she has decided to reverse all the excesses done on dalits till date by erecting statues!

The other me!

Last night I saw upon the stair
A little man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
Oh, how I wish he’d go away"Antigonish", Hughes Mearns

The story of that boy next door, who discovers his true identity after having a dialog with himself; in the wee hours of every morning, on his new digital phone of Chinese make!... the result? - Karthik calling Karthik!!


K2K is a psychological thriller, about a young and talented accountant named Karthik, who lacked confidence in himself. This was affecting his daily life, and everyone including his colleagues and his landlord where constantly bullying him. Also, to his utter chagrin, he was unable to win even the slightest of attention from the girl of his dreams - the newly hired architect in his office named Shonali.
But Karthik was in for a pleasant surprise, when one morning (midnight by my standards though) sharp at 5 am he gets a call from guess who??- himself!!!

Slumdog Millionaire and the Bengal Famine

India being an emerging economy, the instances of street urchins jostling for space in the same city where millionaires and billionaires move around, are numerous. The movie Slumdog Millionaire used this premise to show a society where people live in abject poverty, in spite of the abundance of cash changing hands in the country at large. Something similar to this had happened during the Bengal Famine, when on one hand the British bourgeoisie lavishly wasted tonnes of rice, while on the other the poor farmers had to grovel dirt for a few grains.

We in India, have got immune to the existence of slums, and their inhabitants. We know how to avoid the stench emanating from these places by pinching our nose. Also, how to look the other way when brought face to face with the heart wrenching sight of an amputated or blind beggar.

Dasvidania - A Viewpoint

Sometimes its a good feeling to look back..just sit down, relax…and think about the past! Not to measure up with what we have accomplished, but to enjoy those special moments which have got embedded somewhere deep beneath the multiple layers of worldly ambitions.

I remember the first time I left my home and moved out, in search of better life so- to-say..or may be to Stand up on my Feet? That was the last time I had felt a lump in my throat, a deep sinking feeling of truly missing someone. I did shed a few lonely tears, much to my disbelief..whats wrong with me I thought..

Be a Man !!!

I cajoled my self.