Travelogue: Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Delhi

Recently I and family were in Gorakhpur to attend a family wedding. It was my second visit to Gorakhpur; the last one happened when I was too young. Still I had some nice memories of it, especially of our visit to Gorakhnath Mandir and its pond (in which we did not have boat ride), and hence I was excited about it. As soon as I found a dull moment in the daytime, I ran to grab the opportunity and excused myself. I had to go alone and I had chosen to go by public transportation.

Roads in Gorakhpur were in good shape. The city itself is a mix of old buildings and new developments. Very good multistory apartments were seen with quality construction, something which is missing in the new construction wave in tier-II cities. And nearby those we could find some very old buildings too. We could see good localities and in general I liked the city. For public transportations we have shared auto-rickshaws as well, apart from some city buses which were few and small ones. The shared auto-rickshaws are very convenient and too economical for our pockets. People are friendly and they are willing to help us find directions. I reached Gorakhnath Temple by changing shared auto at Dharamshala.

Homecoming to Gorakhnath Temple

I don’t have very clear memories of my last visit to Gorakhnath temple, but I remember we had avoided putting our backs towards the holy temple when someone clicked our photos; and we had chosen not to ride the boats in the beautiful pond, something which we siblings wanted to do. Visiting it this time refreshed my memories.

The approach lane towards the temple, inside the main gate, is full of shops and it is like a permanent fair (melaa) for visitors. The pond was still so beautiful.

Now something about Gorakhpur and Gorakhnath temple's history:

Gorakhpur is an important center of Hinduism. Gorakhpur was part of the famous kingdom of Koshal, one of the 16 maha janapadas in the 6th century BC. Gorakhnath Temple and Math at Gorakhpur is built at the place where Baba Gorakhnath (Go-raksh-Nath), a 11th century Yogi of Nath tradition did austerities for long. He traveled a lot - from Afghanistan to Assam, from Maharashtra to Sri Lanka, and wrote many important books. He is believed to be a yogic manifestation of Shiva. The main deity at the temple is Lord Shiva - and Shiv ji's idol is very peaceful and blessing to look at. Gorakhpur city's name is derived from Baba Gorakhnath. Gorakhnath Matt runs one Gorakhnath Temple in Nepal in Gorkha district (word also derived from Baba Gorakhnath's name). (I read there is a historic Gorakhnath temple in Pakistan which has been vandalized many times). Followers of Nath traditions don't follow caste system and hence non-Brahmins are allowed as priests in temples. 

The present Mahant or Chief Priest is Yogi Adityanath (the famous BJP MP from Gorakhpur and founder of the Hindu Yuva Vahini). When we were in the temple, we saw him visiting the temple with many policemen making sure of the security arrangements around him. 

It was wonderful to visit Baba Gorakhnath temple. The huge temple complex has many temples, shrines, and also a beautiful pond where ducks swim and you can also do boating. 

At one place statues of so many Yogis and sages doing tapas is kept under one roof - I have not seen something like it anywhere else:

I am sure if you visit here once, your wonderful memories would never leave you.

Passing By Ayodhya

We were on road trip from Gorakhpur​ to Lucknow. I did not know that Ayodhya​was on the way. I did not believe my eyes when I started seeing the milestones telling that we were approaching the holy city. As we almost reached it, a lot of mosques with minarets were visible from the highway. I asked the driver about which were the old temples in Ayodhya and if we could visit some temples there. He said there was a big Hanuman Garhi which was most famous and then there was Ram Mandir but it was closed at that time of the day and would open at 5pm for aarti and we couldn't wait till then. I thought - may be next time.

Ayodhya is described in the Vedas as "a city built by God and being prosperous as paradise itself." For centuries it was capital of the Surya Dynasty (Suryavansh) in which Lord Ram was also born. The perfection of a democratic state is seen in "Ram Rajya" and Ayodhya must be so prosperous in the past. In its current shape, I am not sure about it. But then I remembered how so many ancient civilizations from across the world simply disappeared without trace; how even godforsaken places like Iraq trace their origin to civilizations like Mesopotamia with perhaps nothing being preserved. In that sense, Ayodhya is still lucky because it still has so many Ram Bhakt Hindus living there. One day we may get a big Ram Mandir reconstructed at the place and along with it may old prosperity return to the place. But before that and foremost may its people become deserving of it... Because no matter how much prosperity and blessing is showered on us, we shall keep it only if we deserve it...

Delhi, its Auto-Wale and Dilli Di Politics

Auto-rickshaw drivers in Delhi are a bit more corrupt than others in Mumbai, because they refuse to go by meter more often. The antique meter-boxes in their green autos look like stolen from some ravaged Iraqi building; due to privilege of not being used. 

A day before recent assembly elections, I was in Delhi. I felt too proud of my luck when one auto driver agreed to go by the meter. As soon as we started, he asked "Should I go by route X, or route Y?" I gave him a big smile - since it occurred to me that his 'game' had started! I asked him to take one of the routes. Next turn came and he asked if he should go left or right. Becoming The Frustrated Indian​ I told him that I did not know the route and he should take whichever was the shorter one. He said, "Don't worry, I won't cheat you." And then he said, "I am a follower of AK49". I said, "Yes, I know, all auto drivers are his followers". It was meant to hurt his ego which comes from 'exclusivity'. Obviously he took the longer route, since I was not getting anywhere nearer to my destination. I chose to continue rather than getting down - as I decided I did not mind getting cheated by a supporter of AK49, since that would prove my theory right :) After a while I gave up my patience and started probing him, to make sure he was going in the right direction. From my probe and tone, he knew that I knew that he was cheating me. Now he made a u-turn by saying, "Sometimes our 'imaan' (conscience) goes sleeping. But sometimes something said by passengers hurts and our conscience wakes up. But it does not remain awake for long and hence we take longer route." After saying this he took a short-cut and reached the destination in approx. the same fare as it ideally should be... I call him a man of "blinking conscience". Imagine what would Kiran Bedi do with them and their games if she came to power? People like you and me can flirt with ideas; but poor people know their 'right' and 'wrong' just too well. They don't care if you like it or not…

Since it was election eve, I looked around to see its ‘signs’. At one place I could see a number of auto-rickshaw wallahs standing with garlands in hands and erecting a big cut-out poster of their cult leader. Nearby a dozen kids from the slums ran and played around wearing the same party’s caps and carrying its flags. The party must have harvested so many souls in the slums; and I was sure it would give dividends during elections. I saw only one man riding a scooter which had BJP’s flag tied to it. And I saw no sign of any other political party. (PS: Election results were to prove this observation so visionary).

- Rahul​ 

[Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not reflect views of any organization author is associated with. Pictures used on this post are taken from multiple web sources and copyrights are with the owners. Detailed disclaimer.]

Hindu Temples I have visited (Part-6)

Maa Samaleswari Mandir, Sambalpur, Odisha: This Devi temple on the banks of Mahanadi River is dedicated to Ma Samaleswari who is the presiding deity of Sambalpur and the temple is highly frequented by people from western part of Odisha and Chhattisgarh apart from other places. Important festivals of this temple are Nuakhai and Navaratra Puja. It is said that when Afghan invader Kalapahad camped near this temple with plans to destroy it, a milkmaid appeared selling milk, curd and cheese in the army camp. Next day entire army including Kalapahar suffered from cholera and had to abandon the invasion plans. Kalapahad had destroyed Konark and Puri temples. Tomb/graves of Kalapahad and his soldiers lie in Sambalpur. This temple is an important Shakta centre in the state.

Shinde Chhatri Mandir in Pune. This is a Shiva temple built by Great MarathaMahadji Shinde in 18th century. It was beautiful experience to worship the holy Shivlingam in the temple. Late Sri Madhavrao Scindia of Gwalior who was a descendant of Mahadji Shinde built the hall and samadhi outside the Shiva temple in memory of his ancestor. The hall has paintings of Schidia/Shinde family members including Late Madhavrao Scindia. The design, architecture and art are extremely beautiful and this remains one of the finest Temple complexes we have seen so far.

Kondhaneshwar Mandir near Pune: This Shiva Temple is inside Singhgad Fort near Pune. The statue of Nandi outside the temple indicate the wear and tear due to weather and destruction: 

Mahabaleshwar Temple in old Mahabaleshwar near Pune: 

Sri Panchganga Temple in Mahabaleshwar. Krishna river originates from inside this temple: 

Jagannath Mandir in Puri, Odisha: It is one of the four sacred Char-Dham pilgrimages. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu or Krishna, the temple was built in the 12th century atop its ruins by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva of Eastern Ganga dynasty. The temple is reported to be invaded and destroyed 18 times. In 1360 AD Feroz Shah Tughluq invaded it from Delhi. In 1509 AD, Ismail Ghazi, commander of Sultan of Bengal and in 1568 AD assistants of Sulaiman Karrani, the Afghan Sultan of Bengal invaded it. Thereafter several invasions and plunders on the temple happened by his successive rulers namely Bayazid, Daud, Kuya Khan and Kutlu Khan Lohani who ruled over Orissa one after another. When Ramachandra Deb established an independent kingdom at Khurda in Orissa, the temple was consecrated and the deities re-installed. Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh had donated massive amounts of gold to the Jagannath temple. The temple is famous for Rath Yatra. In our visit we could see preparations going on for next year's big event and festival. We also liked the temple surrounding and items being sold nearby. Also visited beautiful Puri beach...

Lingaraj Temple at Bhubaneswar, Odisha: Bhubaneswar is mentioned as Ekamra Kshetra in Brahma Purana. Historians say the temple was built first by the Soma Vanshi king Yayati Kesari in the 7th century who shifted his capital from Jaipur to Bhubaneshwar. Parts of it were added in 11th century and it displays Kalinga Architecture. Lingaraj means "The king of Lingam", the symbol of Shaivism. Shiva was worshiped as Kirtivasa and later as "Harihara" and is commonly referred as Tribhuvaneshwara (also called Bhubaneswar), the master of three worlds - heaven, earth and netherworld. His consort is called Bhuvaneshvari. It is a Shiva temple but Lord Vishnu is also worshiped here (Harihara = Vishnu + Shiva). The temple complex has 50+ other shrines inside it. Once a year, an image of Lingaraja is taken to the Jalamandir in the center of the Bindu Sagar lake. It was wonderful and is one of the biggest temples visited...

Baba Gorakhnath Temple: Gorakhpur is an important center of Hinduism. Gorakhpur was part of the famous kingdom of Koshal, one of the 16 maha janapadas in the 6th century BC. Gorakhnath Temple​ and Math at Gorakhpur is built at the place where Baba Gorakhnath (Go-raksh-Nath), a 11th century Yogi of Nath tradition did austerities for long. He traveled a lot - from Afghanistan to Assam, from Maharashtra to Sri Lanka, and wrote many important books. He is believed to be a yogic manifestation of Shiva. The main deity at the temple is Lord Shiva​ - and Shiv ji's idol is very peaceful and blessing to look at. Gorakhpur​ city's name is derived from Baba Gorakhnath.  Gorakhnath Matt runs one Gorakhnath Temple in Nepal in Gorkha district (word also derived from Baba Gorakhnath's name). (I read there is a historic Gorakhnath temple in Pakistan which has been vandalized many times). Followers of Nath traditions don't follow caste system and hence non-Brahmins are allowed as priests in temples. The present Mahant or Chief Priest is Yogi Adityanath​ (the famous BJP MP from Gorakhpur and founder of the Hindu Yuva Vahini). It has been wonderful to visit Baba Gorakhnath temple recently. The huge temple complex has many temples, shrines, and also a beautiful pond where ducks swim and you can also do boating. At one place statues of so many Yogis and sages doing tapas is kept under one roof - I have not seen something like it anywhere else. I am sure if you visit here once, your wonderful memories would never leave you. 

दिन जल्दी-जल्दी ढलता है!

हो जाय न पथ में रात कहीं,

मंज़िल भी तो है दूर नहीं -

यह सोच थका दिन का पंथी भी जल्दी-जल्दी चलता है!

दिन जल्दी-जल्दी ढलता है!

(Harivansh Rai Bachchan)

Movie: Hanste Khelte Featuring Rahul Roy

Happened to watch an old Hindi film ‘Hanste Khelte’ (1994) on TV where actor Rahul Roy played the lead along with Nandini Singh. I don’t remember watching any Rahul Roy movie in the past – perhaps at the time he was at his peak, I was too young (and studious). After watching this movie I realized what I had missed.

I wonder why I liked ‘Hanste Khelte’ where Rahul plays a Casanova like character who is ‘cured’ by his infatuation towards a sanskari girl Nandini. It is not that I have ever dreamt to be like his character; and though I liked Nandini’s character very much, she was not the reason why I liked the movie. I think I loved the movie because I loved the human side of Rahul Chopra – the character Rahul Roy was playing in it. His flirtings Vs his true emotions; his boldness vs his vulnerabilities; the movie had a soul in it. I also loved the manner in which good Vs evil debate was presented in it through internal conflicts in Rahul’s heart (though the Divine men Vs Shaitan aspects and dialogues were too irritating and boring and the movie could have been cleaned up from the boring comedy overdone throughout). One particular scene clean bowled me:

Rahul’s and Nandini’s phones had a cross-connection and they happened to talk anonymously some times. On one particular occasion, Rahul attempts to flirt with Nandini, who at one time tells him that she was “alone and happy” (akeli aur khush). The manner in which Rahul destroys her castle of imaginary ideas, ridiculing her “akeli aur khush” status – it was superb and so truthful! I just loved it and it is heartwarming to even think about the episode…

I don’t know why Rahul is not working in film industry. I read Wikipedia article in his name, and it indicates that after a few of his films flopped, producers called off his upcoming flicks in hoards. What a disappointment for fans of such a promising actor… We just look into his eyes and it seems those are gateways to a beautiful peaceful garden laden with flowers…

Thanks ‘Haste Khelte’ makers and Rahul, Nandini, for giving me a heartwarming and breathtaking experience… Wish you all a very happy life. This is what sums up my sentiments.  

- Rahul

Take Two: Ronit Roy’s Interview in Pune Mirror

As I finished cutting papaya using an old sheet from a Pune Mirror issue as cushion over the table top, I glanced over the sheet that was still unstained. I must have done a clean job. What caught my eye was the picture of two persons along with title of the piece “Take Two”. It was an interview of actor Ronit Roy as interviewed by one reader Angad Singh; perhaps a gesture from the newspaper. Angad Sardar ji smiled contagiously in red t-shirt while Ronit looked dashing handsome in his black suit. “So how different an interview this would be given that Angad was said to be a digital marketing BD guy and not a regular journalist?” I wondered and hence I decided to read the piece…

Angad begins with asking Ronit which of his movies out of Udaan and Two States he loved most. I think this question was asked to educate the uninitiated readers about the fact that Ronit was about a well-known face in Bollywood. Next question horrified me, “What drives you to choose a role?” I remembered this question being asked to each actor or actress as if it was so very important; from the interviews of actors I read while waiting at salons (hair dressers; or stylists?) for my turn at our college joint. “Let me see Ronit’s reply”, I thought with skepticism. “I am not the kind that can make sense of a script and its potential. So I simply go by what the people involved in the making tell me. Moreover, if I have placed my trust in the director or producer, I let them take a call”, said Ronit. And then he adds that at times he gets convinced about a movie in less than a minute (is it when he is unemployed?). Later in the same interview he tells how he turned down his role in Two States twice but in the end when Karan Johar called him and said, “Trust me and do it”, he accepted the movie. I wondered why one would say all this…

Why would an actor, or better put an employed actor who is doing movies which are famous, like to tell the whole world including the directors and producers who could be reading this piece of interview that he could be tricked into a role in a minute or two if the pitch tells about personal trust and falling to emotional blackmailing is one’s weakness? What positive impression does such a revelation leave in the minds of businessmen who are running the show business? Wise men have told us the benefit of remaining plain face and not to reveal our thinking or strategy during negotiations! And here, an actor is virtually sending an open invitation to the bad people to come and cheat him? Obviously not every producer is a cheat and they don’t always need to convince actors so hard to make them agree to a role (because they always discuss the money), but still there are times when bad people do bad things and it is better for actors like Ronit to play safe…

Now let us think how this question is relevant for the “readers” of a newspaper like Pune Mirror? How does Ronit Roy make a decision to join or reject a role? Is Santa Uncle or Sammy Aunty interested in his answer to this question? Are we dreaming that one day we shall bump into a Ronit Roy in a shopping mall and the first question we shall shoot him down with would be “See Ronit, I have a role to offer you, and you can trust me and go for it.”? Do the journalists who earn their paychecks asking such irrelevant questions and wasting the time of both the celebrity actors and their thousands of audiences ever use their mind to think why and for whose behalf they are asking a particular question? As a reader, I would be more interested in knowing about Ronit’s journey in the acting world, about his struggles and successes, or when he speaks about his family and kids – that would make my heart warm. But what do I get? Which of the two movies is your favorites and how do you decide to take up a role? Such questions are for anyone but for readers… And to think that such questions were asked by a reader is more depressing. Perhaps it was edited by some seasoned journalist who has stopped growing up and hence the result.

Still, some portions of the interview are able to warm up our hearts. Angad asks the same stale, ancient, abused question “would you be more comfortable doing television over cinema?” And Ronit replies for our pleasure, “I would be most comfortable taking a walk in the hills”. That’s it! Even the actor is sending signals that the interviewer is being too boring.

After a while in the same interview, Ronit’s reply lights up our sparks, “I do television because it gives me the power to say no to bad cinema.” Wonderful and classy.

© Rahul

[Reference: ‘Take Two’, Page 21, Pune Mirror, January 11, 2015]

[Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not represent views of any organization author is associated with. You can also go through detailed disclaimer on the blog.]

Happy Vasant Panchmi and Saraswati Puja!

Random Thoughts - Life Not Beyond

Weird Birthday Wishes on Facebook

Facebook acts in weird ways. Sometimes I see - it is someone's birthday and his or her timeline is flooded with wonderful birthday messages... If one posted something on that day - it rains 'likes' & 'comments' on the blessed event. Next day the same person posts "thank you all for your wishes; you made my day" and stuff like that and guess what! Not a single like or comment! :) It looks so horrible and lonely! 

I think what it means is that people made that flash mob because of either facebook intimations or by virtue of facebook imitations. FB does not intimate them that you are thanking them for yesterday's wishes and hence the curfew. So in order to keep appearing blessed, we need not thank people for something which they did not do out of true heart :) (well, at least statistically)

~~~

Who should see what on Facebook

Did you notice that facebook started this feature where you can share a post with all while making it invisible for someone or for some people chosen by you? Perhaps it was facebook's response to your demand of providing a 'dislike' button. E.g. if you are posting a non-veg dish's picture, you can 'exclude' your vegetarian friends so that they don't get offended. But the same feature can also be used by cheating husbands and wives to avoid each other; by kids to remain hidden from parents' or teachers' snoopy eyes, or by employees who can make fun of their bosses without letting them know. Perhaps this feature was also designed to appeal to our habit of "talking behind the back" of people. So now if you start noticing some positive changes in some people's posts, you have reasons to doubt or suspect if the person has really changed or is it that s/he is just 'excluding' you from the negative posts?

Disclaimer: I have never posted anything through this mode. But if you want to try: for each post click on Who should see this -> More options -> Custom -> Don't share this with -> mention name.

~~~

Do Indians Speak Too Fast?

Someone said Indians speak too fast... 

I said they speak so fast because they think so fast. Can someone really speak at a different rate than the speed of thinking unless one spoke nonsense? And they have to think fast because if they don't; someone else will lock the door from inside in the washroom; someone will run away with their chair in the food court; someone will grab that last piece of roti; someone else will put a hankie on the last seat of a bus or train; someone else will stand in the aisle area of an aircraft as soon as the plane halted; or someone else would copy an interesting tweet or a whatsapp joke to get all the likes before they do! 

See, they have to be as fast for all such important things in life! :)

~~~

Giving up Subsidized Gas Cylinders?

Govt has asked people like us to 'give up' subsidized gas cylinders and opt for non-subsidized ones at the market rate. It is expected to help govt spend more on the truly poor and needy. I fully agree to this gesture. And I have promised myself that I shall give up the subsidy when I shall complete repaying my home loan and will become debt free... And before that happens - govt should stop day-dreaming that I am a rich man and hence they can put burden of their noble expectations on people in debt like me.

Perhaps you won't find people celebrating their poverty so often, right? :)

~~~

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps?

I have kept something within me which I want to tell everyone today :)

When India got freedom at the 00:00 hours of 15 August, 1947, Pt. Nehru said, "At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom." And this speech is considered one of the finest in world history. But I did not understand how Nehru ji could not get it that when it is 00:00 Hours in India, people from rest of the world may not necessarily be sleeping because their local Standard Times are different :) If there were live TVs in those days, some of his counterparts from other nations could be watching him speaking exactly that while sipping their evening tea or coffee!

I thought people would get angry with me - that now I have started finding faults in Nehru ji also :) But don't you find it funny?

~~~

Karma or Destiny?

If two boys born under same circumstances in the same home with same genes can be so different; it proves that Karma counts more than Destiny... Let us not blame God for something which is in our own hands (and bellies).

[Pic: Anant and Akash Ambani]

© Rahul

[Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal and do not reflect views of any organization author is associated with. Detailed disclaimer.]

A Life Lived in Love

In childhood we could afford several indulgences. So when I found an old wooden chakla (rolling board) which is used in kitchen to make chapatis, I dug a bit in our garden; fixed it in soil and filled it with water so that birds could come and drink from it. I also spread dry leaves around the water source to give it a 'natural' look. Now it became a routine - filling the pond daily with water so that birds could find water in it. If I could hear some birds singing on the nearby lemon and guava trees - I would peep through the window to see if the birds were drinking water or not. Sometimes squirrels also came nearby. I don't remember if anyone really drank water from there, but who could have stopped me from believing in my entrepreneurship? I remembered all this when I saw this picture today:

© Rahul

Our Security Guard

At times we can see some things happening in front of our eyes but can’t, or don’t react much. Story of an old security guard at our society is one such. When we arrived here some years back, we found him working as a security guard. After a while his wife started working as housemaid in the flats starting first from our flat. She was around our mother’s age and surprisingly she took up the role too by behaving somewhat like a mother-in-law to my wife :) Without being asked she would do help her and also gave corrective suggestions on things. We got annoyed at times but also liked her for that. Gradually we got to know that they had many sons and the last one got married sometime back; but they expected their old parents to bear substantial financial burden of running the household. In due course we could see the old man regularly doing overtime and night duties while his wife also worked hard.

A few months ago, the couple also took up the contract of weekly cleaning in the society campus. Every Sunday both husband & wife cleaned up all the stairs, flower plants and lawn, and they did their work seriously. As if even this additional work was not enough – he started cleaning motorbikes and cars in the mornings, which appeared harsh during the winter. Once while entering the society my heart sank at the scene – the security guard was not on duty but he must have finished his vehicle-cleaning work by that time. Hiding himself in the midst of cars in a dark corner, sitting on the ground wearing old rugged clothes, he was eating from the lunchbox he had carried from his home… It was morning so the food must be cold from the previous day. How life had changed for him! Till last year he appeared respectful wearing security guard’s uniform and now he appeared just like any poor servant!

I have been giving him some bucks every once in a while but I didn’t want to get involved in his troubles by being too personal. It is wishful to think his sons and daughters-in-law should have made their life easier and more dignified but I don’t know what challenges they face in their lives! But I can see through that he is in trouble… 

Happy New Year 2015

I think a New Year is just a conspiracy to give us hope. We hope that new year will be different as if this world or even us will start working in a different manner just because we bought home a new calendar :) Nevertheless like in good movies no animal is ever injured during giving us a good hope. Eat better, do better and feel better in the new year 2015!

Superman: Salman-Ka-Fan

Arjun Kapoor dances to the tunes of “Mai hun Superman… Salman ka Fan” and something is just too loud to be ignored. We can call it pride or even arrogance; but being Salman-ka-Fan sort of justifies it all… With this brush if we want to paint the fossilized topic of comparing the three famous Khans of Bollywood, how do we rate the Aamir, Shahrukh and Salman?

Aamir had always been too ‘girlish’. Several times he tried too hard to break this image but alas – how could be change it unless he comes on screen with a mask every time! So it does not matter whether he plays a tapori in ‘aati-kya-Khandala’ wearing leather jacket and growing a bit of stubble, he still appears like a cheeky chick. Shahrukh has slightly different flavor - even when clean-shaven he always appeared like unshaven – and he made the ‘boy-next-door’ look his biggest strength. Not all girls actually believe in their dream of marrying a prince – most of them would perhaps agree to marry a frog if the frog wears Versace. And what a rich wrinkled frog Shahrukh has been! A dog can bite, even a cat can bite, but a frog is too harmless to be of any harm – and that is what makes him attractive to girls. Girls could dream a lizard to turn into a monster but never an SRK to be threatening to them – that is quite some quality to possess. That brings us to the only Khan who has remained himself all through the ages. Salman Khan is the only Khan who never needed to humiliate himself in order to win our hearts… Don’t believe it? Just look at coy and childish Aamir playing pK!

Photo: Aamir playing pK

Coming back to Aamir being girlish. It was no surprise that Aamir failed when he tried to portray a Manly (Mangal) Pandey. In order to hide his girlish looks, Aamir tried something which worked just as bad – he tried to play the kid! We all loved him in 3-Idiots because appeared too natural for the juvenile’s role he was playing. He continued the same to Dhoom-3 where he played a character suitable for his looks – that of a cute child. Btw, before that he failed once again in Talash – because he was playing the role of a Manly Policewallah with a manly moustache. So in pK he returned to his comfort zone and this time took it several notches above – he made himself into a clown! Ok, fine, it was alien. But the alien he was playing seemed to have been inspired by a clown – just look at the way he carries himself off…

Photo: Aamir failed each time he played a manly character like Mangal Pandey or in Talash but succeeded when he played a boyish joker or a clown-like alien.

While Aamir thrived on his girlish looks, Shahrukh was neither a proper ‘boy’ nor a proper ‘girl’ and his only strength was his ‘newspaper vendor boy-next-door’ look. So our so called King failed when he played Ashoka the Great. His tapori-panthi, sly, street-smart moves were out-of-class for the classy look and feel needed in the character. Shahrukh also made complete fool of himself when he tried to outdo the original Bachchan’s Don. People would accept him a road-chhap tapori but he appeared to be wearing rented suits and stolen deodorants for his role as a Don. SRK being the only Khan without a look worth second glance outdid all his previous antics by growing his six-packs which appeared more naturally grown in a starving smoking man than a person frequenting a gym of any shape and size. With his eight-packs he proved in front of the whole world how desperate he could be! Before all this madness about body-chiseling SRK was thriving on being a rare combination of intelligence, manners and romanticism. All his earlier life he must have been an ignored, average and invisible boy and hence the viewers connected with him instantly! After all, despite having the worst biopics he always used to get the girl by the end of the movies! How fascinating for the public to see such a pathetic boy getting all beautiful girls from one movie to the other! To the girls, he appeared to possess many complimentary qualities which they would like to have in their boyfriends, if nothing less then nothing more than that also. Being a boring loyal husband was not an option but compulsion to the King Khan without a proper beard.

Photo: Shahrukh failed when he tried characters which required class; was ridiculed when he grew six-packs perhaps as a revenge on God for not giving him a proper body

The only Khan who did not need to humiliate himself in order to make it big at the Box Office has been the undisputed Salman Khan. Salman is the ultimate Dabang of Bollywood – the unashamed handsome devil – who had it all with grace and class each time. The only Khan who when takes his shirt off, people don’t close their mouths with hands, like they did with Aamir’s weirdly tattooed Ghazini or Shahrukh’s not-worth-counting packs. While Aamir might have gone completely nude to promote his one movie and Shahrukh might have nearly killed himself to develop eight-pack abs in this old age, Salman is the man who has grown older with grace worthy of his (sur)name.

Photo: Salman Khan is the unashamed Dabang of Bolywood; the only Khan who did not need to humiliate himself to make it big at the Box Office

While Aamir went after marrying multiple women and also did not miss to create affairs with a White woman abroad to produce illegitimate child and Shahrukh with his poor looks held on to perhaps the only woman who agreed to marry him as a loyal husband, it is Salman who dared to love. When he loved, he made no attempts to hide it. When his women abandoned him, he cried like any human would. And when he loved next time, he made no secret of that either! How can you not love the humanly vulnerable yet rock solid Khan? If you see him or watch his interviews, you would certainly notice one thing about him – he never pretends! He is straightforward and dil-se; what all other phony actors claim to be but are not.

Salman Khan is the only Khan with real fan-following from other men. If you are Salman-ka-Fan, you won’t need to be ashamed, something which comes frequently if we start to think about being fans of Aamir or Shahrukh. That is why Arjun Kapoor says “Salman-ka-Fan” and takes the Taj Mahal by storm:

Photo: Arjun Kapoor sings ‘Salman-ka-Fan’ in Tevar

Salman Khan was the only Khan who had the guts to stand with NaMo (Modi) and fly kites in front of the whole media, even before Modi got power in Delhi. On the other hand, Shahrukh is a known Pakistan-sympathizer while Aamir is by and large non-political.

Photo: Salman Khan with Narendra Modi

Salman Khan is also the only Khan who can pair-up with the Dabang Girl Sonakshi. Imagine girlish Aamir or tapori Shahruku appearing like school-kids in front of the Desi Girl? We would rather eat all the popcorn ever produced than watching the lesser-Khans humiliate themselves once again…

Photo: Salman ‘Dabang’ Khan with Sonakshi ‘Khamosh’ Sinha

On these happier notes, let me now take a break :)

© Rahul | Written in leisure | Cheer Up | Detailed Disclaimer |

Some Touching Old Movies

Wishing Merry Christmas

In our last call before client (from a western country) went on year-end vacations I wished her Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance. She said, "Well I do not celebrate Christmas. But thank you." What was my reaction? First reaction was of surprise. But what was I surprised at? I think I was surprised at her frankness, honesty and speaking straight. Now is that something alien in our country? If you wish someone in India "Merry Christmas", and one replies, "I do not celebrate Christmas", I guess you won't judge the person kindly. But if we judge the statement factually and impartially, there is nothing wrong in it. Very often we find people in Western countries open, frank and honest about whatever they do or don't do. In India we beat around the bush. We call it composite culture may be to envelop our insecurities into something of higher purpose as a form of justification. Is it our politeness, accommodating nature, tolerance or conformism and lack of confidence in our individuality which make us not frank and honest about what we do or don't do? I think it is just our lack of thought... I think we are a rushed society with no time to think... 

And btw, Merry Christmas in advance :)

© Rahul