Musings and Scribblings

Respiratory Physiology Presentation

2007-08-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

Hi People,
Here's the Respiratory Physiology Presentation - http://download.yousendit.com/9BBDCD3F1AD27158

Download the file from there. It'll only be there for 7 days.

Humour Quotient.

2006-11-07T03:03:00.000-08:00

Hello People. I'm back. Just to post a test I took to check what kinda funny guy I am. I haven't updated my blog in quite some time....I'll do it after my treks.

the Prankster

(33% dark, 15% spontaneous, 26% vulgar)

your humor style:
CLEAN | COMPLEX | LIGHT

Your humor has an intellectual, even conceptual slant to it. You're not pretentious, but you're not into what some would call 'low humor' either. You'll laugh at a good dirty joke, but you definitely prefer something clever to something moist.

You probably like well-thought-out pranks and/or spoofs and it's highly likely you've tried one of these things yourself. In a lot of ways, yours is the most entertaining type of humor because it's smart without being mean-spirited.

PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Conan O'Brian - Ashton Kutcher

The 3-Variable Funny Test!

- it rules -

If you're interested, try my best friend's best test:
The Genghis Khan Genetic Fitness Masterpiece

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on darkness
You scored higher than 99% on spontaneity
You scored higher than 99% on vulgarity

Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Albus Dumbledore....Hmmm

2006-09-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

I took this Harry Potter quiz which say what character I am more similar to. I've taken such quizzes before, and thrice before it's shown me as Dumbledore and once as Remus Lupin.

These are my most recent results -

You scored as Albus Dumbledore. Strong and powerful you admirably defend your world and your charges against those who would seek to harm them. However sometimes you can fail to do what you must because you care too much to cause suffering.

Albus Dumbledore

90%

Draco Malfoy

90%

Harry Potter

85%

Ginny Weasley

85%

Sirius Black

75%

Ron Weasley

65%

Hermione Granger

65%

Remus Lupin

60%

Severus Snape

40%

Lord Voldemort

25%

Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...?
created with QuizFarm.com

The Erotic Literature Assignment.

2006-09-10T05:51:00.000-07:00

This is the price I pay for trying to be a friggin smartass in English Class. I landed a 1000 word essay on Erotic Literature from Arulster for calling out Erotica as a genre of Literature in his class. Apprently, I shouldn't have mentioned that I got inspired from his website. Aajkal sachchai ka bol-bala khatam hi ho gaya hai!

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Literotica : A journey through time.

Abhilash Dwarakanath

I B.Sc MCZ

O6SJ2651

St. Joseph’s College of Arts and Science

They say that the most primal and innate instinct or action of man is Fornication (yeah, marriage is just a license to screw). After all, life is defined by a multitude of biologists as ‘Preservation and Propagation of DNA’. When humans moved on from eating raw flesh and savagely assaulting each other for petty things like sleeping space, and settled down in communities, the first thing they did; other than fornicate; was develop a means of communication. Writing began. When humans realized that they could use their cerebrum for things other than running, walking, jumping, eating, screwing and screaming, they sought to invest their intellect in constructive writing. They began writing to chronicle their civilisation’s progress, events, facts, discoveries and legends. Some of them specialised in writing, and when they became jobless, literature came into being. Imagination took flight into various realms; realms of heroic valour, realms of love, realms of creativity and Natural Philosophy. How could the most primal instinct of man be left behind?

Who said the Indian Civilisation looks upon sex as something that shouldn’t be blatantly exhibited, otherwise some unknown booming voice from the heavens will render you unable to reproduce? The most celebrated and ancient of erotic literature is from our land; the land of Tantric Sex. Although Vatsyayana wrote the Kama Sutra in the 4^th Century AD, its roots can be traced back to a certain bull-written, legend-infested manuscript called the Kama Shastra, allegedly compiled by Nandi the Bull, after hearing the not too subtle lovemaking between Lord Shiva and Parvati. It passed between quite a few centuries and hands before Dattaka composed a work on courtesans, on which Vatsyayana based his epic treatise.

On careful perusal of the Mahabharata, you will encounter various erotic references. Of course, you’ll have to be corrupt of mind and filthy of thought to come across them...yeah, I have indeed come across them, draw your own conclusions. There are vivid descriptions of Krishna courting Gopikas and his misdemeanour, the birth of Karna and the other Pandavas, the Arjuna – Subhadra saga, the conception of Babruvahana in the kingdom of Manipura, Arjuna’s night of passion with the Snake Princess and other such references. Not to mention, of course, Duryodhana’s lecherous advances towards Draupadi and numerous other such passages which would qualify as early, subtle erotica.

Not much of eroticism was seen in literature until the dawn of the Romantic Era. Although Shakespeare’s plays are simple to comprehend at one glance, they are swathed in multiple layers of complexly webbed emotions. Eroticism is one of them. Examine the behaviour of a voyeuristic and pandering Puck in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ where he is flummoxed by the fact of lack of passionate lovemaking among humans when they are able to do it; or the adolescent cravings of a not-yet-fourteen Juliet in Romeo and Juliet when she says, ‘If he be married, my grave is like to be my marriage bed’. This particular verse is very compelling upon the belief that Shakespeare was a damned pervert –

Give me my Romeo; and when he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of Heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.

In Anthony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare embarks on a very vivid account of how Cleopatra exacts the virgin-like virility and enthusiasm of Anthony, by not being straightforward, but manipulative and seductive.

Other women cloy
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry
Where most she satisfies; for vilest things
Become themselves in her, that the holy priests
Bless her when she is riggish.

Virtually every Shakespearean heroine from Rosalind and Viola to Helena is endowed with pro-active sexual desire and has as well the courage and dedication to pursue her own erotic ends. It is left to anti-heroines, like Ophelia, Gertrude, Lady Macbeth etc to act coy and submissive, tacitly denying their sexual autonomy along with their individual responsibility.

In the Victorian Era, the non-committal and snobbish English Genteel rebuffed blatant exhortation of sexuality and erotica. Though most writers restricted their hormones from spilling over into their books, some of them flouted norms and wrote with a disdain. Jane Eyre’s burning desire for Rochester’s flesh is very artistically weaved in Charlotte Bronte’s masterpiece, though, fearing societal reactions, she chose to publish the book under an ambiguously androgynous pseudonym, Currer Bell. When the stiff upper-lipped Victorian Era drew to a close and firmly implanted the ideals of Realism in Literature, writers like Oscar Wilde, D H Lawrence and James Joyce rose to the forefront of literature, with heavy sexual undertones in their novels. Indeed, such was Lawrence’s reputation after the publication of ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ that he came to be known more as a verbal pornographer wasting his brilliant literary skills, than as a novelist of gifted repute. James Joyce’s magnum opus Ulysses had to undergo an obscenity trial, before being acclaimed by the critique conglomerate.

By the 18^th century, Erotic Fiction as a separate genre had started to take shape. Though they occupy a mainstream literary slot, they often fall short of the quality of more serious literature. Though, towards the end of the 19^th century, a more 'cultured' form of erotica began to appear. This was associated with the Decadents, in particular, with Aubrey Beardsley and the Yellow Book. But it was also to be found in France, amongst such writers as Pierre Louis, author of the 'Chanson de Bilitis' (a celebration of lesbianism and sexual awakening).

In the 20^th Century, many pulp fiction authors tend to lace their novels with heavy doses of sex and eroticism, that it sometimes becomes tough to draw a line between Erotica, Romanticism and the like. Harold Robbins and Sidney Sheldon are noted for vivid sexual imagery in their work. Mario Puzo illustrates erotica and lovemaking as a very basic need of man, using the Italian principles and society as a backdrop, highlighting the egotistic connotation of eroticism among the Mafia. Mills and Boon novels masquerade as Romance Fiction, while all the time they vulgarly disrobe the female form and use her as an abject model for the quenching of sexual thirst. And then there are the numerous ha’ penny books that come under the huge umbrella of cheap press, which do not even merit a discussion, thank you very much. My suggestion is, go to any old bookstall which sells dime novels by the dozen and experience them yourselves.

Although I am not very familiar with Indian writing, there seems to be a very fine sense of balanced eroticism among the modern Indian writers in English. Khushwant Singh is notorious for his risqué humour and obsession with the female form. ‘In The Company of Women’ is a book that he wrote when he was in his late 80s. Viagra companies need to ascertain the secret of his ripeness. R K Narayan very poignantly used sex to illustrate the importance of it between married couples in the Indian Society.

Mikhail will continue about the development of Erotica in the 20^th Century.

Fantasy lover? ME? Aiyyoo!

2006-09-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is really really hilarious. Please don't laugh while beating your arse in public.

Your Seduction Style: Fantasy Lover

You know that ideal love that each of us dreams of from childhood? That's you!
Not because you posess all of the ideal characteristics, but because you are a savvy shape shifter.
You have the uncanny ability to detect someone's particular fantasy... and make it you.

You inspire each person to be an idealist and passionate, and you make each moment memorable
Even a simple coffee date with you can be the most romantic moment of someone's life
By giving your date exactly what he or she desires, you quickly become the ideal lover.

Your abilities to make dreams come true is so strong, that you are often the love of many people's lives.
Your ex's (and even people you have simply met or been friends with) long to be yours.
No doubt you are the one others have dreamed of... your biggest challenge is finding *your* dream lover.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

Right...can I now go back to my work please?

Quizzes...What age art thou? Score and eleven. Pah

2006-09-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

I took this quiz which could apparently calculate my mental age, by a series of logistics that only an eccentric with his head in place of his posterior, would understand. Fantastically, it returned this result -

You Are 31 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

All I can say is - WHAT F***** BALLS??!!

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Then I took this English test which would apparently test my grip over the heathen language -

Your English Skills:

Grammar: 100%
Vocabulary: 100%
Punctuation: 80%
Spelling: 80%

Does Your English Cut the Mustard?

Right...so some American test will now certify my English? I reiterate - What effing balls??!!

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Addicted to Love eh? Please clarify the kind - Platonic, Romantic or simply and stupidly - Freudian.

You Are 36% Addicted to Love

Might as well face it, you're a little addicted to love.
You won't do anything for love, but sometimes you do more than you should.
No one's worth losing your head for - because in the end you'll only lose your heart.
Don't avoid falling in love. Just make sure you don't get too hooked.

Are You Addicted to Love?

Now this is one test that's actually come close to deciphering one aspect of 'me'. Kudos.

More Trouble - That's my life.

2006-09-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I just get out of that cell phone theft mess satisfactorially, and I get into more trouble!

1) My cell fone got flicked in a bus. I saw the guy get off, so I jumped out of the running bus turning a corner and ran behind him around a mile. But he had disappeared. Ah well, damnit, what can I do? Dad's getting a new cell.

2) Wanted to take part in the antakshari competition at Pratibha, the Interclass fest. My team and I were dead sure of not only qualifying the prelims, but even about winning the thing. As it had to happen to me, the venue got changed at the last moment. We were actually having a class in the Multipurpose Hall before the break; the contest was to happen in the MP hall in the break. Then were flitted here and there trying to get information. When we finally reached the room to which it had been shifted to, it was 1.20 and we were 20 mins late. I tried to reason with the Student Co-ordinator, and she was quite rude. Couldn't let go of the matter that lightly, so went to reason with the Teacher Co-ord. She gave us permission. Started doing the written test. It was a SAD test. We could've scored 15/15 on that. We had gotten in Ques 9 in 5 mins, when this student co-ord bursts in all in a rage and accuses us of sneaking, cheating and lying. I told her to calm down, listen to reason and work things out. She wouldn't. Tried to show attitude as a senior, commanding a junior to lick her boots. I told her, I don't give a damn about her being a senior (not in those words...puhleeese) and went to talk to the Teacher Co-ord. Apparently, one guy had gone and lied about my team's and my behaviour and that was what had caused the ruckus. My friends came to my rescue. Supposedly, after I left the room to talk to the TC, the SC had called me a 'Bastard' and a 'Son of a Bitch'. The TC heard me and friends out, and told me she'd work things out. Today, apparently, the girl apologised, and we sorted out matters and things are all okay now. Hehe.

3) On saturday, which was sports day, Vip wanted a ride on the bike and Din wanted to ride it. I gave him the keys. Grave Mistake. They didn't turn up even after 25 mins, and Din is an amateur rider who doesn't have a DL. I messaged him from Kiddie's cell, and then he calls back saying he's met with an accident! I didn't believe him, though Kiddie pulled me to go looking for them. On Langford road, we kept calling Din, and all he said was 'keep walking straight'. I smelled a rat, and after an argument, Kiddie and I turned back. Grave Mistake 2. They called again, and I noted the note of panic in their voices. By this time, Shank had reached the spot and taken them to Hosmat Hospital for first aid. Kiddie and I rushed to where my bike was, a mile and a half down Langford Road.

It was pathetically mangled. The front fairing was fully smashed, the wheel bent and twisted, the suspension bend, mirrors cracked and smashed, fuel tank partly smashed in, front panel dis-aligned...you can imagine. My uncle reached the spot, so did Din't brother. They've taken the responsibility and they're doing the necessary work. Grateful to them. I don't think my darling Unicorn will ever look beautiful again and will ever be as powerful again. Just hope she survives!

More so, I was pulled up really badly and unnecessarily by my granny for what happened. Honestly, for a man of my temperament, logic and energy...it's becoming a pain living with her. No mistake, I love her lots. But I really am not able to concentrate on my work, what with jogging and gym in the morning, then 8 hours of college, music honours class on weekends and other such stuff to keep me occupied.

4) So I am moving out. I have started looking for an accomodation and have talked to Vishnu. When we find a suitable accomodation in Jayanagar 4th T Block, 5th Block or 7th and 8th block itself, we'll move in, on a shared basis.

Nice no? I think I should be directing a soap opera of my life. Amazing things happen. Trouble finds me invariably. Maybe I should marry it. Wot Say?

The Case of the Missing Cell Phone - Part III

2006-08-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning dawned fine and fresh. I drove to the Hotel during breakfast time and asked around if the SI had dropped in for his daily free gift. They directed me to the nearest party hall saying he had informed them that he'd be there.

Once there, the SI started talking to me. Ever seen a drill bore into wood? Poor thing, this wood didn't protest too...
And then at the end, he declares he's lost the Notice. What a chap! But he assured me he'd get my license back the next day. I drove back home to park my bike and take a rickshaw down to uncle's office. While I was about to start from home, I got a call. The conversation went something like this -

Person : Hi Abhilash, Vaishnavi here...
Me : Yes?
Person : So are you coming to the police station?
Me : Yes I will. I am right now going to my uncle's place, and then from there we'll go and talk to our lawyer and reach the police station
Person : Why do you want a lawyer? You haven't been accused of anything!
Me : Oh yeah? And the police sent that notice because they were jobless and wanted to screw around with random students, right?
Person : No! They sent you that notice because they wanted to talk to you.
Me : Why? How did my name get involved?
Person : Here talk to my mother...
Person's Mother : Hello Abhilash? This is Vaishnavi's mother speaking. My daughter has lost her cell fone and she says it's been stolen. The police are investigating it. Can you tell me anything about it?
Me : Madam, I do not wish to make any statements to you without my lawyer being present.
Person's Mother - Look, you don't need to get a lawyer...
Me : Why? Yesterday your daughter called me and accused me of stealing her fone. She didn't realise the implications of doing so. She can't do that when legalities are involved. Maybe she did it out of anxiety or immaturity. I can sue her for false accusations and trust me, if she keeps on like this, I'll be tempted to do it. How did my name get involved in this business?
Person's Mother : She did it only out of anxiety. It's the third cell fone she's lost and she doesn't want to lose this one too. See, after the theft, the thief made one call from the stolen fone, and that is to your cell fone. That's how the police traced you. When they called you, you didn't come to the station. So they served a notice against you.
Me : Ok, I get it. I'll be there, the day after tomorrow in the morning at 9. Please be there.
Person's Mother : Right. Thanks. If she's said something harsh or wrong to you, we'll apologise.
Me : Can I talk to vaishnavi please?
Person : Yeah tell me...
Me : How and where did you lose your cell fone?
Person : Well, I was in the library and I had kept my cell fone in my bag and gone to a desk to study. Your class was there. When I came back, someone had flicked my fone.
Me : Hmm...ok, we'll settle it tomorrow. Be there.
Person : Ok. Thanks.
Me : Thanks. Bye.

Now things were beginning to get clear. So the girl wasn't deliberately trying to frame me. Someone had placed a call to me from the stolen cell fone. That means, it had to be someone who knew me....hmmm.

Then suddenly, that fone call, which I recieved a fortnight ago in the canteen, struck me. It might just be possible that this was placed from the cell fone. And the person asked for Chinmoy. Which means that the person knew both Chinmoy and Me.

I tried to connect the events of the day. I asked Niraja to remember what day I had gotten the call. She confirmed it was two weeks ago. Then it started to fall into place. Our class was in the library. Meaning, it had to be a free lecture....Bhaskar sir was absent the whole of that week, and his lecture was free. Which only meant one thing - Someone from our class had either stolen it, or was involved as an accomplice.

Things were looking bad. I had this plan in mind to narrow down the person, if it didn't turn out to be someone from my class (she'd be let into the class to see if she could identify the chor)

1) Attendence records of the 3 lectures would be compared...especially the one before the chemistry lecture and the one after the chemistry lecture.
2) Library records would be compared.

Something had to turn up there. It was with this plan in mind I went to college next day, with my uncle, to hold a preliminary round of talks with the girl and my class mentor. That day, she revealed some more things to us, which rendered my plan useless...and complicated the business. Hmmm....

A Tribute to Ust. Bismillah Khan - The Greatest Legend

2006-08-21T04:17:00.000-07:00

Ustad Bismillah Khan passes away

HindustanTimes.com

New Delhi, August 21, 2006

Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan passed away due to a heart attack in Varanasi early morning on Monday. He was 91.

Khan, who was hospitalised and put on intravenous drip after a brief illness, breathed his last at 3.30 in the morning.

He had been admitted to the Heritage Hospital in the city on Thursday after his health reportedly started deteriorating following illness.

Born on March 21, 1916, Khan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001.

He was also honoured with the Sangeet Natak Academi Award, the Tansen Award and the prestigious Padma Vibhushan.

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The legendary Indian shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan Sahib (born 21 March 1916) is the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna (in 2001), the highest civilian honour in India. The term "Ustad" or "Pandit" in relation to Indian classical music implies Master or Guru. Bismillah Khan is perhaps single handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous classical instrument.

His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon in Bihar and he trained under his uncle, the late Ali Bux `Vilayatu’, a shehnai player attached to Benares's Vishwanath Temple. He brought the shehnai to the center stage of Indian music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937. It was Khan Sahib who poured his heart out into Raga Kafi from the Red Fort on the eve of India’s first Republic Day ceremony.

Khan has honorary doctorates from the Banaras Hindu University and Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. He has been awarded the Sangeet Natak Academi Award, the Tansen Award of the Madhya Pradesh government and also the prestigious Padma Vibhushan.

Despite his fame, Khan's lifestyle retains its old world Benares charm. His chief mode of transport is still the cycle rickshaw. A man of tenderness, he believes in remaining private, and that musicians are supposed to be heard and not seen. He is a pious Shia Muslim and also, like many Indian musicians regardless of creed, a devotee of Mother Saraswati.

Source - http://wikipedia.org

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Hazaron rang-e-mehfil mein teri shehnai ke bose naseeb hue they,
Jannat tujhe ada hui hai tu jannat ko nahin,
Teri rooh yahan goonj bankar reh gai hai. (Abhilash)

Rest in Peace Khan Saheb.

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My sincere condolences. He was a true Bharat Ratna. Unarguably the greatest of all the classical musicians in India living and dead. His musical knowledge was such that other greats would blush in front of him. His shehnai emnated such power that would be the envy of every single musician worldwide.

But looking at his condition and living circumstances in the past decade, death was, I think, better for him. He won't suffer anymore at the hand of our petty government and public which pays the same enumeration for Abhijeet Sawant and Pt. Jasraj.

Rest in peace, Khan Sahib. Entertain the celestials wherever you are. Our pithy world doesn't deserve your divine symphonies.

Kho gai khushboo hawa mein kuch na reh gaya....

The Case of the Missing Cell Phone - Part II

2006-08-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

The description of the girl they gave me, matched 99% with a girl we knew as 'Greeno'. There's an interesting story behind her. On the first day of college, Abhishek, Chinmoy and I were dejectedly loafing around cursing the fact that there were no hot chicks on campus. And in walks this Greeno lady from the ground. She had fine thick hair, an unblemished pretty striking sharp face, and a cute petite frame. And those killer kajal lined eyes. She had worn a green t-shirt, so we christened her 'Greeno'. Hehe.

So I requested my friend Sophia to find out whether Greeno had lost her cell fone, and whether the girl actually fit the description. The most striking thing was, the accent. They branded hers as a 'stylish heavy accent'. Greeno talks in a heavy american accent. But Greeno had NOT lost a cell fone. Interesting.

And the girl hadn't contacted me yet...and there was a notice for interrogation against my name. There was only two logical surmises -

1) When the girl gave her missing cell fone number, maybe the cop took it down wrong and it somehow turned out to be my number.
2) The girl, might be trying to frame me. There have been rackets reported in the city where free-spending teens, suddenly finding themselves broke and incapable of financing their lavish life styles, have resorted to blackmail and false-theft rackets.

What was the chance that 1 would be probable? Very less. My uncle thought it was 2, and we decided to contact a couple of cops and also consult our lawyers. First thing on monday, I decided I'd drive down to my uncle's office and then move on to another uncle of mine for a round table conference...hehe. He's wired into many cops and lawyers in the city and has experience in such matters...uh...uh.

While driving down to my uncle's office, my cell fone buzzed. I stopped and took the call. The conversation went something like this -

Person - Hello, is this Abhilash? (female, stylish accent)
Me : Yeah, may I know who's talking?
Person : Who's talking??? I am the girl you stole the cell fone from!
Me : Okaaaay...and you are?
Person : I am Vaishnavi...where's my cell fone?
Me : Lady, first of all calm down. I don't know you, I haven't seen you, I haven't met you. How can I steal your cell fone?
Person : I don't know. You didn't come to the Police station when Inspector Kashi called you. You recieved a call from my stolen fone and don't deny that. This is the fourth cell fone I've lost and I am not letting it go. It was a Motorazor. Do you know how expensive it was?
Me : I won't deny, I won't accept anything until and unless my lawyer's present. And I won't talk to you until you calm down.
Person : If you don't appear at the thana, I'll send cops down to your place.
Me (cold and soft) : Look, cops won't get to my place and you'll make sure of it. My granny lives alone and is a heart patient. If anything happens to her, you'll regret it. I am going to the station with my uncle and lawyer, relax till then.
Person : Uh..oh ok, come to the thana then, we'll talk.

Two things struck me.

1) This girl is logically challenged. If I recieved a call from the stolen fone, how could I have stolen it? Would I be foolish enough to steal a cell fone, give it to a friend of mine, and ask him to call me from it? Heights of absurdity. And her parents...gosh, she loses 3 cell fones and the 4th one she gets is a machine that costs 20 Grand!

2) The possibility that the cop has made a mistake, can be entirely ruled out, since she knew my number. So we considered no.2 and proceeded further.

My uncle and I proceeded to college and had a chat with my class mentor and HOD. They conveyed that they were shocked that such an allegation had been levelled against me and they'd certainly try and help. They advised us to get a lawyer and settle things soon, and if need be, teach the girl a lesson, if indeed she was deliberately trying to frame me. Then we met the Principal. Here, one more thing came to light.
The girl, apparently had violated the college protocol and had gone straight to the police, instead of submitting a letter to the Extension Officer and informing the principal. Since she had not come to him, he couldn't summon the girl and interrogate her. I somehow got the feeling Father was not really willing to wet his hands. But he certainly had a point, and we couldn't argue. So we took leave.

We went to my other uncle's office in Gandhi Bazar and had a lengthy chat and deliberated, argued and analysed every point. With the information we had then, it was clear to us that it was a case of either blackmail or framing a crime with malicious intent, for which the girl could be pulled up in Court. We decided to keep a couple of cops 'informed' and also consult a lawyer. Deepti's dad is an advocate. So I asked her whether my aunt and I could meet her dad and consult him. She said that he dealt exclusively with civil cases, but told us he would see us. We visited him in his office and discussed the case with him. He also was of the same opinion as my uncle, and advised us to consult either Adv. C V Nagesh or Subramaniam Jois, both of whom were reputed attorneys and known to us. Nagesh is by far the most powerful attorney in town. We decided to get his counsel. Unfortunately, he was involved in a serious case, and after discussing aunt's previous case with her, he gave us preliminary counsel and ushered us out.
We decided to give the matter rest for the night.

What information I got the next morning was really unforeseen and radical. But it made things seem even more logical and made many things very clear.

The Case of the Missing Cell Phone - Part I

2006-08-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Hello people.

I am stopping the Time-Energy paradox series now to post a series of posts...an incident which, of all people, happened to me. Hehe, nothing suprising...I am ALWAYS in some kind of trouble. But I manage to get out of it allright, thank God! More often than not, I am usually the wrong person, in the wrong place at the wrong time. I somehow feel Life tests my resilience a LOT, and I can tell life straight in its face - Look dude, I haven't lost. I've never lost. Stop trying!

This time, I've been dragged into a Cell Phone theft, not of my own accord; have been served a notice for interrogation by the police, have tried playing a hand in deducing the sequence of events of the theft, and have succeeded in narrowing down the field of enquiry to a much smaller circle. I am posting the story in parts. Read and EnJoY!

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Well, it all began one fine afternoon last month. The sixteenth day of July, the seventh month of the 2006th year after Christ was born. The plan was that I meet Dinesh at the Majestic Theatre, with my Uncle, and we go tramping along on Avenue road, peeking into the cramped, musty bookstores, looking at various course books. Well, it so happened that I reached my granny's place five minutes late. My uncle is a stickler for time, and he started berating me. I had a genuine reason for being late - My cousin sister chose that very hour to drop in and conceal herself in the toilet, doing God knows what. He wouldn't listen to my reason; so I stormed out of the house and decided to go by myself. Mistake No.1

Near Ulsoor Gate limits, they have installed a traffic signal in the stupidest manner possible. The Zebra crossing and the Yellow line are on one side of the cross road that intersects the main road, which after 15 metres divides into two and also has another traffic signal! The signal is on the other side. I was crusing along at 60 kmph and coolly eased into the left lane and crossed the yellow line. I missed the signal. But then, i suddenly saw the signal flashing red, and braked immediately like the dutiful citizen I am...hehe...and my bike skid. Mistake No.2. There were four cops there, and one Sub Inspector fined me 300 bucks then and there. I had 27 in my wallet. He served me a notice to pay the fine at a later date. He also confiscated my License.

Dinesh and I merrily loafed around the area, had hot crisp masala doasa at one of the oldest hotels in Bangalore and I then came back home. I thought I'd go on a saturday and clear the matter up. That saturday never came.

My mother arrived in Bangalore on the 24th of July. Now, we have a hotel in JP Nagar, of which I am a partner...i.e...my mother is one of the investing partner, but I carry out official duties on her part. We have a traffic cop, an SI, on our payroll there. My mum, in all her earnestness, stormed into my room, extracted the notice out of my wallet and gave it to him to retrieve my license. I did not know the SI's name, not had his number, nor had spoken to him. And, there was no copy of the notice. Mistake No. 3.

A few days later, we were all sitting in the canteen, when my cell fone buzzed. The conversation went like this -

Person : Is it Abhilash?
Me : Yeah
Person : Are you Chinmoy's friend?
Me : Yeah
Person : Is he around?
Me : No
Person : Where has he gone?
Me : I dunno
Person : When will he be back?
Me : I dunno. May I know who's speaking?
Person : I am Chinmoy's friend.
Me : Ah...(Mental Note - Take chin to task for giving my number to his darned friends)
Then the person asked various details regarding Chinmoy's practical timings, etc etc etc. I answered only in monosyllables...the result being the entire gang laughing at my taciturn method of speech. The converstaion, thus, got filed away in some spidery corner of my brain for future reference. I asked Chin about the call when he came back, but apparently, to this day, he has no idea who had called. The call had gone on for about 3 minutes.

That same day in the evening, i got a missed call on my cell fone. I sent an SMS back asking who it was. Two days later, when I was in the bus, the same number called. The conversation went on like this -

Person : Hello. I recieved an SMS saying 'Who is this' from your number. May I know who's this?
Me : I had gotten a missed call from your cell, so I sent the SMS
Person : I am an Inspector of Police, talking. May I know whom I am talking to?
Me : I am a student of St. Joseph's College. (I connected this cop to 'our' cop)
Me : Sir, are you familiar with Nimantran Hotel?
Person : Uh...huh...
Me : Sir, do you know the owner ?
Person : Uh huh Yeah. Who's talking?
Me : (dropping my guard). Sir, I am Abhilash from St. Joseph's. I am the owner's nephew. She had given you a notice requesting you to get the license released. How far have you gotten?
Person : St. Joseph's? Ah good! Which course?
Me : I B.Sc MCZ
Person : MCZ....uh...Mathematics, Chemistry Zoology?
Me : No, Microbiology.
Person : Ah..
Me : Sir, have you managed to get my license?
Person : Yeah, come to ASHOK NAGAR thane and get it.
Me : Thanks, I'll be there...(suspiciously)

Whole conversation = Mistake No. 4

I became wary. My license was at Ulsoor Gate. Our 'SI' was at JP Nagar. How the hell did Ashok Nagar figure here? I surmised it might've been some mistake, and I forgot about it. Totally. And, I didn't show up at Ashok Nagar. Cardinal Mistake. The date, most probably, was the 3rd or the 4th of August.

On the 9th of August, I bunked the first half of college because -

1) I had nearly 100% attendence
2) Had to study for the upcoming exams, starting from the 10th
3) My sister was ill...and my aunt and uncle were busy with the Hotel

When I went to college in the afternoon, I was informed that I was a 'Wanted' man...by three people -

1) The Extension Officer
2) A professor
3) our HOD madam

Since we had practicals that day, I couldn't go. Mistake No. 5.

The next day onwards, we had exams for three days. On the 11th, Rodriguez, our Extension Officer gave me the dope - A girl had lost her mobile phone on campus. Rather, it was stolen. The police had come THRICE on campus, served a notice to the Principal, asking for my custody for interrogation. The principal had abused them saying, while he's the principal, no student of his would be arrested or detained by the Police.

Here comes the interesting part. The girl was supposedly from I HEP, Bachelor of ARTS. They hesitated in giving me her name, so they stalled me off my giving me her description. I knew they wouldn't want to, so I desisted from pressing them for details.
Here starts the fun. I had never seen or met the girl in my life.

An Abstract Fabric - Feeling Pathos

2006-08-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hello All.

I had written this poem near the end of last year when everything seemed to go wrong...the course I was in wasn't going on well due to problems at the University, my health wasn't good, had lost touch with my favourite game, had parted ways, not too amicably, with a very dear and close friend due to mutual foolishness and high headedness...ah well....just read on.

It’s Been Quite Long A Journey

Seems a while, seems certainly a little while....

I take up my pen to write, write what?

Words fail me; I know not what to write....

Is it that memories shroud memories?

Are the ghosts of my past way-laying emotions?

Words fail me; I know not what to write.

Seems a while, seems certainly a while....

I finger my piano, to render what?

Chords fail me; I know not what to play....

Is it that complacency restricts symphony?

Are my past blunders taunting my present?

Chords fail me; I know not what to play.

Seems a while, seems certainly a while....

I look out my window, to see what?

It breezes no more; I know not what to feel

Is it that nature has sensed my apprehension?

Are the forces making me atone for deeds undone?

It breezes no more; I know not what to feel.

Seems a while, seems certainly a while....

I try to delve deep; to remember what?

Pictures fail me; I know not what to see...

Is love taking precedence to reason and instinct?

Are vices taking charge of Faith, long committed?

Pictures fail me; I know not what to see.

Yes, it has certainly been a while,

Memories, I hold near to my heart...

All along in this hike over the brambly path of life

They sole my feet and bind my heart,

Against the cold....the cold of darkness,

Which comes along thick and crisp now...

I can hear the wind howling ominously,

I can sense the mist come down stiflingly,

Blanketing the hard cold earth on which I lie.

Waiting and waiting....for what? I know not.

And yet I wait. Is this not the irony of existence?

This sense of Deja vu? What goes up must come down?

Yes, it seems a while, seems certainly a while

In search of unifying time and energy - Part III

2006-08-08T05:16:00.000-07:00

Hello People.

Took some time in the coming...eh? Well, this is a convo I had with a friend on Yahoo Messenger again. He's a second year Engg Student in Bombay....and mad about pure physics.

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krish_r123u: i really hope sometimes i could have time to do some physics... i just cannot resist to have a go at quantising time and distance
abhilashdwarakanath: i believe we can quantise time
abhilashdwarakanath: and when we do, we'd have found an answer to the universe's beginning
abhilashdwarakanath: quantising in the sense, giving a physical and tangible identity to time
abhilashdwarakanath: as a dimension
abhilashdwarakanath: and a function of the continuum
krish_r123u: a function... isnt it THE continuum?
abhilashdwarakanath: that's what they believe
abhilashdwarakanath: :D
abhilashdwarakanath: they call it the space-time continuum
abhilashdwarakanath: i don't believe space and time are a related fabric
abhilashdwarakanath: i believe time and energy are manifestations of some superior thing, or they're simply different forms of one another. If we try to theoretically analyse and deduce the inter-relationship between mass-energy and time, it takes you into a vicioius circle. Mass and Energy are forms of one another, energy is a function of space-time, which means energy would be a function of time, which would means we should be able to quantise time. But then, in a relativistic sense, everything in this world moves in a time frame of its own, and the most fundamental energy-carrying particles we know are time-independent...i.e. time means nothing to them...they're in a suspended state of animation in time.
abhilashdwarakanath: when we prove time is equatable to energy, i'd believe we'd have gotten close to deciphering the primal particle...or virtual particle of the Universe.
abhilashdwarakanath: :)
krish_r123u: it is equatable
krish_r123u: i have been able to get that far..
krish_r123u: *equivalent
abhilashdwarakanath: krish, if that's true...then you're sitting on a Nobel Prize :P
krish_r123u: i wish
krish_r123u: ok
krish_r123u: here is the proof
abhilashdwarakanath: the thing is...is your math correct?
krish_r123u: if you are itnerested
krish_r123u: *interested
abhilashdwarakanath: coz i had done to too...and my math was all f**** up. Lost the whole thing when my hard disk crashed. :(
krish_r123u: it is... i know how to divide and multiply
abhilashdwarakanath: yup, i am interested
krish_r123u: it is very simple math actually
abhilashdwarakanath: *math
krish_r123u: i think somebody else would have already done it
abhilashdwarakanath: not yet
krish_r123u: ok, T = To/(1 - v^2/c^2)^1/2... M = Mo/(1 - v^2/c^2)^1/2 ... and E = Mc^2... at any state of an object to consider M and T, v is a constant... multiply c^2 on both sides of equation 2 and divide by equation 1
krish_r123u: assume at one joule, time is one second
abhilashdwarakanath: ok......
krish_r123u: what do you get?
krish_r123u: let Mc^2 = E and Moc^2 be Eo
abhilashdwarakanath: ok...
abhilashdwarakanath: listen, with which frame of reference are you keeping v const?
krish_r123u: it will make sense when you divide
krish_r123u: those equations are relativistic. you can keep any reference frame
krish_r123u: i think
abhilashdwarakanath: no
abhilashdwarakanath: you have to specify
krish_r123u: there is no absolute reference frame?
abhilashdwarakanath: no dude
abhilashdwarakanath: how can there be?
krish_r123u: yes
krish_r123u: there isnt
krish_r123u: those equations are derived from that
abhilashdwarakanath: the very concept of relativity is to render obsolete absoluteness and simultanity
krish_r123u: so how does it matter what reference frame am i taking? it could be the motion of any two objects with respect to each other... whatever the reference frame, the relative velocity v is constant... and well, that gets omitted when you divide
abhilashdwarakanath: hmm....
krish_r123u: ok
krish_r123u: you want the final expression?
abhilashdwarakanath: yeah
krish_r123u: ok... one minute..
krish_r123u: T/E = To/Eo
krish_r123u: therefore T is proportional to E
krish_r123u: you got it?
abhilashdwarakanath: we aren't looking at proportionality
abhilashdwarakanath: we are looking at equality
krish_r123u: it isnt equal
krish_r123u: just proportional
abhilashdwarakanath: one more thing...relativity is flawed :D
krish_r123u: so i said equavalent
krish_r123u: oh wow NOW you tell me
abhilashdwarakanath: Quantum Mechanics is correct to a degree more than that of Relativity. Relativity and QM both together explain about 90% of the physical laws, but then both contradict each other...heavens! Couldn't God have made a simpler world??! :|
krish_r123u: but the equation i got describes many things... from mythology to slowing of time
krish_r123u: in experiments
krish_r123u: now listen to another thing
abhilashdwarakanath: relativity explained a lot too
abhilashdwarakanath: but how would you explain the acceleration of an EM pulse to 300 times the speed of light?
abhilashdwarakanath: how can it explain creation of matter and energy?
abhilashdwarakanath: QVF?
abhilashdwarakanath: ZPE?
abhilashdwarakanath: it can't
krish_r123u: from the proportionality, T =(To/Eo) E... now for To and Eo, you can take one joule and one second... that is why i said one joule for one second
krish_r123u: hmmm well these experiments... acceleration of other things besides light to greater than c... and stuff... that is when i started thinking twice about relativity
krish_r123u: if you take one and one, you get T = Ec^2
abhilashdwarakanath: relativity is flawed..as i said
krish_r123u: or rather..
krish_r123u: E = c^2 T
abhilashdwarakanath: T = EC^2? :-?
krish_r123u: ..
abhilashdwarakanath: hmmm
krish_r123u: oh sorry damn...
krish_r123u: T = E
krish_r123u: simple
krish_r123u: one joule and one second
krish_r123u: ZPE is a seperate thing altogether... it has to do with the whole of energy itself
krish_r123u: i dont see how it contradicts relativity
abhilashdwarakanath: krish, it does
abhilashdwarakanath: imagine...ZPE speaks of a photon at rest
abhilashdwarakanath: a photon is at rest with respect to what?
abhilashdwarakanath: Relativity wants 2 frames of reference for rest and motion
abhilashdwarakanath: but the bloody photon is in a time-dilated state of its own
abhilashdwarakanath: time means nothing to a photon
abhilashdwarakanath: :D
krish_r123u: hm
krish_r123u: yes
krish_r123u: do you know about waves in a string?
krish_r123u: transverse waves?
krish_r123u: they travel at the same speed... all of them
abhilashdwarakanath: nope...have heard, but that's about it
krish_r123u: no matter what the amplitude or energy
krish_r123u: it just depends on the medium
krish_r123u: now energy, time, distance etc... must be properties of the *medium* through which the photon travels
krish_r123u: at the same speed, no matter whatever the energy
krish_r123u: i think it must be an analogy
abhilashdwarakanath: that's why i always hold Vaccuum isn't vaccuum
abhilashdwarakanath: NOBODY listens to me!!!! :|
krish_r123u: they ruled out ether i know... but i still think there is a medium
krish_r123u: they do
krish_r123u: atleast i know it isnt
krish_r123u: or scientists now know
krish_r123u: latest research into ZPE says just that
abhilashdwarakanath: yup
abhilashdwarakanath: casimir effect
abhilashdwarakanath: it isn't latest...1948.........but validated during the cold war...?
krish_r123u: casimir effect is old, i think.
krish_r123u: there are many later researches
krish_r123u: hmm validated in the 1960s if i am not wrong
krish_r123u: or did someone do it yesterday? :p
abhilashdwarakanath: let me tell you one more thing.......the famous M n M expt which brought relativity to the fore was a little flawed too :D
abhilashdwarakanath: not yesterday :))
krish_r123u: so ether exists?
krish_r123u: YAY !
abhilashdwarakanath: not aether....They had given Aether such properties that would've simply rendered Relativity wrong. Complete elasticity? Constantness of relative drag velocity? Ah...no, they were thinking on very ideal lines.
abhilashdwarakanath: but something
krish_r123u: M n M experiment ruled out the ether.
abhilashdwarakanath: i'd say a completely different manifestation of a primal virtual particle that would have certain...umm...comfortable properties. We cannot see light when it travels through vaccuum. We also, cannot 'see' dark energy or matter. Dark matter comprises 95% of the universe's matter. When the LHC is built at CERN, and they devise an experiment to validate the existence of the Higgs-Boson and the Higgs's field, I think they'll not be able to find it. I somehow, do not like the Higgs-Theory. I would in fact, bet my bottom dollar, on them finding a particle with properties similar and superior to that of the anti-particles that make up dark matter, which would also be in a time dilated state. That brings us to one very logical conclusion. We are looking, thus, at an anti-particle of the Photon. They call it, now, the Scaon. But according to Dirac, there should NOT be an anti-particle of the photon, because of it's time-independentness. Now, this thing contradicts Dirac too. We must remember that Dirac didn't know of Dark Matter at that time. Was there something missing in his theory?
krish_r123u: oh well, not ether with those properties... but a medium of some sort should exist for light to go through it
krish_r123u: ok
abhilashdwarakanath: which is the basis of the universe
krish_r123u: consider a string which is taut and is tied to one end. the other end is jerked... a wave travels. the transfer of energy is seen by the observer, but it is just the motion of particles in the string and so the energy is just transferred due to those particles... but the transfer of energy is what we observe
krish_r123u: the medium must be of some sort which cannot be distinguished... and neither light that travels through it can be distinguished unless it strikes another object
krish_r123u: cause it is the same medium...energy... spacetime..
krish_r123u: any disturbance of the medium causes a photon..
krish_r123u: there is another important thing i want to tell...
krish_r123u: ok. now hmm... i said in that proportionality equation... assume one second for one joule. i just assumed... it may not be valid. However you can get a valid figure. calculate the mass of a radioactive isotope, and also its half life. now... increase its KE, and calculate the half life again. Repeat this experiment till you get a satisfactory number of lines and plot a graph. if it is a straight line, then the two quantities are proportional and the constant is easily found...
krish_r123u: you can try this when you get particle accelerators
krish_r123u: it might give you the equation you wanted
krish_r123u: to unite time and energy..
krish_r123u: ..
krish_r123u: it is a known fact that the half life of a particle changes with energy..
krish_r123u: there?
krish_r123u: *satisfactory number of points..
krish_r123u: ..
abhilashdwarakanath: Krish, basic high school physics will tell you that Time and Energy are proportional because of Velocity dude!! It's simple math! Derive that from any basic relation for energy! We are not looking to compound the equivalence of Time and Energy. We are trying to UNIFY time and energy by EQUATING them to space-time as a function of themselves. We are basically looking to prove "matter and energy is created when in a certain primal perfect particle, time freezes and condenses and gives rise to it's sister form..i.e. energy due to the QM behaviour of the Quantum Field contained within itself, that which would act on Einstein's laws. We are looking to accelerate two different facets of that particle in different directions at the speed of light, which would dilate time to the maximum. Which in principle, means that this particle would infact, be a Boson...which is what the Higgs's particle is....though, the Higgs's field would in all actuality, be this field I mentioned above'.
abhilashdwarakanath: And before I start to contradict myself hopelessly, and get all my concepts wrong, I think I'll go out and get a breath of fresh air! See ya later!
krish_r123u: Ok..see u later!

Deadlines - I MCZ - Today's Update

2006-07-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Just taking a little break from the articles series to post the deadlines for the submission of assignments of the I B.Sc MCZ. I'll post the MCB deadlines when I recieve them.

Constitution Assignment - 26th July (Submit to class rep). 31st July, submit directly in the department.
Zoology Paper - 2nd August
Microbiology Assigment - 1st August
Resume - 29th July - Submit to the zoology professor in class
History of the development of the period table - 27th July

Enjoy!

In search of unifying time and energy - Part II

2006-07-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

Well, Hello all.

Here's the promised next part in the series. It addresses the basic portion of what exactly ZPE is. I am posting it in isolation, and will connect it up with the first post in due time. This isn't actually an article, but an IM conversation over Yahoo Messenger with a friend.

PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THE FACT THAT MY UNDERSTANDING OF CONCEPTS MIGHT BE FLAWED AND WRONG. I HEREBY DO NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY IF YOUR PHYSICS PROFESSOR SCREWS YOU FOR HANDING IN A WRONG PAPER!

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Juhi: zero point energy.........i wanna know more abt it
Abhi: simply put, it's the point where the velocity of a photon becomes zero
Abhi: that is, it is suspended in time
Abhi: but it shouldn't exist if it's velocity becomes zero
Abhi: because, after all, a photon is a virtual force carrying particle
Abhi: but it still exists
Abhi: and it is this force which the photon still carries at v=0, that caused the dielectric plates to crash into each other
Abhi: but it is still a confusing concept because it involves some other principles
Abhi: actually, the zero here isn't the velocity
Abhi: i.e. in the term zero point energy
Abhi: it is the absolute kelvin temperature
Abhi: that's the lowest possible temperature where matter ceases to exist
Juhi: its a bit confusing rite now
Juhi: i'll hav to read the full thing
Abhi: hehe
Abhi: let me put it in a very simple way
Abhi: what happens when you, say pull ALL the energy out from a mechanical spring?
Juhi: soch rahi thi
Abhi: shouldn't it stop oscillating?
Juhi: but how can u pull out all the energy?
Abhi: by stopping it's motion?
Abhi: the energy of a spring is given by 1/2 kx right?
Juhi: ya
Abhi: well, let's apply this analogy to quantum fields
Abhi: a quantum field is a field where every point in space is quantised according to maxwell's laws
Abhi: well, the constant in quantum mechanics, i.e. the quantisation coeffcient is always 'h' right?
Abhi: i.e. planck's constant
Abhi: if we envision a quantum field where the particles behave as wave, then the distance 'x' moved in time 't' in a classical spring should actually, analogically, be the same as the frequency of the EM wave of the particle oscillating at a fixed, quantised point in space right?
Abhi: so what would the energy of such a point in space be? it'd be simply 1/2 h f
Abhi: where f = frequency
Abhi: now comes the interesting part. Heisenberg's uncertainity principle not only holds true for the velocity and position of a particle
Abhi: but also for energy and time relationship of a particle/wave oscillating in space
Abhi: so where does that bring us....we can either measure time, or we can either measure energy to 100% perfection
Abhi: that means there would be an uncertainity in the measurement of either right?
Abhi: that uncertainity is actually this 1/2 hf energy
Juhi: oh now i get it
Abhi: and this, has been attributed to intrinsic quantum behaviour, rather than any measuremental errors!
Juhi: wow!!
Abhi: where we fail to understand the exact nature of ZPE is a totally different matter
Abhi: because, if we calculate the total such energy present in the universe, it'd be simply ENORMOUS
Abhi: one more interesting element is that of the relation of the ZPE to it's frequency
Abhi: when we consider the totality of the universe.....hmm, how do i put it?
Abhi: you know how an EM wave propagates?
Abhi: there are modes in an EM field
Abhi: EM waves are light like radiation that propagate at the speed of light
Abhi: they don't contain matter, but propagate as a function of their frequency, polarisation and wavelength
Abhi: so every mode, MUST have an intricsic energy of atleast 1/2 h f
Abhi: (which in essence is the ZPE)
Abhi: therefore, if we consider constantly propagating waves, their energy depends on their f
Abhi: therefore by analogy of 1/2mv^2, they increase per unit frequency as the square of their frequency
Abhi: get it? or is it confusing?
Abhi: so it'd actually be that the energy depends as the CUBE of the frequency, and this is the ONLY energy in the entire fabric of space time which depends as the cube of frequency...or the intrinsic energy factor
Juhi: this is something interesting
Abhi: it is, VERY interesting
Abhi: it simply destroys our concept of space and time
Juhi: i dont know that energy has a direct relation wid frequency....
Abhi: E = hf
Juhi: physics and maths......not my cup of tea
Abhi: abhi 2 hafte pehle to chem sir ne padhaya tha..hehe
Abhi: planck's relation
Juhi: that i know.......but cube of frequency??
Abhi: well, this is only in the case of ZPE
Abhi: that's why it is totally lorentz invariant, because the cube factor takes care of the the doppler shift...or I should say, the lorentz indiscrepency
Abhi: lorentz variance is the basis of theory of relativity
Abhi: but this ZPE doesn't follow it at all!
Abhi: that's why i had stated at the beginning itself that Relativity is flawed in certain cases
Abhi: okay, won't bore you and bother you anymore
Abhi: just think about this for two days..
Juhi: ya sure.........u've seriously got me thinking
Abhi: well, physics does that
Abhi: do you know, there are breaks in spacetime fabric too?
Abhi: that there's simply nothing there
Abhi: absolutely nothing
Abhi: time is inexistent!
Abhi: and that's something
Abhi: a particle which passes thru such a void simply disappears
Abhi: and reappears
Abhi: it's mass disappears
Abhi: energy disappears
Abhi: violating the laws of conservation of mass and energy
Abhi: and it's this interesting aspect of our universe that's a serious thorn in the backside when it comes to explaining why ZPE isn't behaving according to both the General and Special Theories of relativity
Juhi: hav u spoken to a physics person abt this?
Abhi: not really
Abhi: these are all experimental and documented facts
Abhi: no need to talk to a physicist
Abhi: but my friend and i have our own stupid theories to explain this stuff
Juhi: i mean u should try......
Abhi: which are actually flawed, now i know
Juhi: it might lead u somewhere
Abhi: because we speculated taking relativity as basis
Abhi: and relativity in itself is flawed
Abhi: actually, the paradox of our universe, is its totally irrational
Abhi: relativity and quantum mechanics are contradictory theories, yet they both satisfy a lot of questions...
Abhi: and one satisfies one set of problems, the other, the other set
Abhi: yet both don't satisfy all the questions
Juhi: thats wat makes physics all the more interesting........doesent it??
Abhi: yeah
Abhi: and fricken confoosing too

Abhi: hey, if you don't mind, shall i post this convo as the next part of the series on the time-energy paradox?
Abhi: Not really in the mood to type another article after typing the stuff here once...hehehe
Abhi: i'll edit out stuff and retain the important parts only
Juhi: as u wish i hav no probs........
Abhi: merci, madame!

In search of unifying time and energy - Part I

2006-07-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know this sounds VERY warped and corny, but this is what my hypothesis is, so don't shoot me.

Had been meaning to write this for a long long time. A few months ago, I came across two writeups -

1) The N-Machine
2) Theory of Electrogravity

Now the first observation is quite amazing, since it destroys our fundamental thermodynamical law. That of energy conservation. In simple words, what they (De Palma primarily) did was, they took a magnet, put it in between two oppositely charged insulated plates and rotated it in a Gryoscope, with the help of energy input from a motor. And what did he find? FIVE times the energy given in, was obtained out! Incredible huh?

The explanation given is, in some ways, consistant with the findings of Casimir et al. It says that any energy released by any object, is, not inherent from the object, but of the spatial energy flowing through the object. Hmm...so does this mean, that space is not empty? Ether eh? Well, not really. Something called Quantum Vaccuum Fluctuations has been conceptualised to explain this phenomenon. It is said, that there are random, rapid bursts of energy in space, which happens at best the planckian scale. Energy simply appears and disappears, out of nowhere and into nowhere. Now, although this violates the law 'Energy can neither be created nor destroyed', it does abide by the law of conservation of energy. But then how does the N Machine violate it? Well, if there is no field that would tap this energy, then it'd be fine. But here, the N-Machine creates such a field which taps this energy and releases it.

What Casimir did in 1948 was also quite interesting. He proposed the existance of a hitherto unkown force field between particles at sub micron levels. This was supposed to be due to the interaction of quantised points in space acting as virtual particles, and the QVF. He took two dielectric plates, bound them over under two opposing EM fields in vaccum. What happened was interesting. The two dielectrics crashed into each other! He thus corraborated the existance of Zero Point Energy.

What is Zero Point Energy? Next installment tomorrow.......

When I Have Sung My Songs To You...Nah, it's not Nelson Eddie's song

2006-07-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

This one's a poem I wrote flouting most rules of poetry, actually and grammar too. But it's following a wierd pattern that just happened by...hmm. Check it out.

WHEN I HAVE SUNG MY SONGS TO YOU . . .

And when all intrigues are done with,

And when all jealousy is banished forthwith,

And when all hate is vanquished herewith,

Love will still be Love.

And when all kisses have been kissed,

And when all devotion has been promised,

And when all wishes have been wished,

Love will still be Love.

And when all white is maimed,

And when all respect is chained,

And when all fear is sustained,

Love will still be Love.

And when all battles have been fought,

And when all gallantry has been taught,

And when all ideas have been thought,

Love will still be Love.

And when all fires have been quelled,

And when all egos have been felled,

And when all flowers have been smelled,

Love will still be Love.

And when all pride has been humbled,

And when all stones of wrath have been crumbled,

And when words of regret have been mumbled,

Love will still be Love.

And when sweet librettos have been spoken,

And when all ice of ambiguity has been broken,

And when dying embers of life have been woken,

Love will still be Love.

When I have sung my songs to you,

I will sing no more . . .

When I have given my life unto you,

I will give no more . . .

But for one loyal, one faithful;

Am I singing on and on, till eternity…

Because, Love will still be Love.

The Philosophy In Raindrops

2006-07-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

No introductory piece...just read. That's my take on what the raindrops murmur away...

STREAMS OF LIFE

Enough of pitter – patter, I command thou,

Torrential rains, let it rain, I beseech thou,

O’ sovereign of the skies, to you I bow,

Open your bounty, let thy blessings shower,

On every meadow, moor, oak and its bough.

Sailing on the barge of life,

everything was quiet and calm,

Like before the birth of a born,

The essence calmed the qualm.

Mother heaven opened her bosom,

To give unto mortals her offspring of rain.

In that very rainbow, I saw myriad colours,

Birth, youth, pain, agony, death, life; all,

Overlapped into one contour, in that,

Twilight of unfailing life.

Strolling along the streets of destiny,

Saw I, streams of water from rain, many.

Not one flowed straight, As though bent by a weight.

All was revealed, in that moment I dwelt,

The truth of all omnipotent, omniscient, I felt.

Struggling along their destined path, they follow,

Not once in lethargy do they wallow.

Winding along the corners of life,

Thus they spoke, “Live! O’ scion of Manu’s race,

Live for Mother Earth, who has borne us through age,

You are none, but destiny’s pawn, destiny’s child!”

Incessantly did it rain, for that had the Lord ordained,

To teach his human race, to live life at its pace.

To take every obstacle in its stride,

To meet the challenge of these mighty hills,

Of these lofty reminiscent of a silvery past,

Of Truth, of loyalty, of “Gold – God – Glory” long past.

And then suddenly, did the rains cease,

As reins pulled to a raging steed.

And everything was all a – new,

Clear as crystal, fresh as morning dew.

Then it showed up bright,

My mind’s candles lit for a flight,

Into the dungeons of knowledge.

To expel the darkness of ignorance,

To steer the ship of truth,

To its destination, to the Isle of Man,

And to revel in the glory of the dawn,

Of life, burst forth from the pod of wisdom,

And everything wise – “LIVE ALL YE MERCIFUL”!

An Ode To Love...

2006-07-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I had to upadte my blog, so I chose to put up some of my random scribblings, which I am wont to do when in wierd moods...

Here's one regarding..ahem...love.

PS - Please don't plagiarise from here. This section, herewith, is declared an original piece of work by Abhilash Dwarakanath. Those who copy off this will find themselves with their tongues cut off and fingers burnt with HOT oil!

AND I WILL LOVE YOU

A fire that blazes, rages and shimmers,

A Fall that quells, cools and glimmers,

A gentle petal sheds tears, helplessly flutters,

A stream that flows, meanders and stutters,

And I think of you, my love.

A heartbeat so melodious in love,

Satin locks, sensuous, subtle as mauve,

A voice that chimes, warms and cares,

A soul so chaste, yet so bare,

And I speak of you my love.

A cloud, high above, in the heavens it swirls,

An orchid, lovingly hugs a bark, it en-twirls,

A blade of grass, kissed by the breeze, sways,

A lark, it sings on many a spring day,

And I remember you my love.

The cloud shall indeed, turn grey and pour,

The heart shall sigh and sound no more,

The stream will, of all, reach its shore,

But, O’ Honey Eyed, I will love you forever more,

From within the passionate confines of my heart,

And I will love you…..

Remembering The Golden Era - Part III (Last)

2006-07-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

Nehru type fundamentalism was raising its head, and whole country felt influenced, so how could the Film Industry be left behind? The BR Chopra banner produced the evergreen classic Naya Daur (1957) with Dilip Kumar and Vijayanthimala, Mother India with Nargis and Haqeeqt with Dharmendra (although this wasn’t a BR film). Nutan’s performance in Mother India rightly won her the Filmfare Award and this is to this day hailed as the best ever performance by an Indian actress.

Guru Dutt released his masterpiece Kagaz Ke Phool in 1959, and to his utter disbelief and the Industry’s shock, it was a disaster at the box office. Kagaz Ke Phool was a classic in every sense. Waheeda’s brilliant acting, Dutt’s mastery over the shots, V Murthy’s cinematography, the sets, lighting, every frame was a gem. The most well remembered scene is one in which Waheeda runs to meet Dutt, but is besieged by fans wanting her autograph, and the dewy melancholic smile of Dutt haunting the hall. Truly unforgettable.

So after a string of success like Baazi, Aar Paar (which saw the first hit of the maverick music director O.P.Nayyar) Mr and Mrs 55, and Jaal, he couldn’t take the shock, and went into deep depression. It is always said that Guru Dutta Padukone, couldn’t take failure, and that’s what killed the genius who was ahead of his time, at the young age of 39.

The songs were hits, especially the unforgettable Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam by his wife, the melodious and beautiful Geeta Dutt. But the best film easily of this decade, his magnum opus, Pyaasa, happened in 1956. Never has a story been told so realistically, so artistically and so humanely, before the Indian audience. No movie has ever matched up to the resonating reality of Pyaasa. It was in many ways Guru Dutt’s life story, and Waheeda Rahman delivered a sterling performance as the Streetwalker “Gulab”, who falls for the rejected poet. This story is so terribly moving that you literally feel the actor’s disappointment and frustration when he sings Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye To Kya Hai, feel the waves of passionate patriotism when he asks Jinhein Naaz Hai Hind Par Who Kahaan Hai. This song was banned by the Indian govt. because it projected the reality. Dada Burman provided minimal music to these songs and a very similar plaintive tune, because he felt, otherwise, it would take away the poetry of Sahir Ludhianvi. Pyaasa was definitely Oscar material. Guru Dutt, the cinematic genius, went on to star in Bimal Mitra’s magnum opus Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and the film became a resounding success. Set in a crumbling 19th century haveli, symbolic of the slow decay of feudalism, the film told the tale of the lovely yet unloved chhoti bahu (Meena Kumari). Spurned by her husband yet desperately in love with him, she seeks support from her ghulam, Bhootnath (Guru Dutt), and increasingly from alcohol. To this day, confusion reigns; was it Guru Dutt who called the shots in this film, or was it Abrar Alvi whose name rolls in the credits?

In the late forties and early fifties, a young lad from Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh was looking for work. His elder brother, Ashok Kumar was already setting the screen alight with his on-screen escapades with Devika Rani. Abhas Kumar Ganguly changed his name to Kishore Kumar and came to Bombay Talkies looking to sing, a passion he had imbibed from his idol, KL Saigal. He sang his first song, Marne Ki Duwaayen Kyon Maangon for director Khemchand Prakash in the movie Ziddi (1948). He also starred in movies like Naukri (Salil Chaudhry didn’t believe in this untrained singer and was at the point of calling in Hemanta to sing for him!), Chalti Ka Naam Gadi, Ladki, Asha, New Delhi, all hits. This was just the early fifties again. Dada Burman is credited with noticing the spark early in this totally eccentric and maverick singer, actor, dancer, comedian, director, producer, composer, lyricist, and what not. Such captive songs hugged to the heart by a whole earlier generation as Kusoor aap ka huzoor aap ka (from AVM's Bahar: 1951); Kachchee pakkee sadkon pe meree tumtum (from Pyar); Ae meree topee palat ke aa (from Funtoosh); Mere labon pe dekhon aaj bhee tarane hain (from Navketan's Baazi: 1951); Chahe koi khush ho chahe gaaliyaan hazaar de (from Taxi Driver); Maana janaab ne pukaraa naheen (from Paying Guest); Ek ladkee bheegee bhaagee see (from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi); Dho le too aaj apne dil ke sab daag dho le (from Apna Haath Jagannath); and Pahli na doosree teesree pasand hai shaadee ka kar lo intezaar (from Madhbhare Nain), Kishore finally found his mark. But this King Lear’s fool was notorious for missing out on recordings, bunking dates and jilting directors, that he slowly lost water. He found his mark with Aradhana in 1971, but that’s a wholly different era.

The Beatles had finally happened in the west. The culture of rock and roll, ruled for over two decades by The King, Elvis Presley, was handed over to these four new age artistes. Something similar was happening on the Indian front too. Hippy culture came up, movie viewing perspective changed, the approach to film making and acting changed. Most importantly, the music changed. The early sixties saw the entry of the my favourite, and the King of Ghazals, considered by many to be the best music director ever, Madan Mohan. Sad, that none of his movies were run away hits. But his songs were gems, and Madan-Lata combination is a thing of legends. With her “Rakhee” brother, Lata delivered the best of her very best, Lagja gale se (Who kaun thi 1962), Nainon mein bhadra chaye, Mera saaya (both from mera saaya), Naina barse rimjhim rimjhim (Who Kaun Thi), Woh Bhooli Daastan (Sanjog), Aapki Nazaron ne samjha (anpadh) and the entire sound tracks of Heer-Ranjha, and Laila –Majnu, went on to become classics, but sadly, only after Madan died of excessive drinking and depression. We lost the most talented composer ever. But the sixties also saw the revival of Dada Burman and the entry of New Age Cinema. Classics like Sahib Bibi aur ghulam, Guide, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Pakeezah, Mughal E Azam, Ganga Jamuna, Ram Aur Shyam, Sita Aur Gita, Johnny Mera Naam, Gambler, Jewel Theif, and the movie that failed miserably at the box office, but is considered a cult classic today – Mera Naam Joker and the lush green foreign locales and sweet love stories of An Evening in Paris, Love in Tokyo, Waqt, Purab Aur Paschim etc made the sixties one of the most memorable phases of Indian Cinema.

Remembering The Golden Era - Part II

2006-06-26T02:02:00.000-07:00

Fast forwarding to the fifties; the start of the Golden Era (actually, its pretty difficult to draw a line where it exactly started….was it with the entry of actors like Dev Anand, Madhubala, Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rahman, or with the success of the great singers?..so my narrative will keep going back and forth as and when required, because this is written from memory), the Indian audience received the pathos filled, melancholy eyed romantic hero in Dilip Kumar, and to a lesser extent, Ashok Kumar. Dilip Kumar became the youth icon, fulfilling the teenage passion of ungiven love with classic performances in Jwar Bhatta (debut), Kismet, Milan (1946), Yahudi, and Kohinoor. His break was courtesy Devika Rani, the biggest female star of the 1940’s. She ruled the Bombay Talkies with an iron rod and delivered memorable hits due to sheer quality and management. Dilip Kumar perfected his histrionic skills owing to a well stocked library and theatre at Bombay Talkies. He got the major chunk of the Romantic but tragic hero roles, owing to his impeccable emotional quotient, chocolate good looks and a debonair reserved manner of diction. People identified with this screen idol from across the border and the younger generation took to him instantly. It was nothing new to see young maidens coming out of the theatre weeping copious tears and the eyes of some weak hearted gents would also be glistening. The best remembered and the most heart rendering scene is one when Dilip Kumar comes in and asks Suchitra Sen “Kaisi Hai Paro?”, and Suchitra Sen burns her fingers with a match. That was the smouldering love of Devdas for his Paro, in the best ever Devdas film, Devdas (1955). The Devdas of 2002 is no match for the emotional vitality of the 1955 one; huge sets and crores of rupees do not make up for dry acting. Dilip struck gold in 1948 when Shaheed and Mela came quick on each others heels and helped him dig his heels into the Hindi film world. Fortunately, Kumar could be irreverently funny too. Witness his turn as the audacious peasant who tames a shrewish princess (Nadira) in Aan [1952]. But Dilip seemed to gravitate towards roles that scorched the viewers with sheer intensity. In the mid-1950s came a professionally-fulfilling association with Bimal Roy --- Madhumati [1958], Yahudi [1958] and especially Devdas [1955]. Another film meriting mention here is the horror flick Madhumati. It’s the grandmother of reincarnation stories. Dilip Kumar again delivered a smashing performance, and upheld the very core of love when he commits suicide because his beloved gets murdered. Madhumati is also remembered as Salil Chaudhry’s best Hindi musical score, with gems such as Aaja Re Pardesi, hauntingly delivered by Lata, and the travel song Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam Hasin, immortalized by the genius of Mukesh. That was romance then, when the hero would die for his beloved, and romance now is when the hero shouts that if the girl can’t be his, he’ll make life hell for her. Gosh!

No history of the film industry is complete without a sketch of Madhubala. Debuting in 1942, Indian flim industry’s single most beautiful heroine became a rage with her first hit film, Mahal in 1949. Partly, Lata’s haunting number Aayega Aanewala, contributed to its success, but there was no question as to this lady’s acting; boy could she act! With successes like Tarana, Amar, Neel Kamal (1946), crime thrillers like Howrah Bridge and later comedies like Mr and Mrs 55, and the evergreen laugh riot Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi set her up as the unquestionable queen of cinema. Rarely is one blessed with so much talent, and when one is, it doesn’t remain long enough….she was only 36 when she died of a heart ailment and left behind a legion of memories of this hauntingly beautiful face that still enthrals millions of hearts. Both Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle have sung songs for this girl, but Asha seems to snatch away the magic of Seene mein sulagte hain armaan, Guzra hua zamana, Tere sadqe balam and other Lata gems with numbers like Aaiye Meherbaan, Acchca Ji main hari, Haal kaisa hai janaab ka and Piya piya na lago mora jiya, an earthy folksy number from Phagun.

Another tragic lover boy was the handsome and genteel Sunil Dutt. He delivered some awesome hits, the best of the 50’s being Sujata (1959); his on-screen chemistry with Nutan being the stuff of legends, in other films like Bandidi, Milan etc. Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani sitting chastely apart and singing a sweet love song was the height of Eroticism those days. And the young India took in every drop of this sweet poison. The late forties also saw the emergence and establishment of Raj Kapoor as one of the finest directors and actors ever. Awara (1949), Barsaat (1951) became runaway hits and the RK-Nargis chemistry burnt up the screen. Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua, Dum Bhar Jo Udhar Munh Phere woh chanda, Awara Hoon, redefined the ideals of love and romance. A rain soaked Nargis and RK under one umbrella walking serenely on a lonely road is still a frame that inspires many a young heart. Into the fifties, Guru Dutt took center stage. A fine actor, brilliant director, with a knack for selecting the right combination of technicians and artistes, he revolutionized film making.

Devdutt Pishorimal Anand from Gurdaspur Punjab changed his name to Dev Anand and came to Mumbai in 1943. He and Guru Dutt became the best of buddies and a string of Dutt-Anand ventures were too follow which were resounding success. He also fell in love with the songstress Suraiyya, but her granny nipped the romance in the bud. He and his brother Chetan Anand, under the Navketan banner started to produce films, with Guru Dutt directing most of them. He delivered hits like CID, Taxi Driver, Hum Dono and married his heroine Kalpana Kartik in a lunch break on the sets of Taxi Driver!

This was also when actors, producers and lyricists settled into harmonious partnerships, making the entry of other very talented composers like Madan Mohan very difficult. While on one hand it was RK-Shankar-Jaikishen-Shaiendra-Hasrat-Jaipuri, it was Dilip Kumar-Naushad-BR Chopra, and Guru Dutt-SD Burman under the Navketan Banner-Shair Ludhianvi. Lata and Rafi ruled the roost in the fifties, but younger sister Asha wouldn’t be left behind. She literally seduced the country with her extremely sexy and inviting Aaiye Meherbaan for Madhubala (who else) in Howrah Bridge. Asha also sang some lilting melodies in Pyaasa and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, but success was to elude her due to the clout held by her elder sister.

The music directors went mad, and suddenly she was besieged with offers to sing such stereotyped cabaret numbers and hip-hop sequences. By now, Talat and Mukesh had realized their folly, and tried to make a comeback. Mukesh got his chance with blockbusters like Dharmatma, Aan, Aah, Awara, Barsaat, Phir Subah Hogi and Hariyali Aur Raasta. His greatest songs are Chal Akela (Sambandh), Jinhein Hum Bhoolna Chahein (Aabro), Jis Dil Mein Basa Tha Pyar Tera, and a host of other songs. He became established once again as the voice of the sacrificial romantic hero. Here, it is interesting to note, that though he sang for Dilip Kumar in Andaaz (1949) and Rafi sang for RK, Mukesh later on was to be identified as the voice of RK. Talat, still looking around, managed to convince Dada Burman to give him one chance. The song was to be picturised on a helpless Sunil Dutt declaring his love over the phone to a weeping Nutan in Sujata (1959). No song had ever pulled at the heartstrings of young teens, forbidden in their romantic pursuits in that era of unwarranted prudery than this one. Jalte Hain Jiske Liye became a smashing success and Talat regained lost territory, but could somehow never regain his past mastery. Though, we now remember him as the King Of Ghazals, who cut his first gramophone record at the age of 18 with HMV and gave us gems like Itna na mujhse tu pyar badha, Humse Aaya Na Gaya, Hai Sabse Madhur Who Geet, Milte Hi Aankhen Dil Hua, Aye Mere Dil Kahin Aur Chal etc. Hemant Kumar was also going great guns with smash hits like Hai Apna Dil To Awara which ended as the top number in the 1957 Binaca Geetmala, Chandan Ka Palna (Shabab), Yaad Kiya Dilne Kahaan Ho Tum (Patita), Chandni Raatein Pyar Ki Baatein (Jaal), Chupa Lo Yun Dil Mein (Mamta)…all duets with Lata.

Remembering The Golden Era - PART I

2006-06-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Golden Era Remembered….

Chupna sakega ishq hamara, chaaron taraf hai unka nazara …so danced the ravishingly beautiful Madhubala with a defiant smile lighting up the entire court, as the regal and majestic veteran actor Prithviraj Kapoor for once looked shaken at the reflections of a thousand Anarkalis twirling around, cast dizzyingly on the mirrored walls of the breathtakingly beautiful replica of the Mirror-Hall at Agra Fort, as Dilip Kumar as Prince Salim looked on bemusedly and triumphantly at his powerful father. For me, that defined the most magical moment of Indian Cinema, and aptly, it belonged to the Golden Era. K. Asif’s magnum opus, Mughal E Azam, was released in 1960 and went on to become the biggest ever commercial success then (before Sholay happened).

Before objectively viewing the Golden Era (late 40’s, 50’s, most part of 60’s), we need to look at what started off the 100 year old history of Indian cinema. 1896 was the first time a “Movie” was shown in India, at Watson Hotel, Mumbai (Bombay). The “Burra Sahibs” and their “Gori Mems” thronged in carriages to catch this defining moment. This started off the Indian Film Industry. Dada Saheb Phalke released the first full length film, Raja Harishchandra in 1913. The first Talkie to be released in India was Alam Ara in 1931, four years after The Jazz Singer debuted in the United States. Music and dance is in our blood, so the films of yore were complete musicals. A film would have as many as 30 songs even! It was the pre-requisite for any actor to be proficient in singing. The thirties saw the entry of Kundan Lal Saigal, the thespian actor, Ashok Kumar Ganguly, fondly known as Dadamoni, the majestic Devika Rani, and other early patrons of the new art on the Cinematic scene, and there was no looking back.

The thirties also saw the advent of the studio system. The Indian film industry regrouped itself into three significant camps – New Theatres of Bengal, which to this day has produced the best films (Devdas 1935, biggest hit of that era, established KL Saigal’s legendary career), heralded by P.C Barua and later by Salil Chaudhry; The Prabhat Flim Company, established by Damale, V Shantaram and S Fatehlal, which pioneered the concept of spreading awareness among the masses using Films as a media; and the Bombay Talkies (Achut Kanya, 1936, first film which had playback-recorded songs which were runaway hits).

This era saw the emergence and phenomenal success of Singing Stars like the legendary KL Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Amirbai Karnataki, Noor Jehan, Suraiyya etc. It also popularized the low octave nasal twanged singing of pathos filled numbers, mainly by Saigal and Mullick. Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya, To Jee Ke Kya Karenge is a classic even today, first rendered by Saigal. The music directors then were feudal lords, with Serfs working tirelessly for them, churning out monotonous tunes. After Saigal’s death in 1946, there was a severe dearth of singing stars. The one music director who ruled roost with exclusive movies right from the 30s to the early 50s is the greatest of the great Anil Biswas. He structured the modern Hindi song giving it the modern shape of a Mukhda and several Antaras. He gave Talat Mahmood his first break with the evergreen sublime melody Aye Dil Mujhe Aisi Jagah Le Chal. He created magic with Talat Mahmood, Mannadey and Lata...giving masterpieces like Pi Bin Sooni Re, Ritu Aaye Ritu Jaaye etc. Another maveric Musid Director was the genius of Sajjad Hussain. Neither has the screen seen a composer like him, nor will it ever see. He was a genius very much ahead of his time, and like all geniuses, eccentric. He scored only 14 recorded songs in his short career, but each of them is a masterpiece. His most famous movie remains Sangdil, with Talat's Yeh Hawa Raat Yeh Chandni set in the majestic night raga of Raag Darbari creating absolute magic. Anil Biswas once said of Sajjad Hussain, that he is the only original composer...everyone else has to turn to some source of inspiration. Sadly, this genius was boorish, rude and always irritable, and never satisfied with his own work. So no one approached him for scoring music, and he slowly faded away and we lost a BIG chunk of Gold.

This was the time when singers like Mukesh, Rafi and the vastly under-rated but great Talat Mahmood were scouring for footholds in this harsh industry. Mukesh, first termed as a very good Saigal Mimic, but ineffectual, heralded in the era of the new singers with his near perfect rendering of Dil Jalta Hai in 1945, and ironically, it was a perfect Saigal imitation. It was a runaway hit and Mukesh Chand Mathur established himself as the leading singer of the day (To this day, he’s both my dad’s and my favourite). This was about the same time when a young prodigy named Latabai Dinanath Mangeshkar, with nothing to look after her family (her father, Pt. Dinanath Mangeshkar had died of a heart attack following the invasion of Talkie Cinema) knocked on Ghulam Haidar’s doors. He heard her, and took her to Subodh Mukherjee’s studio for a recording. She was instantly rejected, the reason being, “Iski aawaz to bahut patli hai”. Apparently, she was no match for heavy throated, bass voiced Punjabi singers like Zohrabai Ambalewali, Rajkumari Dubey etc. Ghulam Haider was incensed; he made a prophecy about composers begging at her feet to sing for them, and the rest is history. With one song, Aayega Aanawala, in Mahal, 1949, she swept clean the careers of those inane male-voiced Punjabi singers. Success had gone to Talat’s and Mukesh’s heads, they turned to acting. Then came in the pleasant mannered lad from Lahore, trained under the able baton of the great Ust. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, who could sing at any pitch, and could even amazingly hold three octaves together, without going once out of tune. He sang Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki for the film Dulari, and we acclaimed the entry of the unmatched genius of the great Mohammad Rafi. Around this time itself, two young men of Bengal, from New Theatres, forayed into Hindi Cinema. One was the firebrand lyricist and musician, Salil Chaudhry, banned by AIR for his anti-British songs and poems, and the other was the silken voiced debonair Hemanta Mukherjee. Salil Chaudhry took Hemanta a.k.a Hemant Kumar under his wings, and they went on to become a rage in Bengal; they invented a new form of Bengali Music called Kavya Geet. Salilda once said of Hemant Kumar, that if God ever sang, it would be in Hemant’s voice. Hemant also showed his mettle in the Bombay film industry with such classics as Sunja Dil Ki Daastan in Jaal. Another Babu Moshai to make his mark was the unparalled Manna Dey. Though he maintained a low profile throughout his career, he is still undisputedly the best male singer the Indian Film Industry has seen, in terms of proficiency and talent. Note, that there’s a difference in proficiency and acceptability. His sheer range and overtones were unmatched, even by the great Rafi. Manna Dey perfected his style of Semi-Classical singing and was one of the finest exponents of Rabindrageet and Nazrulgeet. His classical song “Ketki Gulab Juhi Champak Ban Phule” in Raag Basant is considered the best ever classical compositon sung on the silver screen. And aptly, it was a duet with Sangeet Sartaj, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi and was a part of the film Basant Bahar, which has some of the finest classical compositions ever heard on the silver screen. Even more fitting, the song was composed by the unrivalled duo of Shankar-Jaikishen who changed the scene of Hindi Film music forever with their entry in the late forties, and ruled the industry for three decades; and won 9 filmfare awards, a feat still to be surpassed by anyone in any category. The 1950s saw a spate of musicals, which were based on great musicians lives. Baiju Bawra 1952, Basant Bahar 1956, Sangeet Samrat Tansen, Rani Roopmati were some of them. Bharat Bhushan, the reserved, dopey eyed actor was the automatic choice for most of these movies, and he teamed up excellently with Rafi and Manna Dey to deliver some of the most intricate and pleasing classical songs on silver screen with Naushad and Shankar-Jaikishen

Mr. Himesh Reshammiya par gussa kyon aata hai?

2006-06-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone.

If there’s one man we love to hate, it has to be Himesh Reshammiya. It’s an all or none event with him; either you love him or hate him! And it reaches fantastic heights. People hate him for his attitude, his antics on C-2005 and his ever-stagnant music. But there’s no doubting the fact that he’s on top now. And people love him for that.

An article called him a role model for youngsters. Maybe. We need to look at the reasons as to why he’s so hot now.

1) The Indian youth believes in aping the west. It goes to such a height that speaking in your own mother tongue with friends is considered un-cool! God save the country! In such a time, HR comes out with totally western styled club tracks with lots of adrenaline pumping beats and technical gimmicks. Why wouldn’t the youth be attracted? MTV phenomenon? Just bakras…actually.

2) Indian traditional values of old have taken a beating, to such an extent that humility, respect, values, etc are considered out, and throwing your weight about, being arrogant, in-your-face, aggressive is considered in. Western phenomenon again? HR is a personification of the above phenomenon.

3) Our music industry is going through a phase akin to the depression of the 80s. Absolutely lame, inane, copied music floating about. In these times, HR, being an astute marketing brain, has launched his brand of music which is different.

4) Our youth does not understand the beauty or variety of Indian Music. The MTV phenomenon makes them believe that whatever western is the best. They think that music is only to titillate the senses and a medium to dance to, in clubs and discotheques. Pop Culture rules. So people with no music sense also make hay under the sun. Someone heard of Harry Anand?

We have no problem with the man making such music. We have no problems with the man being at the top. But some people who are die hard fanatics, have accused us of being jealous of his success. Were we jealous of Dada Burman’s success? His commercial success remains unparalleled today. Were we jealous of Rafi Sahab, whose repute as a singer remains unchallenged? Or are we ever jealous of Lataji, who commands such respect that would be the dream of Kings? No. Then why accuse us of jealousy?
On what basis? We, who have nothing to do with music and are just listeners, are jealous of the man? The need doesn’t arise. If we don’t like something, we just won’t listen to it. It’s as simple as that. No one made such a hue and cry over Anand-Milind and Nadeem-Shravan and Pritam etc getting accolades. They were quite pathetic too. Why only HR and Anu Malik and the likes? It’s because of the way they go about doing their job and their attitude in the media. It’s how their aggressive and obsessive marketing strategies are spoiling the aesthetics of the Indian Youth.

Let’s have a review of his antics on C-2005, when he first came into the public glare. Compiled below are some of his comments and misdemeanour –

a) ‘Aajkal Rafi ko kaun sunta hai’ – Well, him being a composer should know that one singer who can never ever go out of the minds of people is Rafi sahab. He himself has said that Rafi was one of his inspirations. Quite contradictory. Or was that statement just to demoralize a contestant who sang his song?

b) ‘Yeh gaana to aapke south ke SPB aur Yesudas bhi nahin gaa sakte’ – Well, him being a music composer should know the capabilities of these two great Padmashris, who’re known for their versatility and who’ve achieved the zenith the realms of both classical and popular music.

c) ‘Yeh SPB ka hangover nahin gaya abhi bhi tumhara’ – Does he mean to say that if a South Indian participates in a Hindi contest, he shouldn’t be influenced by his favourite south Indian singer? He talks as if it were a sin to sing like a legend, and that too, when the poor contestant was the only one with a truly original voice. Whereas his contestant was an out and out clone.

d) ‘Investing in my contestant is like investing in the country’ – What will the country gain by ‘investing’ in a 17 year old singer? It’s too ridiculous to even analyze.

e) ‘Please vote for my contestant’s love’ – Whereas all the time we thought it was a singing contest.

f) ‘Assam ki voice is not India’s Voice’ – Well well, here we were all thinking that Assam was a part of India. By supporting this statement directly, he launched a direct attack on the sensibilities of a part of the motherland which has witnessed much discrimination and violence. By doing this, he was helping in just furthering this discrimination. Legally, he is liable to be booked under Treason and Harming National Integrity.

g) There is a reason the teams were called Gharanas. In Indian Musical tradition, a Gharana is a unique entity which belongs to a certain place, and whose members are classical musicians. They take training from their Gurus in the style of the Ancient Gurukul system…i.e. oral tradition. There are certain norms to be followed both by a student and his Guru. Without going into the details, let us talk about the humanitarian aspects. A Guru is responsible for his ward’s educational upbringing as well as moral upbringing. A Guru ceases to be a Guru when he ceases to concentrate on both. Apart from teaching his student music, a Guru in a Gharana teaches him devotion, humility, respect for his art and respect for his people. He corrects the student when he does a mistake and reprimands him when he goes wrong. He appreciates his student when he does well, but takes care that his praise doesn’t make the student arrogant.
What Himesh did was totally the opposite. He ignored his other wards, praised his favourite to the skies, never corrected his mistakes, made him believe he was the best, deteriorated his singing (apparent in his last few performances…that nasal touch in ‘Saathi-yoNN’) and taught him to sing with an ‘attitude’ apparently. He marketed him so aggressively that people slowly lost interest in his student. He used all sorts of methods to gain votes for him, major one being the Love Story. He asked for votes saying he’ll reveal Vinit’s love in the finals, and then we come to know that it was all a gimmick. Since there is money involved in this, Himesh is also liable to be booked under Section 420 (A) of the IPC for ‘Cheating’. Leave the legal bit; it’s morally not correct to do that. It was a singing contest and all this nonsense shouldn’t have been used to gather votes. If he really had confidence in his singer, he wouldn’t have resorted to this. And he made his student so arrogant, that the classical masters would be flabbergasted at Gajji for using the words ‘Gharana’ and ‘Guru’ in this context. Eg of Vinit’s arrogance – Excerpt from his interview – “If there had been judges, I’d have won the contest. Debojit is not a bad singer, but everyone knows that there were faults in the voting system”. Reeks of arrogance? Yeah, has a typically HR trademark on that. Can you imagine any of the olden or contemporary greats talking about their fellow singers like that? Rafi Sahab, the gentlest and humblest singer, would’ve been ashamed of being Vinit’s idol! No true musician undermines other musicians. HR’s contempt of Debojit and consequent ill treatment of him makes him a dubious person to be called a musician.

That was about his conduct on a show watched by millions of people on National TV.
A composer should be well versed with most forms of music. In India, it translates into Classical, Folk, Western classical and folk and some other forms. The zamana now is such, that most people don’t understand the Sa of classical music. It’s quite easy for anyone with cursory knowledge to shoot off high sounding words and impress the public.

Some excerpts regarding this and some explanations -

1) Is there a key philosophy to your music?
I love to simplify the ragas and use them in my music as much as possible. Simplified ragas and lively orchestrating. And you catch the attention of the young, and slowly older audiences surrender too to the music. Mr. HR should know some basic information about Ragas.
A raga is a set and a predefined scale with a set ascending and descening pattern, depending upon the mood of the raga; i.e. the bhava with which the mind is to be painted. These base scales are used in compositions and there are certain rules. YOU SIMPLY CANNOT TAMPER WITH A RAGA AND STILL KEEP ITS TRUE NATURE. It is science; science of sound. Each note corresponds to a certain frequency, ordained in the sounds of nature. You cannot ‘simplify’ a raga.
Here’s the Bilawal raga, pray, someone simplify and give it to me –
Aa - S R G m P D N S’ : Av – S’ N D P m G R S.
When a song is composed, you have an option of composing to a set raga, or use a melody of your own. When a raga based song is composed, composers take care to use only the notes of the raga, and use the grace notes as less as possible.
Eg – Man Tadpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj – Raag Malkauns, one of the prime examples of a pure raga being used to the point. Composer – Naushad.
Or you can use the notes of a raga and follow its pattern very loosely and attach grace notes of your own. That allows you to waver from the original mood of the raga and do whatever gimmicks you want to. It’s a misconception that all raga based music is melancholy. Here are some examples.
Eg – Yeh Hawa Yeh Raat Yeh Chandni – Raag Darbari Kanada, Sajjad Hussain. Veer Rasa raga used to compose a romantic tune, with grace notes.
Eg – O Duniya Ke Rakhwale – Raag Darbari Kanada, Naushad. Minimum or nil use of grace notes, used to compose the saddest song ever. Has the reputation of being the finest song ever composed. A Veer Rasa raag used to compose a sad song.
Eg – Pag Ghungroo Baandh – Raag Darbari Kanada, Bappi Lahiri. Use of a lively western rhythm in conjunction with a tarana styled composition which is an out and out fun song. Again, interesting use of the raga.
We observe that the raga here is not simplified, but has been used in different ways by different composers.

2) Some critics say that your Sufiyan kind of songs with Middle Eastern layers of music sound too similar.
I truly believe in variation. Even then, the critics would be surprised by the soundtrack of some of the forthcoming films. Variation? What variation is he talking about. If you closely observe some of his recent compositions, the metre of the songs is the same, the refrains are the same, the chords are the same. What kind of variation is that? And he recycles his beats too. Moreover, he recycles his orchestration a lot too. The opening violin notes of Jhalak Dikhlaja, ABA and Tera Suroor are just marginally different, same scale, same melodic pattern. One more thing; Sufi is a genre of music that has its roots in Persian and Hindustani Classical music. Sufi music is ALWAYS sung for the one above, and is high pitched and based on a raga or a Persian mode. Afterall, many Hindustani Raags are derived from Persian Modes. Simply because he sings in a high pitch does not mean what he sings is Sufi, because the lyrics are NOT in the praise of the lord. And one more rider. When you sing high pitched, you are not nasal. Look at Rafi Sahab’s songs and then decide. Examples later.

3) What have you taken most from your father?
Him constantly telling me to be humble, and I think that is very important in any field. He was an innovator in his own field, and he was also responsible for introducing electronic instruments in the movie industry. I have learned from him to be daring and experimental. He has claimed that he learnt classical music from his father Vipin Reshammiya. I’d like to investigate that claim. There’s a reason behind that. His father was a brass player in L-P’s orchestra. If you read Salil Choudhry’s interviews, you’ll find he’s a master of Western Classical music. In those days, the two-man teams had quite good orchestrations. Why? Because one man was the composer and the other man was an orchestrator. Why? Because the orchestra does NOT play according to Indian notations! That’s why people like Naushad, Madan Mohan, Salilda had an upperhand, because they knew and they could adapt their tunes well to the demands of a western orchestra. If Vipin Reshammiya was a brass player, then how could he know the intricacies of classical music that only a teacher will know? That’s one point. Second thing is that it was Kalyanjibhai of Kalyanji-Anandji, who gets the credit for introducing the first electronic instrument into Indian Film Music…the Claviolin. Then it was Pancham who introduced the Keyboard, and Bappi Lahiri who introduced the electric guitar. L-P have a distinction in the sense that they’ve been the only music composers of the time who kept their music completely Indian in nature. They made extensive use of the Dholak, the Tabla, the Sitar, Violin etc. They used western instruments very sparingly; in fact, you can count the songs on your hands. What use would that make of electronic instruments? It’s these kinds of ambiguous places where HR misleads the Indian Public.

4) You are also known for the speed with which you compose.
I am restless. I think I have more than a 1,000 tunes in my song bank. But I also know that unless I have worked on those tunes a lot and they are set to good lyrics, they are not going to be successful. Many people do not know how hard I work. There are many days I work more than 18 hours. I am prepared to work even 24 hours if a particular tune is not working out well to my satisfaction. I will only rest when I am truly satisfied with it. 1000 tunes in his song bank? Well, looking at the extreme similarity of his songs, he will definitely have 1000 tunes in his song bank. Naushad sahab did 67 films in 60 years, and each and every tune of his is immortal and a classic. Most of the great composers took pain to compose a song, and used to have 10 distinctly different tunes ready. There was quality. That’s why people like Jatin-Lalit and Shantanu-Moitra and AR Rahman stand out in today’s time. They do quality work, not quantity. Moreover, HR has quite a few lifts to his credit in his short career. Will come to that later. That’s where people like L-P went wrong. They signed around 300 films a year in the 80s, and it’s the most disgusting phase of their music. The same tunes, recycled, the same beats, the same dholak, the same violin and cheap lyrics. And HR counts L-P as his inspiration…hmmm.

5) You have given a break and encouragement to a number of singers including Tulsi Kumar. What are some of the things you tell them?
Being associated with the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contest has brought me close to many aspiring singers. One of the contestants, Vinit Singh, has sung for me in Rocky. Himani Kapoor is another talented singer. I ask them to listen to the best songs of Lataji (Mangeshkar), Ashaji (Bhosle), Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Alkaji (Yagnik). There are many more wonderful singers. I tell the new singers the importance of practice. And I try to inspire today's singers to sing like the legends. I tell them if they cannot emote the notes, if there is no real shruti in the music and singing, the songs just won't appeal. Well, I really don’t understand that why if he stresses on practice, did Vinit’s singing deteriorate towards the end? And if he wants them to sing like the legends, why is he tiring Vinit and Himani out in Stage Shows rather than putting them through classical training, which is a must for any aspiring singer? And in what context is he using the word Shruti?
Shruti in the carnatic sense = Melody. Well, let’s leave that factor out. His songs don’t have an element of melody anyway.
Shruti in the Hindsutani Sense = Microtone. The frequencies between two major notes. Between Sa and Re, there are three shrutis, the second of which is the Komal Re, known as a semitone. I don’t understand what he means by ‘if there’s no shruti in the music’. He simply doesn’t make any sense there.

6) Anuradha SenGupta: Most of your songs are love songs.
Himesh Reshammiya: I only like doing romantic songs because love is a universal emotion which will work with everyone. Everyone has been in love at least once in his life. There’s a difference between a love song and a lust song. I’d categorise most of his songs as Lust songs. Love is a subtle emotion which is never in-your-face. Telling someone ‘Jhalak Dikhlaja…ek baar aaja’, or ‘a a aashiqui mein teri, ja ja jayegi jaan meri..de de dil china town mein’, is not love. The tunes are so brash, there’s nothing of the soft sensuousness of a love song. Let’s have a look at some classic love songs, which truly evoke the Shringara Rasa.

Tere Mere Sapne Ab Ek Rang Hai. SD Burman, Rafi
Paon Chuu Lene Do Phoolon Ko Inayat Hogi. Roshan, Lata-Rafi
Isharon Isharon Mein Dil Lene Wale. OP Nayyar, Asha-Rafi
Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. Kalyanji-Anandji, Kishoreda
Aapki Nazaron Ne Samjha. Madan Mohan, Lata
Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho. Ravi, Rafi
Sau Baar Janam Lenge. Ravi, Rafi
Ek Haseen Shaam Ko. Madan Mohan, Rafi
Balma Khuli Hawa Mein. OP Nayyar, Asha
Akeli Hoon Main Piya Aa. OP Nayyar, Asha
Jalte Hain Jiske Liye. SD Burman, Talat. One of the MOST sensuous love songs composed ever.
Pehla Nasha. Jatin-Lalit, Udit.
Piyu Bole. Shantanu Moitra, Sonu-Shreya
Nahin Saamne. ARR, Hariharan.

The major componants of a love song are its lyrics and the melody. Each note of music denotes an emotion. It’s imperative that you choose such a raga that has an infusion of the prem bhava, or create a melody that evokes such a feeling. Choosing the right lyrics are important. Telling someone ‘Ek Baar Aaja’ is more like inviting a whore to your bedroom rather than painting love thru words to your beloved. Similarly, lyrics like – Teri yaadein, teri baatein, tanha raatein, tera tera tera suroor don’t make much sense. What’s the connection between tanha raatein and someone’s baatein and their suroor???

7) Anuradha SenGupta: I’m going to ask you something, promise me that you will not get angry. You don't sound nasal at all. Then why is it that it is said that you sound nasal. Is it because of a few songs that you've sung?
Himesh Reshammiya: I will explain you why is it so. Actually it is about the style in which you sing a song. It has to be sung in a way that it works. I have to sing in a high pitch—a song will only work when sung in that manner. Otherwise it will not work.
Then why would you call that nasal? I'm only singing a song in a pitch that it suits and will work. I like to attach an identity of my voice to my song.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sang for 30 years in the high pitch. Why nobody called him nasal then? This is absolute bullshit. Does he mean to say that there have been no songs sung in lower octaves that haven’t been hits? What nonsense. The list of songs I’ve given above were smashits. Absolutely NONE of them are high pitched songs. Infact, two of them are in the lowest octaves and sung at quite low scales. If you take a survey of Hindi songs, most of the songs are composed in the lower and middle octaves. Mostly, sad songs are composed in the higher octave with a scale starting at somewhere near the Ni. Because Ni is the swara that corresponds to the Pathos emotion.
Any idiot will make out that being nasal and singing high pitched is not one and the same. Claiming that is ridiculous. Rafi sahab was one with a phenomenonal rage of 3.5 octaves in his natural voice. Show me one high pitched song where he’s gone nasal and I’ll stop listening to any kind of music. Here are some examples where he’s sung in the higher scales of the 3rd octave and has never once gone nasal.
O Duniya Ke Rakhwale, Naushad, Baiju Bawra
Dil Jo Na Keh Saka, Roshan, Bheegi Raat
Aane Se Uske Aaye Bahar, L-P
Waadiyan Mera Daman, RD, Abhilasha
Chahoonga Main Tujhe, L-P, Dosti

You can also sing at a lower pitch and still sound nasal. Prime examples are our legends, K L Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Mukesh. Saigal never sang out of the first octave and still was nasal. Leave all that, let’s take HR’s own songs – Jhalak Dikhlaka, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye and Hai Hai Yaad Sataye Teri. All three are in the middle octave (the first two) and the lower octave (the third one). And he sounds incredibly nasal in the third one and it doesn’t need a genius to figure out that it has been deliberately done. So his theory falls short then and there.
Moreover is the fact, that he manages to muder the Hindustani language. His pronunciation of words is pathetic, and he deliberately does that to attach a ‘different’ tag to his songs. Listen to Hai Hai Yaad Sataye Teri, I Love you o sayyoni A A Aashiqui and Lagi Lagi. Diction is a very important element of singing in Indian Music. Saying words differently changes the entire feel of the song. People like Lata, Asha, Hariharan, Pankaj Udhas etc took Urdu training for years to get their diction right.

8) Continuously, I have sung in different pitches and in lower, middle and high octave. Had there been a fourth octave, I could have sung in that also. My goodness!!! He can sing in the fourth octave? ROFL!!! Does he know that there are 6 octaves on a Grand Piano, and Western Music DOES allow singing in the fourth and fifth octaves, albeit in a falsetto and that falsetto singing is an art? The maximum human natural range is 3.5 octaves and the only people I know who can sing in 3.5 octaves are – Lataji, Rafi Sahab, Begum Parveen Sultana, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Ust. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ust. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. And that Indian Classical Music debars people from singing in Falsetto? And then he says he isn’t being arrogant! Wow! Rafi’s throat bled when he tried to go past 3.5 octaves in O Duniya Ke Rakhwale.

9) Anuradha SenGupta: You have a lot of young fans and there is this one guy who I know is a big fan of yours. He actually asked me to ask you this. He says that, "I could be dancing to your song and yet the song could actually be a heart that is crying," Isn't it?
Himesh Reshammiya: When you go to a party or a pub even if you are enjoying the music, somewhere you have some different emotions running at the back of your mind. It can be anything from unfulfilled love to having some memories of the past, the desire to be with the someone or may be just looking out for the right kind of partner-all these emotions are attached to your mind when you are rocking to a thumping beat.
That emotion is always there at the back of my mind. I always try to tap that emotion of the listener and I think that is why they want to listen to it again and again. I don’t think that I'm doing anything wrong. Someone please explain to him that music is not just for Dancing in pubs and getting sad, but to satiate our hunger for beauty and also to satiate the 9 emotions of humans. Music is the most beautiful thing on Earth, and it has certain rules. You cannot set sad lyrics to a thumping beat and still call it a sad song. It takes away the pain out of it, whatever the lyrics be. Some examples of classic sad songs –

O Duniya Ke Rakhwale, Naushad, Rafi
Mere Naina Sawan Bhadon, RD, Kishoreda
Jane Kahan Gaye Who Din, S-J, Mukesh
Naina Barse Rimjhim Rimjhim, Madan Mohan, Lata
Toote Hue Khwabon Ne, Salilda, Rafi
Teri Aankh Ke Aansoo, C.Ramachandra, Talat
Sur Na Saje Kya Gaaon Main, S-J, Mannada

10) Himesh Reshammiya: When money and reputation is at stake, I can't take chances. Producer, director, actors and music company's interest is at stake, I certainly can't take chances. I have taken a chance in Benaras and a lot of appreciation came falling on it. Yet it did not sell. Then I thought of a way to compose such music, which would sell, be extremely popular especially among the youngsters.
Anuradha SenGupta: Do you see youngsters as being your main target?
Himesh Reshammiya: Absolutely. I target them only. Youngsters who are below 20 years of age or still in there 20's are my target audience. Because they are the ones who atleast buy my music CDs and cassettes. All the youngsters today are really looking out for melodies. If you just compare the melodies of Aapki Kashish, Zara Jhoom or Aashiq Banaya Apne then you will find that these are superior melodies than Tere Naam. Tere Naam were very simple melodies. Apki kashish is a very soulful raag based composition, yet a very difficult song. That’s the difference between good composers and bad composers. Good composers don’t compose for money. They don’t worry about the market. They make good music, everlasting music. If you try to target a certain group, you’re going to stagnate in your music. The music of Benaras didn’t sell because it was mainly a rehash of his old songs. There’s actually no melody in the three songs he’s quoted. They’re all beat based, set to certain metre, compositions. Aap Ki Kashish is certainly not raag based, certainly not difficult. Tere Naam melodies are actual melodies which are raga based. He doesn’t himself know what he’s talking about.

Regarding his Lifts, here are just a few of his lifts. I am sure if we listen to all his music, we’ll find he lifts quite a lot. Mostly he doesn’t life a song in its entirety, but he does lift signature beats, melodies, chords etc. Some examples –

1) Odhni Odh Ke Naachoon – Tere Naam – from Ali Zafar’s song
2) Songs of Tere Naam – Were rehashes of Laxmikant – Pyarelal’s melodies of the 70s and 80s.
3) Gela Gela Gela – Note for note, lifted, from R Kelly’s ‘Thioa Thiong’
4) Aashiuq Bana Aapane – lifted from Junaid Akhtar’s ‘Na tu aayegi na chain aayega’
5) Aap Ki Kashish – lifted from a single of a local Karachi band
6) Marjawan Mit Jawan – Lifted from a Pakistani song of the same lyrics
7) (Insert the title of KK’s song in ABA) – Lifted from Ali Zafar’s ‘Rangeen’.
8) All the remaining songs in ABA were lifts from Pakistani numbers too
9) Kitna Pyar Karte Hain – Is a rehash of 2 Nadeem Shravan songs from Saajan
10) Lagi Lagi from Aksar is in parts a copy of Pyar Humein Kis Mod Pe Le Aaya from Satta, composed by Pancham
11) The song sung by Vijay Yesudas and Shreya Goshal in Chupke Chupke is a loose copy of Salim-Suleiman’s song in Iqbal.
12) The song in Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya, where Sushmita gets drenched in rain wearing a yellow saree is a copy of an Anu Malik – Sameer song
13) The songs he composed for Vinit in C-2005 Megafinals and for Sonu in Benaras are the same songs…and the beats are lifted from Michael Jackson’s hit single.
14) He reuses quite a lot of his tunes. The refrains Janaab-E-Ali and Janaab-E-Jaaniya in songs of the same title are set to the same tune. If he has a bank of 1000 tunes, why does he need to recycle his tunes??

He talks about divine intervention in his life, compares himself to Ust. NAFK, keeps on ranting about delivering 27 hits in 6 months…well, that reeks of arrogance. Nothing more to say. Good composers don’t shoot their mouths off about their work. We’ve never ever seen an AR Rahman, a Jatin-lalit, a Naushad, a Roshan, a Madan Mohan etc give such interviews which reek of insolence and arrogance. On the other hand we have Annu Malik. Hmmm….

We rest our case.

The Great Quota Debate - My Take

2006-06-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

The Quota Debate

Our country might have a hundred good ornaments, decorating its ancient and rich cultural visage, but there’s one deep scar that simply refuses to vanish. It is the scar of Casteism and Caste Politics. The wound given to us by thousands of years of slavery under foreign rule and subjugation; where the foreign masters used the policy of Divide and Rule to completely dominate our ignorant and conservative population. The scar still persists, and raises its ugly head from time to time; the prime examples being the Mandal Commission 1992 and the OBC Reservation Bill, 2006.

Dr. B R Ambedkar was a visionary. He envisioned an India where an upper-class Brahmin and a traditionally lower caste Harijan/Dalit could together, hold aloft their hard earned degrees and disappear into the professional and social fabric of society. Mind you, on the basis of their employment and financial standing due to their degree, and not their pedigree! But something went seriously wrong. Politics. He wrote the reservation law keeping in mind certain ideal conditions of humanity and society. But alas, where the Indian Mind is involved, nothing hardly remains ideal, does it?

We need to first look at what the reservation policy has actually accomplished. For that, we need to delve into the realm of speculation.

How was the society in the infant years of free India? Three-fourths of the population uneducated, living in a frame of reference webbed by gross misconceptions and social evils. It was a time when our economy was in doldrums. Most of the people would rather work menial jobs and feed themselves and their families rather than sit in a school for six hours and go hungry. Girl children weren’t even allowed to study. People still looked up to and stayed under the thumbs of power-hungry, arrogant, mean and tyrannous Thakurs or Zamindars or Saucars, who like true Barons of yore, ground their serfs to the dust. A man’s mind is conditioned by the society in which he lives and by the basic education he receives. Our poor economy and corrupt, greedy political machinery made sure that this quality basic education never made its way to the poorer sections of the population. Thus, at the first step itself, the Great Indian Dream of a medical or an engineering degree died a silent death.

Urban India was totally alienated from rural India. The Good western ideologies of liberty, freedom, progress, education etc hardly reached the villages. Actually, people did not want to change. When someone has a mind-block against change, he ceases to grow. The ones who did get ‘enlightenment’ were the ones who ventured out of their dark wells into the lush green meadows of the city. Or, the upper class people. Point to be noted.

Let us look at some more aspects of the education divide between the rural backward classes and the urban classes. Professional education is more of an Urban phenomenon. That itself has two basic causes, stemming from a stagnant mindset.

a) The poorer sections fear education on account of losing out their daily bread, and are hence apathetic towards demanding better education.

b) The legendary entrance exams. Yeah, that’s actually the bane of our education system. My dear friends, I’ll rote five books and top the exam. What’s the guarantee that I won’t kill a patient due to an attack of heebie-jeebies at the operation table?

Then there are four factors which greaten the Urban-Rural divide –

a) General environment throughout history, as illustrated above

b) Corrupt Bureaucracy

c) Resultant rotten basic education

d) Lack of awareness, stagnant conservative mentality, education among the backward classes who are economically weaker

Until and unless we have equally strong English based education at the grass roots level among the economically and culturally backward classes in both rural and urban areas, which reach out to all castes, they in no case can match the sensibilities of the upper classes which are educated. I mean those classes which have access to basic education. It has got nothing to do with Caste. Absolutely. It is simply a case of mental training. In the end, it all comes down to your mental structure and ideologies.

Let’s face it; with the kind of environment the economically lower and the rural classes live in, they simply do not possess the same passion, drive or interest as the more open minded Upper classes.

Now ask me where casteism comes in here? I’ll tell you. I had stated a few lines above that it has got nothing to do with caste. Yes, at a basic level, it has got nothing to do with caste. Go to a city and have a look inside a college. You’ll have students from all castes studying together. But the difference comes in here. Among the economically lower sections, the weakest ones are the backward classes. That’s one reason why our Government has designated ‘Other Backward Classes’ and ‘Scheduled Castes / Tribes’ as separate entities. I don’t need to harp on the situation of the tribal people, do I?

Let’s talk a little on the mentalities of the OBCs and SC/STs as designated by the Government. Please note, I am not being politically wrong. If I can’t call a dog a dog, what shall I call it, eh?

Make a survey of Govt. offices and check out the totally uncouth behaviour and cavalier attitude of those people who get in through quotas. Or check out how the quota doctors go about their business. Damn it, even if you don’t know your business, the least you can do is to refer to a different doctor and be polite enough and admit it. An ex-neighbour of ours is a scientist who has come in through the SC/ST quota. He has neither gained a promotion, nor done any significant work in the last ten years I’ve seen him. His daughter has failed her 12^th Grade twice and both his sons have failed their 10^th Grade. And this is their state after living in Delhi! Did I mention his wife is an illiterate who is really disgusting? Who made her sons use a stone and scratch designs on the bonnet of our brand new car because that day dad had parked the car before her husband could come home and park his scooter?

In a free country, you cannot deny the right to a hard earned seat to an Upper Class fellow earned purely on merit, due to reservations for the backward classes. That is simply ridiculous. Ask college students and teachers and they’ll tell you that practically 90% of the Quota candidates are lousy students. Why?

a) They’ll know that they’ll anyways get into a college through reservation, get a job through reservation and will be settled in life. That simply sucks out the value of hardwork from them and they become lax and careless.

b) On the other hand, even if someone wants to study higher education, he won’t be able to cope up with the demands of a professional education because of poor basic background and the general mentality and environment of his house and society.

The irony of our country’s mentality is that we take pride in false pretences. AIIMS prides itself on the fact that it turns out only 35 Doctors an year; but damn good doctors. What if the Doctor : Patient ratio in the country is nearly 1 : 2000 in Urban areas? What does it matter that these ‘Good’ doctors are chosen on the basis of their performance in an entrance exam which only tests their roting skills? Our dynamic and highly intellectual President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam once remarked that our country has become a country of exam crackers, and not a country of independent thinkers or innovators. The Delhi University Department of Genetics admits 5 students per year to the M.Sc programme. There are approximately only 500 seats per year for an MD Programme all over the country. Only. And then we cry that we don’t have good scientists or doctors to do good work at the higher levels. And then we introduce reservation. Nice. Lagey raho India!

Mr. Arjun Singh is a clever man. He violated a poll code which says that when elections are going on in any state, the Parliament cannot pass any Bill. He presented the bill at the precise time when elections were on in 4 states. He knew that no one would veto the bill. Why? Because our mighty politicians depend largely on the vote bank of the lower class people, who are easily lured by false promises of money and jobs. Mr. Arjun Singh is a bachelor, going on 77, and his life is at its dusk. But there are thousands of students who bang their heads over their careers everday. Maybe he’s deaf to those wailings. Quite unfortunate, isn’t it? And then our country is worried when an upcoming film star gets bitten by a dog or scratches her knee or breaks up with her boyfriend.

It has been 59 years since the Quota system came into effect. It has been 14 years since the Mandal Commission paved one road with pork and one with hot coals. But still, majority of the backward classes still remain backward. 21% of the population still remains below the poverty line and 44% of the population is still illiterate. And the recent census shows that the most illiterate states are Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Orissa etc where Caste Politics play a MAJOR role. Remember Laloo’s ‘Laloo is a yadav, you are a yadav, vote for Laloo Yadav’? These are states where awareness hasn’t reached the backward classes and the rural pockets, where the political machinery hinders development. What does this imply? That reservation has failed? But Mr. Singh begs to differ, as apparent from a recent interview on a news channel. Then why more reservation? No Answer. Strange. And here I was thinking that this man had done all his groundwork.

The only solution that seems plausible is to increase the number of seats at the centres of higher learning. But then, my dear friends, we can’t take false pride in maintaining quality by turning out only 35 doctors, no? Another solution is to give credibility to private universities and allowing the corporate world to an invested interest (pun intended) in education. But here again, it won’t work. Know why? Because of the famous Indian Mentality against private institutions. Even though now we earn enough to spend and save, we think backward when it comes to going to a private institution which charges for it’s updated and modern infrastructure and facilities, which the age old institutions with Gigantic names, lax quota professors and stinking toilets can’t manage to provide.

Looks like Mr. Singh has taken quite a hasty decision eh? But then, when was our government ever known for planning? When Mrs. Gandhi was asked what to do of the 20-point programme, she said, condense it into one – Work for my son Rajiv.

Are you listening, Mr. Manmohan Singh, Dr. Kalam and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi?