Fillum Review - Rock On!!

Twin-sister and me went to ze movies a couple of weeks ago - slightly sleepy and determined to see any movie. Popped in for a movie with mixed reviews - Rock On!! A few friends had loved the movie, while others had called it bland and disappointing.

Anyway, I was glad to be back in the velvety comforts of a cinema hall and we saw trailers to a couple of really horrifying hindi movies. Drona being one, and Karz being another. Both caused me a lot of heartburn. Drona! So much money obviously spent on the special effects and yet it was so ugly visually.

Quite a relief when Rock On!! started with a nicely filmed song, shot right in the middle of Fountain, Bombay - so the nostalgia of home and nice visuals immediately made me happy. I was intrigued with the nice job of filming the live song - so much more realistic than how we usually see our actors fake playing a guitar.

I think about 10 minutes into the movie I finally realized that the vaguely familiar face I was looking at on screen was Farhan Akhtar. I was very, very surprised when I saw him actually singing the songs!

He won full marks from me for his performance, and although the film wasn't shot by him, it has a feel of his style, and just the fact that he sang the songs really impressed us and we were giggling like giggly girls. I can't pin it down to something, but there's something magnetically attractive about him.

The other actors were good too -mostly. I don't feel critical about the loose ends in the movie - because I enjoyed the whole two hours something. Anyway, for a hindi movie, dramatic flavours to the story (in good taste and measure) always enhance the film, I think.

And the story also appealed to me because it reminded me a lot of what was happening in my life.

Overall, very nice. I bought my first ever Hindi Movie Music CD that evening, and really love the mellow songs on the CD. (Honestly, the songs are very comparable to what Indian Rock bands are actually composing anyway.) And the slower songs are delicious. Go see the movie, if you hasn't.

Colour colour which colour do you choose!

I have orange hair. My second brave attempt at being red head has also (of course) left me with a full crop of orange hair.

I was at Isha, oh I know you're tired of Isha stories, but this one was funny.

So, I was there a little over a month ago - and I think I hadn't really smiled or laughed for weeks. And there, on the terrace, looking at the stunning mountains, something happened.

We'd just had a Q&A, and someone had asked why Orange seemed to be the colour most associated by the people on the spiritual path - their dressing, shawls, etc, everything was orange. And Swami explained how the colour aided in the spiritual process.

And there, on the terrace, I was thinking about what we'd just heard, and I thought of the endless teasing I'd endured about my orange hair. And suddenly burst out with my first full, joyous laughter in weeks. I love my spiritual orange hair.

Such a beautiful day

I'm having the most gorgeous day ever. Woke up late, after a long due night with girlfriends, who I hadn't seen in a year. Impromptu, decided to take the day off. Haven't done this in ages. Just the day off. Unexpected. With no agenda.

We went to a local dhaba for breakfast. Again a first time. The day smelled so wonderful - the sky so blue, and something in the air...

Came back and saw Chunking Express. A movie I'd seen about 3 years ago, and had quite liked, but when I saw it today - I saw a zillion things I hadn't seen the last time. Really good movie.

Took a nap. Woke up and felt so happy.... Just to be alive.

2008

In 2008, I saw death. 4 people I'd known vanished into nothingness in an instant.

In 2008, I consumed more beer than I had in 22 years before.

In 2008, I did more impulsive things than I was aware of.

In 2008, I hurt the people I love.

In 2008, I wanted to die.

In 2008, the sky fell down on me.

In 2008, a small seed was planted. A seed that draws life from my breath.

A wish

The fire reached into the sky.
The flames eating our bonds.
Finally free, we danced on the grass, barefoot. Bare naked.

Someone gasped and I looked,
he came out of the light, a dance in his step.

He stood there - a stillness of such magnitude.
In one instant we exploded.

A sob escaped my throat
And then a tear rolled down his cheek.

Joys of everyday

Suddenly, the small routines, the small bits of mundane tasks are so effortless.

I feel -

Lighter.
Fluid.
More in tune with everything, and with myself. All the time. It's woooooonderrrrful.

One Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero

It's nice to share something precious and magical. I guess I've always longed for a companion to share magic with - and now, the whole scale of what I want to share, and who I want to share it with is infinite!

Pretty much as soon as I came back from Isha, and spoke to people, I spoke a lot about how wonderful it was and how my life had changed and blah blah - and lots of people reacted just as you would expect - they were amused, or indifferent, or had that expression of, 'yes yes, this is a phase and you'll soon forget all about it.'

I don't talk about it that much anymore.

But a few people, who really listen, and who've got a glimpse of what's happening to me, are affected. Slightly. And then a bit more. Inch by inch, day by day, a little more curious. A little more intrigued. A few more questions. Discussions, conversations, and then watching videos of Sadhguru.

Yesterday! (for example) I was at a friend's home with a totally different plan - and we ended up watching a 50 minute long DVD video of Sadhguru and the 'newbies' wholeheartededly declared that Sadhguru is the dude. Am glad.

I was telling someone the other day - I finally have a mission to my life. I'm going to touch one million lives. And change them for the better. Just one million. 1,000,000.

And it's begun already.

Have you ever wondered?

Have you wondered what makes us humans different from animals and the rest of the existence? Do you really know what it is to be human?
-

"What you know as yourself is just an accumulation of impressions and a physical body.

What you accumulate can be yours ... it can never be you.

So what are you?"



or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5729kne9lrE

- Sadhguru


PS: The video is beautiful. It's the same forest I walked in 24 days ago. The same mountains that took my breath away each morning while I was at Isha. And I will be there in 4 days again.

A year since

Going through my bog archives. Back to about a year. It's quite a revelation. I was asking so many questions -

For example:

'A faint, ill conscience, and its subsequent abuse can have ill effects such as disbelief at one's actions, and a remorseful hole in the stomach.' September 16. 2007

'I'm a slave to my whims. It's incredible. I've made mistakes, and I've said, yea, am glad this happened... I'm wiser for the experience. And then, I go and do it all over again. It is incredible.' October 15, 2007

'Why do an intoxicated person's eyes look so hungry? Why do we always want more.... of something...' October 17, 2007

That was from a time when I was carefree, and thought I was happy. I was out often, doing things impulsively, compulsively. Beer club every Tuesday. Pink Floyd, Jim Morrison all the time.

And yet, I knew there was something missing. That the happiness I was experiencing.. was so temporary and so fleeting. I came back home one night, and looked at my face... and into my eyes...

And now, a year since, I've found an answer.

Everyday, we have many choices - and we can choose to respond to either the pull of our senses, desires and habits, or to 'little voice' of wisdom that reminds us what will bring us true happiness.

Almost everything we do is for an immediate gratification. Now it's obvious to me that the more worthwhile thing to do is take small steps towards the real happiness, of a free and joyous spirit. The mind and body rebel to this at first - they can't let go of the immediate pleasure of sense gratification. But a step a day. Of just being aware.

Pull out the weeds out from your garden. Not the flowers.

Lack of faith is a shortcut to misery.

Sounds of Isha

He gave me a song.
He gave me a body.
He gave me dance.

He gave me a miracle.

To the movies again

Went to the cinema after ages last weekend. And saw 2 movies in one day.

1. Kung Fu Panda - Animated movie. Had seen it in Bombay around my birthday with the family and sisters, but it was great to see it again on the big screen. Such a delightful movie - really funny, inspiring, and spiritual. A fabulous way of looking at life. There are no accidents.

Must watch.

2. Mama Mia - A musical play converted to a movie. A fairytale. Based off songs by ABBA. Lovely locations, and a great performance by Meryl Streep. A feel-good movie which says - true love doesn't die.

Sigh.

The God of small details

I was in the Dhayanalinga temple at the Isha Ashram, and I was awed by the stunningly beautiful arrangements of flowers and diyas in front of the linga. It wasn't just flowers scattered. It wasnt just diyas placed haphazardly.

Every flower had been placed perfectly in a design. Every diya in perfect order. A new arrangement everyday. Art.

And the devotee who I saw day after day in the temple, she would lovingly come over again and again to check if the diyas were burning, and would gently spray water on the fragrant flowers.

I was awed. I have never seen such care to details.

And for a moment I wondered if ... it made any sense... was there any point to being so detailed?

But I realized paying attention to details doesn't take that much more time. And it leaves you will a great sense of pleasure for a job well done. Anything hasty or haphazard is just a waste of the entire effort.

And I took this lesson out of the temple with me - when I was walking... I saw the care to details that creation has - the shape of every flower petal, the uniqueness of every sunset, the immense detail of everything living - animals, plants, mountains, rivers, humans! They're only as beautiful as they are because of the delicate small details, isn't it? Imagine if we had been a result of haphazardness or a hasty job. We would have been... ugly.

Result - I clear my room every morning, put things back into their place after using them, and don't do half-jobs anymore. It doesn't seem like a chore anymore.