Taare Zameen Par…

Dekho inhe yeh hain, oos ke boodien…
Patoon ke godh main, aasman main koodien…

Angdayee lein phir, karvat badal kar…
Nazuk se moti, hans de phisal kar…

There are movies that entertain us, there are movies that make us sad, there are movies that mirrors our society and then there are movies that can bring a change in that society. Taare Zameen Par is one such movie that can bring a positive change in our society and how we deal with kids. The movie takes you on a journey through the eyes and mind of Ishaan, an eight year old kid suffering from dyslexia. The movie is not about special need kids or dyslexia but it is about everyday kids and how they are conditioned in our society to succeed at every cost.

The movie takes ones attention from the first shot, shot of Ishaan trying to catch fish in his school pond. It tries to explore how a child’s mind works in our complex and competitive society. As Aamir’s character says in one scene from the movie “We are not raising kids these days but products in assembly lines.” The movie is not about kids who are able to cope with this competition and succeed but millions of other kids who are not able to compete in this fast-paced world and are termed as, losers, idiots and bevakoofs. Is losing such a bad thing? Is succeeding everything in our society? Maybe it is, because it’s a dog eats dog world. We have created a society for winners but there is no place for losers in our society.

The movie deals with all these questions in the most sensitive way. Aamir’s character, Raam Shankar Nikumbh, as a teacher who tries to understand children’s psyche is a masterpiece of work. Aamir as a Director never for a single shot lets his own character dominate the real hero of the movie, Ishaan. The best part of the movie is the simplicity with which it is shot. There is a certain laziness with which Aamir lets us into the mind of Ishaan.

There are number of stand out scenes in the movie but some unforgettable scenes like when Aamir discovers Ishaan’s dyslexia or how he explains it to Ishaan’s educated but unaware parents or how he explains to Ishaan’s Dad the meaning of khayal rakhna in a very subtle way or the climax art show with some hilarious and beautiful moments, will remain with me for a long time.

There is no doubt that this is one of the finest movies to have come out of India in recent memory. Aamir has used movie making to deliver a message that is not preachy. I am not sure if it will change anything in India or make people more aware about the problem of dyslexia but the movie still has the potential to make that change. It is not easy to change society or people’s mindset but actors like Aamir have the most powerful medium of movies to bring about the change. People don’t like changing when they are forced to or preached about and that makes this movie even more important.

As I was watching the title song of the movie, it reminded me of all the special needs kids that I have come across in my life and my only wish is that hopefully every one of them will come across a teacher like Raam Shankar Nikumbh who can change their lives for good.

Yeh toh hain sardi main, dhoop ke kirane...
Utare jo aangan ko sunhera sa karne...

Mann ke andheron ko roshan sa kar dein...
Thiturthi hatheli ki rangat badal dein...

A to Z ... A bit more about Me Me Me !!

There is this little but bright hope of light in my blogworld that always complain that 'yours truly' writes very long posts but when I don't update for some time, she writes a whole tag so that I would take it. Since I am one of the first three bloggers to comment on that post (I didn't cheat, I swear), here's my two cents...

A - Available? - Always for girls. Boys need not apply.

B - Best Friend - Avi (from my Engg. days)

C - Cake or pie - Pineapple cake and apple pie :D

D - Drink of choice - **hick** Nimbu Paani (what did you guys thought?)

E - Essential thing used everyday - ToothBrush (twice a day)

F - Favorite Color - Blue (most of my formal shirts are in that shade)

G - Gummi bears or worms - Worms (as a kid I used to eat every kind of worm...yummy)

H - Hometown - Agra

I - Indulgence - Aloo ka Paratha (what else?)

J - January or February - January (because I will be in India next year at that time...yeayyyyy)

K - Kids and names - Okie, Dokie and Pokie

L - Life is incomplete without - Someone to care about (wah wah, it rhymes too)

M - Marriage Date - Don't know. (My answer will remain the same before or after marriage...lol)

N - Number of siblings - 1 naughty brother

O - Oranges or apples - Apple a day keeps doctor away (Thank God it doesn't apply to nurses...oh la la)

P - Phobias or fears - Dog biting my butt (seriously...no kidding)

Q - Quote - One person with courage makes an army

R - Reason to smile - Kids :D

S - Season - Monsoon (which I miss from back home)

T - Tag three people - Anyone who loves me :P

U - Unknown fact about me - I was once attacked by foxes while trekking in Ladakh (**howling like foxes**)

V - Vegetable you don't like - Pumpkin (or Ghiaa??)

W - Worst habit - Laziness (**yawnnnn**)

X - X-rays you have had - None

Y - Your favorite food - Apart from Indian, Greek or anything my Mom makes :D

Z - Zodiac - Scorpio (watch out for my sting)

Thank You Hope !!

And the award goes too...

I will be completing three years of blogging this month and during this time have made some of my best friendships through blogs. Although with time some of them have faded, some of them lost, some of them have been forgotten but then some of them passed the test of time. I may never meet some of the bloggers but our friendships will remain because it has passed a stage where we don't need to comment on each other's blogs to express our desire of friendship. Ok, I don't want to give a long bhashaan but want to do something fun. What can be more fun then giving fake awards to all my friends over the years. This is just for fun, so let's keep it that way...

1. The laziest storyteller of my blogword - The award goes to none other than Anks. Thankfully for me, I started reading her story when it was almost complete but have heard of some torture stories of the wait for one part after another. Jokes apart, she is one of the most talented bloggers with a knack for writing, painting, cooking, story-telling and travelling (errr...to her 2 hour long job site everyday).
2. The Smiling girl of my blogworld - The award goes to one blogger who always end her blogs with wishes of smile for others, Anz. She was one of my first friends in the big-bad world of blogging and even though our friendship have changed colors over time, she still remains one blogger who I can chat anything and everything about. It helps that she is awake at most odd times of the night when most "normal" people are sleeping...lol
3. The funny-bone of my blogworld - I think not only all his bones are funny but tissues, muscles, body-organs, hair (esp. moustache hair), everything is funny. He is none other than Mr. Chandu. If you want to meet him, he can be found outside Bangalore Gurudware on Sundays wearing polka dotted dhoti...he he.
4. The incident-prone traveler of my blogworld - She writes the best travel posts because something or the other happens that makes it so interesting. She is none other than colorful Colors. I can't wait for her next incident-filled travel to my part of the world next summer.
5. The Gujrati cheese of my blogworld - She is Gujrati and her blogs are the cheesiest with the extra sprinkling of lovezilla cheese. She is Kaush from the GujjuPunju unity blog. I am not much in touch with her and we had our ups and downs during these three years but also had some of the fun times at the peak of blogging.
6. The most wanted blogger of my blogworld - She is one reason I am writing this blog because if she would have encouraged (read: bugged) me to keep updating, I wouldn't have made all these wonderful friendships. She is none other than Mehak and she is most-wanted because not only she is most loved but everyone wants her to start writing again. Am I right guys/gals?
7. The social consious of my blogworld - She writes about everything from politics to women's affairs to movies to sports to shayaris but all her posts have a social consious that makes one think. She is no one else but loonie the moonie. I haven't had lot of interaction with her apart from blogs but she has remained one of the most common visitor to my blog.
8. The Gujrati-with-eye-on-moon (not to build a Motel) of my blogworld - She is my another Gujju friend who is struck by moon and the heavenly planets. She is the India-crazy Moonstruck who has tried to tempt me by showing up as M&Ms candy...lol. We have chatted, fought, talked, discussed and done everything friends do under the sun (errr....moon).
9. The sentiMental of my blogworld - She has made me senti and moresover made me mental. She is none other than senti with an extra dose of mental, Neetie. We don't talk regularly these days like we used to but when we do there is no hesitation between us. I keep blabeering and she keeps laughing. She has changed for good over the years and as she always says to everyone, God Bless!!
10. The cooking Mayteeeeeeee of my blogworld - She is the reason I started to cook regularly and speak so fluent Ozzie English...lol. She is Kanpur-raised Nupur, who is as Ozzie as she is Kanpuriya. She is another blogger who am very comfortable talking to, more so when it is about food. Her dahi-chawal recipe still rocks for a single person like myself. Cheers to you Mayteeeeeeee !! OnO
11. The rain-girl of my blogworld - She is one of my oldest friend (not in age ofcourse) who has always made me look at rain from different angles. She is another very multi-talented blogger, Payal, who is an artist, writer, poetess, sculpture, fashion designer, Happy Birthday singer and above all a loyal friend. I can't wait to read her next interpretation of rain **hint hint Payal**
12. The review queen of my blog-world - I am not sure how I forgot to mention her in the first draft of this post but she is really the reviews ke rani of my blogworld. She is the ever vivacious Pinks or as calls herself the lazy blogger...lol. She has written some fabulous reviews, some that I agreed with and some I agreed to disagree with. She is also the most talented when it comes to making her own templates for blogs.
    
13. The South Indian with gajab ke Hindi of my blogworld - She is south Indian but knows of atleast 100 ways to give me sweet sweet gaalis in hindi from atyachari to branhmchari to shakahari. She is another blogger who has stopped blogging not because of lack of time but sheer laziness :P She is the fluent-hindi-speaking-south-Indian, Preeti. But beware of her because she is the reason for spreading my polka-dot rumours (grrrrrrrrrrrrr)
14. The love story of my blogworld - They are the cutest couple in the blogworld with the most heart-warming love story. When a Punju girl meets a Rajsthani guy, it not only results in the most expressive blog but great food recipes :P They are none other than inseperable, Preeti-Sachin. I wish everyone has a love story as beautiful as theirs.
15. The most hardworking Princess of my blogworld - She is one blogger who has done some action to her words. She may have stopped blogging but her words and actions are an inspiration to me and so many others. She is our Princess who has made a difference to the world we all live in.
16. The most loved blogger of my blogworld - As the title suggests, she is indeed the most loved blogger of my blog world. She is the elusive Red jee, whose post still haunts my consious. She may only come online once in a while but that is enough for me to consider myself lucky enough to be in her presence.
17. The across the border friend of my blogworld - When I started blogging it was to meet Indians from around the world, little did I knew that I will meet a friend who I may never meet or who lives in a country that I may never cheer for in a cricket match or who I will have more in common with than anyone I have ever met. She is the blogger from the other side of the fence, Reema. I don't think mere words can describe our beautiful friendship that has broken all borders created by the politicians.
18. The expressive feeling my blogworld - She is the most expressive blogger whose feelings come poring out of her words. She is very much loved Juneli, who has written some of the most memorable, expressive, extensive and poetic posts. The sincerity with which she leads her life reflects in her posts. She is my another across the more friendly border friend.
19. The khamakha of my blogworld - She became my friend khamakha, bugs me khamakha, debates with me khamakha, writes khamakha, eats hardly khamakha and is my cutest friend khamakha. She is khamakha se bharpoor, Sonali. She has taught me some Bengali that she herself learned from her friends. She is another of my long-time friend that has made me a better person khamakha.
20. The cricket crazy of my blogworld - She is crazy and cricket-fanatic. She may not write often but her posts are all about quality that is unmatched just like Tendulkar's 100. She is cricket-crazy and waise bhi crazy Riddhi. I hope she writes often because she is one hell of a writer who can bounce you with her words just like Shoaib bounces Ganguly.
21. The best combo of my blogworld - She is exotic and she is hot (or as she calls drool-worthy). You can't get a better combo than that and that's what makes her unique. She is none other than Marlee. And to add more spice to that combo, she is one person who can out-smart even myself with her wit and intelligence.
22. The photogenic photographer of my blogworld - If there is one guy who every girl 'clicks' with other than me, then it is Pranshu. He sees the world from a different angle and is one of my very select few guy friends in the blogworld.
23. The Bengali beauty with brains of my blogworld - She is my most smart, hardworking, beautiful bengali friend who is one of the best singers in my blogworld. She is the most dynamic Aindrila, who not only has the most unique name but is a unique person in her own rights. She is an amazing person and one of my most cherished friends.
24. The Chuii Muii of my blogworld - She is one friend who I hope never stop **smiling**. The way she expresses herself with poetry and songs is unmatched. She is none other than my chuii muii friend, hope. She makes sure I smile everytime she sees me online. The simpleness of our friendship is something that makes me hopeful that there are still few things in the world that are best kept simple.
25. The coolest mom of my blogworld - I wish everyone has a cool mom like her. She is my newest friend, Fuzzy. If only everyone had a sense of humour like her, the world will be a funny place to live in...lol. As Ina would say, "Ma abba chabba jabba"
26. The best visitor of my blogworld - Each and everyone who visited my blog once and left their comments or read it silently is the winner of this last award. Somehow each and everyone of you have encouraged me to write. Thank You !!