A Spiritual Synthesis Indeed !

I have been addicted to this one song - Khwaaja Mere Khwaaja from Jodhaa Akbar since the day I managed to get hold of the Audio CD. Keeping my Rahmaniac leanings beside, the song is perhaps one of the best Hindi songs I have heard since a long time. And as I wrote in my e-mail to the music director himself - it could have only been him to have composed such a soothing number and secondly sung it. The song takes you to a new level, quite literally.

There is an alleviating feel to it - right from the time Rahman goes "Khwajaji...Khwajaa". The beats gradually come in - the claps, the tablas and the ever-imposing harmonium with bass strings unseemingly reticulating their chords - ah the feel is something different. And between those is a voice ever so rich, unruffled by the high pitches and more importantly has all the divinity the song needs. And then the interlude with "Ga Re Ga Ga Ga Re" and "Sa Re Sa Re Sa Re" is simply amazing - taking off from where the genius left off at Tere Bina from Guru.

And then the aalap carries the verses - The one between "Tere Darbar Mein Khwaaja" is simply outstanding. It would have been easy for Rahman to break the aalap, but he did not - stuck to it and made an otherwise difficult looking note sound so audaciously easy. Rahman's imposing voice gives an ambiance of tranquility which you intend to experience in loneliness. His voice is the company and the lyrics - a destination to that ultimate realization. The classical suave is constant throughout and notably stands out right from the outset.

Rahman's other Sufi creations are gemstones waiting to be treasured forever - Tere Bina (Guru), Al Maddath Maula (Mangal Pandey), Piya Haji Ali (Fiza), Zikr (Bose - The Forgotten Hero). Barring Tere Bina, the others may not quite be as popular as this one, but if you get the chance - please listen to them as each one has its own speciality, waiting to be appreciated from every quarter.

Maharashtra from a distance

First thing in the morning, I enter office and see this headline - "Thackerey says only Pawar can lead India, sparks row". Immediate reaction - shocking, but not surprising. Sitting here in New Delhi, and thinking about the stinky state of Maharashtrian politics - it feels a bit depressing to see the events in what I consider my home-state. First of all, Happy Birthday Balasaheb !

Balasaheb Thackerey's open support to Sharad Pawar comes at a very crucial time in Maharashtra - not even a month ago, both leaders quite publicly flirted in what was considered to be a "courtesy" meeting. Elections beckon in 2009 and as much as the Shiv Sena looks seemingly frustrated with the BJP, on several issues, the NCP (Pawar's party) has also developed a gradual apathy towards Vilasrao Deshmukh and the Congress' politics. The Congress has also gotten into a big time muddle within its own ranks as Narayan Rane's public outcry against Vilasrao Deshmukh's handling of the state. And, some of the policies of that Congress-NCP Government is nothing but sham of the highest order. With the exception of Mumbai, the city - some of the outer suburbs are put to a two-hour load-shedding run everyday and this is not good for a state, which was once a power-surplus one. Farmer suicide at Vidharba is not a major issue for Mr. Deshmukh, who surprisingly has got himself re-elected from that constituancy. His interview to Karan Thapar's Devil Advocate in 2006 is worth a mention, where he went on to say, "Maharashtra is not a failed state" and as Stephen P Cohen mentions about Pakistan's description - I'd like to call Maharashtra a "flawed state".

Mr. Thackerey, let Sharad Pawar lead Maharashtra first, forget about India. As of now, only Anil Kumble can lead India.

Maharashtra has got into a bad TINA state of affairs. There is no alternative. Period.

Booked !

Irony, I say - simply irony...I have never been an avid reader. In fact, I used to detest reading at one point of life, arrogantly rubbishing it as a mundane eye-straining exercise. Today, at 21 going on to 22, I have absorbed it as a part of my life. And that has got something to do with me moving my arse from Mumbai to a completely new city. While this shift has reduced my exposure to television completely, except for the odd loud "Ramayan Ad" that appears between overs during cricket matches, unfortunately for fortunately, my eye-balls have taken a good good break. Apart from my notebook (whatever you want to call it as), books have been keeping me busy.

People often ask me, what sort of books I am into and oddly enough, no JK Rowling (past those days even though Derek O'Brien once mentioned about Harry Potter's ageless relevance), no Jefferey Archer or even Stephen King/Robin Cook. My booklist is highly populated with some heavy-readers. I am presently reading - Sri Lanka: Voices from a War Zone by Nirupama Subramanian, with Frontline Pakistan by Zahid Hussain next in line. Occasionally, I do indulge in something outrageous, like a book called White Angels, about David Beckham's euphoria hitting Spain during his Real Madrid view, did manage to read John Terry's autobiography "My Winning Season" (basically to get an insight into what Chelscum if not Chelsea is) and somethings here and there. And, I want to get hold of Barack Obama's "Dreams from My Father"- considering his multiple identities going into the US Elections 2008. Maybe, then I will know what "Change" really means in Obamanomics.

Keeping in mind that my ultimate ambition is to do something related to foreign affairs or even international relations, I think these sort of heavy readers come in handy use then. There are some colleagues in my workplace who remind me that I am a sports journalist by designation, and sometimes it is a very tricky thing to be. Being a sports journalist doesn't really mean that I am bound by events in Australia or for that matter what Sharapova is expected to do in the Aussie Open.

Reading has never come natural to me. Its just something I have picked up to kill intense boredom and loneliness. But, in hindsight, its not quite a bad habit that I have managed to grab !

A New Blog...Yet Again

Ah well, the rigours of signing up for a new blog are well known. Nonetheless, makes for a good effort I guess. Well, I do not intend to get into the "Hello guys, welcome to my new blog" mode - and coming straight to the point - this blog is about everything I feel writing about - be it some dog being killed by a Blueline Bus in Delhi or how AR Rahman's music is a celebration by itself - everything, absolutely everything ! *Keeping my cold fingers crossed*, I intend to be regular at this one - knowing the snail-like frequency of my other blogs ! Inshallah, as they say !

Regards,
Venkat Ananth