Look who's stalking!

Om Namo Namah! If you thought this chant was a meditative invoking of spirituality, well think again because the people who are reciting it are probably ardent followers of Narendra Modi, popularly nicknamed ‘NaMo’. I kid you not, these days of dynamic demonitisation, if not anything else have taught me this. Well, apart from the fact that I now know what it means to be poor and live day to day, counting my 100 rupee notes. So like every other poor or middle-class citizen, I have been relegated to standing in a serpentine queque at my local bank branch, in the hope of withdrawing some handy cash to see me through the month. Of course, my efforts and patience have been rewarded after missing meals, fighting and arguing with strangers I wouldn’t rub shoulders with otherwise, tucking my kid in to professional day care services to make up for my absence, walking miles to save on petty cash, standing for hours in a line that refuses to move and being often turned down as soon as my number came due to exhausted coffers of the bank for the day. I can only feel the distress that senior citizens, pregnant women and employed citizens of this country must be going through. And going by the number of sudden deaths and suicides that have been the unimaginably and extremely tragic consequence of the current malady, I seem to have got off easy. If you are not practically part of the hullabaloo at this juncture, I am sure witnessing the anguish, the dilemma and the misery is distressing enough, even if you aren’t at the receiving end of it.

It’s been well over a month since NaMo’s glorious initiative to nip corruption in the bud and everyday, news trickles in about illegitimate cash, gold and bank transactions that are being nabbed thanks to the move. Modi’s supporters are busy campaigning the virtues of this action and are sparing no words of praise hailing his decision. Will it be able to eliminate the atrocities inflicted on commoners thanks to the greed of a few, we will have to wait to see but as far as the process of implementation goes, it’s a sorry state of affairs no doubt. Our beloved PM meanwhile doesn’t believe in standing at the sidelines and watching the show. He is the man of the moment and is happily absorbing the attention he receives. This is a hero who hogs the screen, calls the shots and directs the twists and turns of this rivetting plot. This film is his and he is in fact, the film. A complete cinematic script in motion, the climax of which is yet to come.

Even before our PM was bequeathed the challenging role he now essays with pride and fervour, he has been proactive in being seen and heard, often using the latest tools of technology to amplify his presence. So whether it is his larger-than-life laser projection to an attentive audience in a village during his electoral rounds to his very own Twitter account, the PM believes in being there, doing that. He was quick to launch his own radio show to ensure traditional media is not neglected and had the quick wit to devise a user-friendly app that digitally surveys people’s response to the demonitisation drive. So far so good. His public addresses broadcast across Doordarshan have been sparse and significant but his speeches have been profound, hard-hitting and making all the right noises. PM Modi knows when he speaks to the nation, he must talk the language of the youth and hence makes sure he gives out terse but catchy messages that are easy to embed in to the collective conscious. Swacch Bharat, Make in India are words synonymous with any nation’s progress and are hardly innovative or path-breaking concepts but he has personified these slogans to make them gather steam thanks to the unanimous acceptance of the aam junta towards these ideas. By using the right way to communicate at the right time, Modiji knows how to turn a seemingly obvious solution in to a strategic and cohesive act that will instantly win popular appeal.

While the country rues the downside of demonitisation, be sure that this is a man on a mission and is empowered to turn the tide in his favour. What after all, can might not achieve when driven successfully by an able mind? So while our beloved PM of humble origins is no aristocrat, you need to still be wary of him because he is one indomitable and indefatigable technocrat. I am worried he will track my net movements next, assess my likes, choices, bank balance and personal traits through my shopping patterns, online transactions and general netsurfing and then unleash another bang boom policy or declaration which will of course be touted as beneficial to the larger populace. This is NaMo we are talking about. Whether you voted in his favour or not, he is here to stay and he can easily give Bigg Boss a complex. For this man seems to like to catch us where we least expect him to, surreptitiously but with a passion that is rarely encountered. As a result, he may not win your complete trust, but he is in for the long haul and will not rest until you are on his side, even if a tad uneasily. No wonder, he is managing to turn detractors into devotees with his sheer omnipresence and the zealous goal of administering his stoic reasoning and resolute opinion-making.

A daunting counterpart, controversial US President elect Donald Trump actually can take a page out of Modi’s book when it comes to first, keeping his audience enraptured and then make the most of it with his imposing and irrefutable stance. His critics may be skeptical when it comes to adjudjing the latter as an astute leader, but NaMo sure seems on the right foot to convince us he is. As for the demonitisation drive that has swept the nation, the examination is over, and India is eagerly awaiting the results. No matter what they are, this is not the last ball NaMo hits out of the field.

I hope not. In lieu of four years passing after the terrible December 16 rape incident in Delhi and considering no progress has been made to abolish this abominable crime from the country, our PM would do well to turn his attention to formulating a stringent measure against those who violate a woman’s right to exist. How about using the brilliant means of technological innovation to empower women citizens to alert cops when feeling endangered? We could call it the NaMo Say No to Rape one touch app or device? Our PM loves to play saviour and unfortunately, there are enough women in distress in his beloved motherland who need saving so time for some more well-meaning action, right?

The Pihu Diary: Conversation Bloopers for a Recently Turned Mom

So you have a kid now and you are wondering about the last time you had a decent meal, looked in the mirror properly and had a full night’s sleep. Actually, my advice is even if you do manage to glance at a mirror, pat yourself on the back for the woman who stares back at you. She is a reflection of how well you are doing your new job after all. So I am one of those who is immensely proud of the new responsibilities I have managed to get on top of. At the same time, I am also sufficiently humbled by how little a difference it makes because there is always  so much more to do. A little support along the way goes miles in making every day lighter and generally more manageable. 

What you need at the end of the day, is that word of encouragement, that kind look that says all is right with the world, and the satisfaction of having put in your best effort to bring up your child. On the other hand, what fails me is the indefatigable urge that some people have in killing your joy with the power of their unbridled, unguarded speech that most often, ticks me off my boat. So here’s a random listing of comments that people around you are most likely to make now that you have a kid of your own, who they now have the authority to talk about. In stead of a conversation starter, this usually ends up receiving a stone-cold silence, at least from my end because well, one good thing motherhood teaches you is ‘endurance’. That doesn’t stop me from muttering a few comebacks under my breath, generously spiced up with a few expletives I dare not mention here as the epitome of err...good motherhood!

Your daughter doesn’t look anything like you.

Yeah, sometimes I doubt she is really mine and if they simply, thrust her in to my lap, and declared that I take care of her all my life.

Whoa, you still wearing your maternity gowns?

No idiot, it’s my post-pregnancy weight and I’m wearing plus size clothes to cut the flab and because it’s just easier to be clothed this way!

Are you planning a second kid?

Yeah, because the reason I live is so that you have enough kids of mine to talk about.

You know, my kid is already reciting Shakespeare. Isn’t your child talking yet?

No, she isn’t and when she does, I’m most likely to teach her to tell you to ‘get lost’ in that many words.

Are those dark circles under your eyes or is it smudged kajal from last night’s do?

Err...you will know after I have socked you in the eye. Which one should it be, left or right?

Your kid is old enough, why don’t you go get a job? I mean, who plays stay-at-home mom in this day and age? Go feminism!!

Did it occur to you that I probably am empowered to make the choice and deliberately choose to do so for MY happiness?

Your kid is so young, don’t you think you need to give her more time to grow up before you go out to work again?

Classic guilt-trip scenario. These very people will be asking you the question mentioned above this one in a few months in to your hibernation and just when you start to enjoy it.

You are not a good mommy unless you can bake a good cake...breast feed your child...give her enough protein shakes...get her a smartphone at 10...buy her a limo at 18...send her abroad for higher education...

Yeah, and you are the last word on yardsticks of measurement for a good mother because...Mother Teresa entrusted you with that role?

The Pihu Diary: Lessons of Life

Dear Daughter,

Surprise is when you wafted into my world a good 20 days before time- 

the fragrant scent that would fill it forever.

Amazement is you picking up new words everyday and having conversations with me at the age of 2.

Understanding is knowing you are only two and will ask incessant questions.

Maturity is realising the role cut out for me will entail a lot of sacrifices and compromises but in time, will bear rewards.

Fear is seeing you get hurt in any way.

Patience is playing the adult who will have to watch out for ever baby step you take.

Fortitude is learning that you will test my persistence and will power a lot.

Concern is waking up at 3 am to check if you are breathing easy.

Care is coaxing you to drink up that medicine and using every tactic to get you to do it.

Obstinacy is when you still refuse!

Expectation is waiting for you to become a woman who I can see a part of me in, 

take flight on a journey of your own.

Love is when you pull me close to you and give me the world’s sweetest kiss ever, 

the most priceless acknowledgement of whatever I do for you.

Optimism is hoping our bond strengthens over time, and with every passing day.

Sadness is thinking that you will leave the nest as soon as you are old enough to look away.

Excitement is leading your hand to discover the myriad joys of this world, 

and seeing your eyes shine with glee.

Pride is creating all of you...in flesh and blood,born out of me.

My Name is Kavita and I am not a Feminist!

The voices of dissent have only got louder since the release of films like Pink and Parched. A much-needed dialogue between women and those who love to harbour stereotypical sentiments about them has achieved volume thanks to the growing awareness around gender bias and women emancipation. And yet, even as a woman I feel wary of using the word ‘feminist’ to identify myself or my stand. Recently, rising star Alia Bhatt was randomly derided for washing her hands off this tag so much so that she had to come out with a hurried explanation about how she was a feminist but was not actively supporting any such campaign at the moment. What she had probably meant by her denial of being a feminist is that she did support feminist instances but did not outrightly like to be called one. I know women who although may not accept it aloud, have secretly decided to shed this label altogether, simply because with time, it has unfortunately got associated with constant male-bashing and intolerance for anything that is remotely not in the woman’s favour.

As a teenager, I was often exposed to jokes about how women made bad drivers and how they were so poor when it came to navigating their way around roads.  I took them sportingly having known quite a few bad women drivers myself. Gender stereotypes and certain impressions that stem out of generalising the tendencies of one sex to pull someone’s leg is fine once in a while especially because, a little sense of humour never really harmed anyone. What is more difficult is staying within one’s limits and not crossing the line, where one gets chauvinistic, derogatory and offensive towards the other sex. And I am deliberately not leaning against one gender in favour of another here simply because I don’t believe that just because it is mine, or it is a trending topic, I must take it up. There was something called peer pressure we were known to succumb to in our college days. Now it seems to have translated to feminist pressure.  So if I say something  that may not suit this kind of forced dominion, I will come across as someone who doesn’t care for her fraternity!  

So if I am not a feminist, who am I? I have long tried to uphold the virtues of letting women be. When we ask for freedom against prejudices deep-seated in our cultures, demand equality of pay and wish for the same opportunities that are presented on a platter to men, we aren’t really asking for much. It doesn’t really need much effort to put a woman towards the path to progress. She is not required to be treated any differently from a man to see to it that she prospers and blooms in to a successful, independent individual. All she needs is breathing space and a liberal approach to her upbringing. She is capable of driving her inner light to illuminate her life in the right direction. So like I said, all that is required is to just- let her be!

And yet, we are constantly at a woman’s throat, from the time she is born to the time she lies on her funeral pyre. We must dictate how she must walk, what she must wear, how much she should eat or not (given the numerous fasting and other rituals she has to undergo to redeem herself in God’s eyes), what age she should get married at, who she can hang out with, what time she should come home,whether she should pursue a career or not, how many kids she should mother, what she should further abstain from once a widow and so on. We have reduced her to a mannequin to be ogled at, an idiot with no mind of her own and in worst cases, a slave.  My professor of journalism, P Sainath, scandalised a class full of girls when he once said that in India, the most unfortunate are the poor, followed by women. To our determined, self-respecting and educated selves, this seemed a gross oversight but little did we naive individuals realise, that what he had stated was in fact, the exact truth. Throughout our mass communications course, we were unconsciously being readied to take on a world that will objectify, underestimate, criticise and perhaps even condemn us. We were not only taught to enhance our skills, but go out with the right attitude to battle all kinds of evil. If all this made a feminist out of us, and if we were able to channelise positive energy to make things work for us, well, great.

Having said that, I have seen women take men for granted. I have seen them torture other women employees under their supervision due to feelings of insecurity and envy. I have seen them use their feminity and charm to elicit special favours. I have seen them manipulate their husbands emotionally to get that diamond ring for Diwali. I have seen them stare down at men who will not vacate their seat for them in an overcrowded bus, even if they are occupying the general category seats. I have seen them willingly let themselves be pawed by men in titillating videos and then cry foul over it. And I have seen these very women force their housemaids to work extra hours for meagre wages. As women, we have come a long way already in terms of making a mark in every field today, but this is just the start and we have a lot to achieve before calling it a day.

So let’s not lie back on our laurels just yet. Let’s not wear that ‘feminist’ tag with pride and let our bosoms well.  Let’s not pat ourselves on the back on showing the men the door. Because that is not the point of feminism. Putting men down is not the way to rise up. Making them realise and accept our worth so we can co-inhabit this world and reap its bounty together is what will define our victory. And let’s not undermine the contribution men can make in order to help us get there. If both genders must co-exist, we must do so with mutual consent, love, respect and understanding. So drop any label that makes you a pariah or your cause assume negative connotations. Like my male friend put it, “If I pull out your chair, you think I consider you too weak to do it yourself. If I don’t, I am ungentlemanly and inconsiderate. What am I supposed to do?”

The last thing we need for men to be hit by is a socio-cultural dilemma about how to treat us if we deem ourselves ‘feminists’. If he pulls out your chair, thank him. If he doesn’t, shrug it off and do it yourself because you can. And while we are it, don’t mind if he wishes to pay the cheque and refuses to go dutch. You can always treat him next time!

The Pihu Diary: Word Play!

When people tell you their kids have started talking and this is if you do love kids, I suggest paying them a visit. Why? Because it’s free entertainment! There’s nothing more funny and awe-inspiring than the things kids can say, in any given situation once they have discovered their tongue has other purposes besides just tasting food and licking off the dust from their favourite piece of furniture.  So Pihu has, to everyone’s delight, started talking. And like all things she takes seriously, she has already begun to show a resolute mind to master the art of right speech, constructing full, clear sentences that have no room for stammer, lisp, conjoined or missing syllables or broken vocabulary.  It’s almost like she has decided, that if I have to talk, I might as well get it right from the word go. So now we have all kinds of situations where you can rest assured that Pihu wil have something to add on or express, her word usually becoming the last word in a house full of so-called responsible adults.

Matching pace with her growing strength of speech is her ability to come up with some pretty interesting quips at the opportune moment, that make her constant chatter rather amusing. This is compounded by the fact that she is getting exposed to three different languages as she grows up- Hindi, Bengali and English. It means Pihu is a budding multi-lingual proponent of our national diversity. So what if that means she even combines words of two languages to make a very own imaginative mash up! Studies prove that exposing a child to more languages than one at an early age boosts the development of linguistic proficiency and this is probably why she may just learn these languages faster than most other kids. It doesn’t help that having been a writer for most part of my life, I am continually correcting her grammar and trying to verbally edit her lines when she so much as falters through her attempts at self-expression. Minor OCD, hmm, may be!

One of the earliest people she learnt to identify after birth have been kids younger or older than her. If she looks at any such being, she will immediately exclaim, “Chota Baby”, and point excitedly in his/her direction. So once on this flight to Delhi, on hearing a baby who could barely be a few months younger to her, cry away to glory all through the journey, our wise little counsellor couldn’t help but advise, “Chota baby ro raha hai, usse duddu peela dona.”

Extending on her knack of identifying people, she has still not understood that while there might be one papa, one mummy and a pair of grandparents on both sides, there may be more aunties, uncles, sisters, brothers and the like than she can count on her tiny hands. So  every snow-haired man is ‘Dadaji’, any chubby faced man in specs with a side parting could be a potential ‘Nanaji’ and ahem, quite a few actors she sets her eyes on on TV could be her ‘Papa’. So far Arjun Kapoor (only in 2 States), Ranbir Kapoor and Fawad Khan have laid claim to this title. Uncannily, she hasn’t quite pinpointed more ‘Mummies’ at the same time, which only makes me quite the philandering wife I suppose with an insatiable, salacious taste for our Bollywood stars. Speaking of whom, she is a self-confessed Salman Khan fan and loves most of his songs on TV, calling him ‘Sallu-bhai’ everytime he appears on screen.

She can also react very formidably to situations, admonishing me with a stern ‘Gandi Baat’ when I cajole her to change her clothes or a ‘Bachaoooo’ when I tighten my grip around her in a bear hug.

My Dad couldn’t stop guffawing when he heard her laugh and exclaim, “Mazaa aagaya!” after a particularly energetic, fast-paced jig to her favourite song in the drawing room. And my Mom was rendered speechless when she interrupted her mid-way through a conversation during bed-time with me, reprimanding her saying, “Nani, so jao!”

From the time she gets up to the time she sleeps, one common question that becomes a conversation-starter and reflects her curiosity to learn fast, is “Ye kya hai?” So she already knows to recognise and name her hair oil, baby lotion, baby cream, baby powder, diaper, my cosmetics and hair accessories like comb, deo, facewash, mouthwash etc. as well as differentiate between everyone’s clothes and belongings. This extends to identifying what type of vehicle is plying on the road, Ganpati, a flying aeroplane or bird, lights, colours, toys and so on.

Even my maids aren’t spared her verbal volley. So my cook was taken aback one day when it was Pihu who instructed her about the menu that day, “Chaawal banao, chicken banao, roti banao aur soupy banao.” I swear I hadn’t prompted her or mentioned this to her earlier.

Her longest sentence till date: “Main Mummy saathi pam pam gaadi mein baithke ghumi ghumi jaa rahi hoon shoozy pehenke...shaam ko.” Enough said.

Next challenge: Teaching her Marathi which is her Nanaji’s native language and Punjabi from her Dad’s side. After all, you don’t carry Bong, Maharashtrian and Punju genes together without making the most of it! What say, Pihu, my little dove?! Did I just see her scamper away to hide somewhere. Sheesh! So much for good old enthusiasm.

The (Rising) Legend of Kumud Mishra

In case you are worried there’s going to be a sequel to the recently released The Legend of Michael Mishra starring Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani, no my blog isn’t about that. (Do I hear a collective sigh of relief?) Anyway, today’s post puts under the scanner someone who contributed to the success of films like Rockstar, Filmistan, Badlapur, Airlift, Sultan and Rustom. I’m talking about an actor who has managed to hold his own among the heavily star-led plots of today, to gain a steady spot in many a film as well as win critical acclaim. So say hello to the very ubiquitous character actor Kumud Mishra, who is very well becoming the quintessential supporting cast member in every film of worth these days. A good film is impossible without a cast that manages to convince you of the twists and turns that a story takes you through. What this man is effortlessly able to do is stand out for his performances, each more different than the other. What this essentially does for him is keep him malleable to any form of character- without getting typecast and add to what most actors only aspire to achieve but most often cannot in their lifetime- versatility.

Having your roots in theatre always helps an actor discover aspects and shades to a role he might not have ever dreamt of otherwise. Films are the glamorous outcomes of your creativity. Meanwhile, theatre is what hones its making through learning the grammar of how to assimilate technique and spontaneity to form a novel mix of self-expression. I have met Mr. Mishra much before he hit bull’s eye in Bollywood and remember him as a portly gentleman with a glint in his eye, all excited and a tad impatient to start his workshop with kids during the first edition of the NCPA Summer Fiesta in Mumbai. He was accompanied by another fine actor Gopal Dutt. Little did I know then that this man was going to become such an indelible part of mainstream films that would resound with the impact he left on them, however small or big his role.

So just to start off, Rockstar which propelled Mishra in to the big league of films was a fine example of how he can add an earnest and endearing edge to his characters. In the role as Khatana, a college canteen owner who goes on to offer support as the faithful and well-intentioned agent to an unruly star Ranbir Kapoor, he lends a quiet, all-observing, resilient air to his character throughout the film. You know Ranbir may not achieve redemption in his life but you also know that there is someone who will stand by him, no matter how hard his fall.

In Filmistaan, Mishra dons the forever agitated, fanatic garb of a menacing terrorist pathan, out to kill his Indian hostage at the slightest discrepancy of behaviour. The film for the most part rests on the shoulders of Sharib Hashmi, the kidnapped victim of circumstances, Inaamulhaaq the solicitous caretaker and Mishra who keeps the stoicism of the oppressor intact till the end.

One of my favourite picks among his recent successful outings are however, him as Inspector Govind Mishra in Badlapur. Working on a case without much promise of justice to the wronged, he convincingly magnifies the languorous, ineffectual and ultimately corrupt workings of a decrepit Indian legal system, which has often generated severe criticism, cause for concern, and the need for reform.

The second is his depiction of Joint Secretary Sanjeev Kohli in the Akshay Kumar starrer Airlift, who goes out of his way to play an integral role in the rescue of 1,70,000 Indians in the country’s biggest evacuation operation. We don’t know whether his role has a real counterpart in the incident that unfolded close to three decades ago in Kuwait but his character manages to make you hope that such a man existed, and such men do exist in an otherwise negligent bureaucracy.

Mishra has not stopped to enjoy the laurels of his efforts and has continued to ignite the screen with his passion, albeit in less significant roles in films like Sultan as the hard-to-please wrestling coach Barkat and the incorrigible tabloid editor Erach Billimoria in Rustom.

He is soon to be seen in M.S Dhoni- The Untold Story coaching Sushant Singh Rajput on the cricket field based on Indian captain M S Dhoni’s journey so far. While I hope Mishra continues to get multi-faceted roles which he can bite in to with the same fervour and spark he has shown so far, I am also hoping he can make time to be a part of children’s workshops to hone their artistic skills again!

Imperfect Accent? Yenna Rascala, Mind it!

Critics may have panned it and the producers may have come back with an announcement of raking in INR 100 crore at the box office in the first week but the truth is, Rustom is still a film that has earned mixed reviews from the audience. Among the various factors that have disappointed the public is the claim that the dapper Punjabi Akshay Kumar does not get the Parsi lingo and mannerisms right to the point that he ends up doing a superficial impersonation of Rustom Pavri in this period drama. Whether Akshay has taken this criticism with a pinch of salt we know not, but the argument is that he is hardly the first superstar to be guilty as charged. There are superstars aplenty in tinsel town who may enjoy the clout to pull the audiences to the theatres but have managed to leave a lot of expectations unfulfilled when it comes to pouring themselves in to a certain mould- whether that is catching a whiff of an accent here or mouthing an odd line or two in the regional language of the community they pretend to belong to for their respective roles. 

Think Shahrukh Khan as Devdas playing the quintessential Bengali son of a well-placed zamindar in 20^th century Calcutta. Everytime he uttered a word of Bengali, every Indian who knows a bit of the language cringed. I mean, how much effort does it take to get a few words right when you are basing the character in a certain region? And while you may nod your head in defiance and say how much does that really affect the performance, I have examples to cite that will hold a light to this thought. Remember Leonardo Di Caprio in Blood Diamond and his Rhodesian street-smart, uncouth accent that he got right and stuck to throughout the film? Well, I believe how well you enact a role includes not only your dialogue delivery and emotional range but how you manage to convincingly depict the character in his/her cultural milieu as well. Still not convinced, let these brilliant actors come to your aid.

Mahmood in Padosan: As a Madrasi complete with a pigtail and bhasm on his forehead, in this film Mahmood plays a music teacher Master Pillai who is besotted with his pupil Saira Banu aka Bindu. He sings songs to serenade her, vows to get rid of the pesky neighbour in her saamne waali khidki and can make any one who challenges him to a contest of better vocal talent eat dust. Mahmood who looked like he was born to play this character charmed the audiences as hero Sunil Dutt’s adversary. He won himself more fans than the lead stars of this film by getting nuances of playing a Tamilian Pandit right, down to singing a rendition of his love-lorn condition to prove his superiority against the protagonist in ‘Ek Chatur naar badi hoshiyaar.’ Not to forget, he was in reel and real life, matching notes with the legendary stalwart Kishore Kumar himself!

Naseeruddin Shah in Pestonjee: From sporting a permanent slouch to give emphasis to the underdog character he plays, to blinking his eyes occasionally to convey anxiety and belting out dialogues in an accent that completes his mien as the eponymous character in Pestonjee, Naseer’s acting is a textbook for freshers in how to dissolve yourself in to the character you play.

Paresh Rawal in the Hera Pheri series: From his intonation of ‘Ae Raju’ to ‘Arre Deva re Deva’ to convey exasperation, it looks like Paresh Rawal ate thaleepeeth for dinner everyday to get in to the character of Baburao Ganpatrao Apte. The films may be 16 and 10 years old respectively, but this is a much-loved weekend watch everytime it comes on television for my entire family.

Quote Unquote: Kutriya saala, dekh ke number dial kar!

Aamir Khan in PK: No matter what film he takes on, this man makes sure he undergoes a complete transformation to essay the character. For Rajkumar Hirani’s film on an alien who comes to earth and unravels the mysteries behind religious beliefs held by human beings, he made sure he got the lilt and flow of the Bhojpuri accent right as well as synced it with his comic timing to perfection.

Quote Unquote: Aise tukur tukur ka dekhat pehchane nahi ka hum ka, hum pk hoon pk.

Kangana Ranaut in Tanu Weds Manu Returns as Kusum: And just in case this list begins to look too male-centric, here’s another one. She might be sentimental but don’t mistake this petite, pale-skinned girl for a vulnerable girl next door. Kangana as Kusum or Datto in the second installment of this hit franchise managed to lift the film to new heights by her sheer screen presence and electric performance. Playing a Haryanvi athlete who falls for a very much married but confused doctor, she managed to win hearts carrying the film right on her shoulders to the very last scene. What stood out, was her completely different avatar with cropped hair and buck teeth and yes, the perfect hold on the dialect.

Quote Unquote: Mhara naam Kusum Sanghvani, Yo Mhari saheli Pinky, Main Ramjas college Delhi University me padhu su, sports quote te admission leya, National level ki athlete su, jila Jhajjar, aur phone number main daunko naa!

So next time our highly venerated and larger-than-life superstars of Bollywood take on a role with an unfamiliar accent, they know whom to take inspiration from!

The Pihu Diary: Turning two= twice the trouble!

Parents are the most vulnerable set of adults you will ever find this side of the century, especially when they happen to have a nuclear family set-up. Being bread- winners and caretakers may seem part of the basic plot, but that’s hardly skimming the surface. Bending over backwards in order to keep their kids in place while managing to ignore every other concern on the planet including personal well-being comes as a guaranteed twist to their plan of action. And believe it or not, this realisation hits you pretty early, in fact as soon as your kid hits the dreaded age of two.

When a lot of parents warned me about kids in their terrible twos and having seen some of them myself, I lent a sympathetic ear and nodded my head rather sagely but little did I know it encompassed every little kid in its ambit- no matter how docile or well-behaved he or she might seem early on. So when Pihu approached the wild and whacky phase of toddlerhood, I least imagined keeping my fingers crossed every time she took a nap hoping I would get some ‘me time’ or at least attend to an odd chore here or an urgent errand there. And before you know it, my very socially amiable and quick on the uptake tiny tot was all over the house, scurrying across to every prohibited nook and corner, raiding my boudoir and seizing everything ‘adult’ within her puny hand’s reach, from her granny’s specs to her dad’s laptop. No matter what she lay eyes on, if it was within touching distance, it must be held, hot or cold, sharp or blunt, greasy or dry, liquid or solid,…I think you get the picture.

As a new parent determined to prove my mettle when it came to being attentive and meticulous while safeguarding my child from any potential danger, I started developing a sixth sense. Gaining insights in to future risks by studying behavioural patterns and mood swings helped me get premonitions about what could possibly be her next move. This was essential to nip the adventurous spirit of my child in the bud before her next fall or injury. As a compensatory token of appreciation, I must pat my back for securing this precarious sense of victory no matter how short-lived by catching her before she slipped on a wet floor, toppled the contents of a bottle of lotion, broke a glass container or misplaced a set of keys. Unfortunately, I also couldn’t stop her from doing much more as it sunk in that no matter how smart you think you may be, there is someone two steps ahead even at a teensie-weensie fraction of your age. That however, does not mean you can admit defeat and wave the white flag just yet because no matter how cumbersome it may be, seeing her in some sort of trouble is too nerve-wracking a thought to ignore her antics. In other words, you can’t run, and you can’t hide.

On the bright side, Pihu’s constant need for activity means she has begun to exercise her exploratory bent of mind, learn through observation and imitation and exhibit large and fine motor skills. She can swap and change sizes of pictures on a mobile screen besides typing out digits, she can identify every person by relation and picks up new words everyday enough to form sentences that are coherent and clear in thought and speech. She gets excited by the name of ‘school’ enough to wake up and brush her teeth herself everyday, likes to pick her clothes when going out and prefers to dine at the table with adults with her own set of cutlery all by herself. So much growth at such speed sometimes does make you wonder about God’s way of creating and making us adapt to our environments so naturally. With so much energy and intellectual capacity, what exactly is going on in the mind of a two year old? Does a child this young have the ability to understand what she is up against and the worldly expectations that are fast piling up on her? Or is she content knowing that she simply exists, can run about and scream and shout without a care? I may be wrong but it’s hard to miss the look of sheer satisfaction when she is lying beside her mom and dad on both sides, with one arm around one’s neck and her other hand fondling the other’s ear. It’s a look that says here I am and this is what makes me happy. I am the link between both of you and this is where I belong. It’s a fact that is irrefutable and full of promise and a thought that is as comforting as it is exciting at the same time.

Sultanvi: Decoding a timeless superstar’s secret to success

So the undisputed Sultan of mass appeal has delivered yet another blockbuster film. No one can refute the fact that Salman Khan knows his audience and has perfected the art of pandering to its whims and fancies, no matter how juvenile it makes him look for a man past his prime. But then, this man is hardly past his prime even where age is concerned if he is able to romance heroines half his age and pulverise much fitter pahelwaans so convincingly, right? So what if the silver grey in his hair and the sagging skin on his face are tough to get rid of and manage to get their share of the spotlight and his dance moves look like a child could do better! It is all fair in the name of a mindblowing Bollywood potboiler. Critics may go on raging against the fact that he has been sticking to a plot that has long been flogged dead with every successive hit but if his massive box office figures are anything to go by, we are witnessing a superstar’s innings whose strike rate is far from waning just yet. Like it or not, from chasing skirts or in this film, Anushka’s salwar in ‘Baby ko bass pasand hai’ to running after kites, this man sure looks like he can get away with murder. Oops! Let’s ignore that pun for the moment.

No matter how unheroic this man’s criminal record may look like, the truth is his fans can’t be more adulatory when it comes to putting him on a pedestal and the industry would rather tolerate his tantrums than let go of a hero who enjoys such clout at the box office, spanning the multiplex to the small town single screen audience. His films don’t need A R Rahman’s musical talent, Rajkumar Hirani or Imtiaz Ali’s directorial flair and a co-star with tried and tested chemistry. This man has changed the rules of filmmaking to suit his comfort level. The stories are simple, the narration spiffy, the music foot-tapping or at least hummable, the dialogues are an excuse to showcase his machismo and the comedy rib-tickling. It has all the ingredients of a paisa-vasool dekko for an audience that digs escapist fare and can’t get enough of it. When he laughs, you laugh, when he cries, you are reasonably moved and when the film is over, you are relieved that everything managed to fall in to place and you were left with a happy ending and a silly smile to take back home.

It is a take away yours truly is also truly guilty of. I remember shedding a tear when little Munni unites with her Maamu in the last scene of Bajrangi Bhaijaan or in this film, when Sultan reunites with his wife. You may be able to predict these end-results ages before you actually reach them but that doesn’t stop you from falling flat for the melodrama served to you like the generous platter of biryani Salman is known to dole out at his Id parties. Like he says in a scene in the film where Amit Sadh who gives him his career’s second break is trying to coax him in to joining him at his birthday party. “Melodrama!” “Hamare gaon mein kahavat hai, Angrezi mein sunata hoon, ‘Don’t teach your father how to make babies.” Quite clearly, Salman knows how to milk the audience’s emotional quotient and mint money with it.

So inspirational is his bravado that I wasn’t surprised when a hefty boy sitting next to me exclaimed after watching Sultan’s triumph to his dad, “Main bhi kushti ladhunga Papa aur world champion banke dikhaunga.” To which his unimpressed Dad retorted, “Ye picture se. Ghar chal chora, tuition ke liye late ho jaave hai.” Yeah. I watched the film at a neighbourhood theatre in Haryana and if you ask me what’s the best part of the film, it is the fact that it put hitherto ‘uncool’ places like Faridabad and Rewari on the map of breeding hubs for well-bred wrestlers who can raise the country’s calibre on an international platform.

The Pihu Diary: A Joyful Inheritance

Mother’s Day just went by and well, my little Pihu is too young to have figured that out. 

Most mothers take it as a compliment to see their children grow up to be like them. But that’s only if they inherit the right qualities I am thinking.

Pihu bears a striking resemblance to her Dad which does not go unnoticed by anyone who sees her for the first time. This does not irk me honestly as she seems to have got his best features J However, having passed on my genes to her, I would like to see a few attributes passing on to Pihu from me as well. So that got me thinking. What would be those ideal traits I would want to see her reflect?

Here’s a list I have made that Pihu can take as a reference point.

Amiability: An overdose of this can make you a compulsive social butterfly but in the right doses, it can help you get popular while making a bunch of genuine friends. This trait will also help her earn the goodwill of people around her- in school, college, around the neighbourhood, on foreign shores, wherever she may be.

Wanderlust: I have never really been a backpacker and taken off untrammeled to unknown destinations but even if she doesn’t have a thirst for adventure, I would at least like her to enjoy travelling, exploring places, learning about new cultures and more importantly, respecting people of different ethnicities and faith and nature in its myriad magical forms.

Reading: I give you my word for it that there’s no better gift you can give to your children than inculcating the joy of reading. Books can be true companions in many a moment of loneliness, melancholy and boredom. I remember passing many a vacation in my childhood based on this hobby and am never afraid about how to kill my free time thanks to books. And the learning and broadening of horizons besides developing a flair for language are just perks of the hobby.

Foodie: Food is the elixir of a life well-lived. It binds people to each other, it reflects passion and perfection for a dish well-made, it induces joy and imbues a sense of happiness for everyone relishing it. I want Pihu to be able to have equal excitement for the road-side pani puri as a zest for fine dining at a grand buffet. A foodie is always hungry for exploring the new, the undiscovered while enjoying basking in the glory of memories past. That home-made chocolate barfi, the first sizzler eaten on a family occasion, the aam papad smuggled in to the school dabba, a drop of cool nimbu paani on a hot summer holiday….I want her to savour all this and more. It can also perhaps inspire her to don the apron and whip up a delicacy herself someday! That happened to me so there’s proof.

Workaholic: Yeah, I know this sounds a bit weird but this is something that comes as a given. Although of course I enjoy putting my feet up, I want Pihu to understand the meaning of time spent in engaging in constructive and productive activities. A workaholic who is constantly hunting for his next chore will eventually end up achieving more than the average Harry. And I want Pihu to learn to work with a self-disciplined efficiency so she always has reasonable free time on her hands to unwind, breathe and just be. 

A love for the arts: I would of course also like her to develop a love for art, theatre and classical music so she can enjoy the finer points of life. Kids these days look lost on their own cultural roots and I want her to find her own through these pursuits.

Bandi ye Bindaas Hai: An Ode to the Bold & the Beautiful in Bollywood

Over the last couple of years, I have observed a rising tide that refuses to ebb. The trend if it is here to stay heralds the celebration of a new era of womanhood and its portrayal in Hindi cinema. Unlike the female leads in commercial cinema of the ‘90s who had a mandatory 5 songs, 5 scenes and 5 dialogues inclusive or exclusive of a rape scene, this new genre of films is upholding everything a female lead should actually stand for: independence, confidence, assertiveness, a taste for the unconventional and decision making without the presence of a hero to serenade/support her. And yet, she isn’t boring, dominating, bitchy or despicable. She is in fact turning the rules and scope of characterisation of a heroine in a typical Hindi film on its head and singing ‘Main Heroine Hoon’ in her own tune. Still wondering who or what I am talking about? A handful of post-millennium films may help you get the point better:

Tanu Weds Manu/Returns: It all started with what looked like a relatively low budget, small town film starring no big superstars but the occasionally seen Madhavan and Bhatt camp success story Kangana Ranaut who had established her acting credentials with Fashion, Life in a Metro and numerous Vishesh Film banner films with Emraan Hashmi like Gangster.  The film released in 2011, and marked what would become a rage in coming years- the demure, chaste and soft-spoken small town girl had suddenly gone bold, brash and boisterous. She had men eating out of her hands and could balance her numerous suitors on the tip of her finger. Men in this film were left with the job of wooing their way in to her heart while she was the one who took the ultimate decision of who her life partner should be. Come 2015, the cult film which had by now captured a fan following doubled the fun with two characters in the sequel and Kangana reprising her role of Tanu, who had now gone wilder and whackier. The film’s plot may have bordered on the absurd but it had a nation laughing at the sorry state of affairs families and more importantly the so-called heroes in the film were reduced to.

Queen : Straight after Tanu Weds Manu hit the hall of fame, Kangana bagged another role which would catapult her to the A-list category of stars in Bollywood and take her box office value in to the big ticket bracket. As Rani she manages to shine through her transition from a shy Delhi girl to a no-holds barred spurned bride who bears no regrets or ill-will towards her fiancée whatsoever. As someone who takes off for her own honeymoon solo, she finds an able companion in the svelte Lisa Haydon instead of a regular knight in shining armour.  This girl takes on the role of ‘Vijay’, incidentally the name of Rani’s fiancée who supposedly left her in the lurch after jilting Rani on her wedding day. The girls paint the town red, shake a leg and live it up in Paris- dissipating age old myths and melodrama  associated with single women left to deal with their traumatic past.

English Vinglish: Making an inroad in to this genre of cinema post 2000 was English Vinglish with Sridevi packing a crackling punch as a subjugated homemaker who comes into her own during her trip to the US. English as a language is used beautifully in the film to show her rediscovery as a person with her own identity and voice. It is a medium she uses to translate her desi avatar in to one that demands respect, love and equal space from her family members.

NH10: Not a female-oriented drama as much as it is an action thriller, this film stands out because of Anushka Sharma’s decision to produce and star in a film that makes all the right noises about a woman in an action-oriented role. It comes with a message without eulogising about nari shakti and instead, depicts the consequences of the exploitation of women in almost a matter-of-fact manner. My best moment in the film is the cold expression in Anushka’s eyes when she goes about claiming vengeance in the climax of the film. It’s not over-the-top and is executed in a slick and effortless fashion, no ‘Jai Mata Di’ moment here. It’s all conveyed through the culminating response of a woman reduced to little choice when it comes to seeking justice for the wrongs inflicted upon her.

Tamasha: The film may have starred Ranbir Kapoor but I see it more as a coming-of-age film for Deepika Padukone. She followed this up with Bajirao Mastani the same year which was again hailed as one of her best perfomances till date. The characters she played in both films may have spanned ages but essentially have a lot in common. As Tara in Tamasha or Mastani in Bajirao Mastani, Deepika has no qualms going up to the man she is in love with and professing her love to him, knowing well that he holds the right to reject her. She may be strong without losing that vulnerability every woman in love experiences. Both characters have a mind of their own, live life their way fully aware of the consequences of their acts and decisions, and are able to pull back or rise to challenges head on. So much in one film speaks eons of where female actors have reached today in terms of the length and depth of their roles.

Highway/Kapoor & Sons: Alia Bhatt, the youngest entrant in this list of bindaas bandis who with Highway and Kapoor & Sons lives up to the spirit of a young modern woman who is unafraid of the realities around her and yet is not going to drown herself in an emotional avalanche. Breaking stereotypes of how a good girl should behave like, she chooses to do what she likes, irrespective of how people judge her.

With more and more such heroines coming to the fore thanks to some original and fresh writing and direction, stereotypical stories can go for a toss and rightly so!

Telly UnderBelly: Kapil Sharma & His Superstar Formula to Survival

So Kapil Sharma is back with the highly unimaginatively named The Kapil Sharma Show- and for anyone who has been following the new edition of Comedy Nights with Kapil knows by now that it is anything but that. It simply seems like the only change in plot is the channel partner in question. The gimmicks are the same, the characters continue to sleepwalk through their roles, the dialogues are repetitive, the stars well…they seem to be the only ones not getting bored of their oh-so-frequent appearances on the show and look more like Kapil’s extended parivaar members these days. As for the lead star of the show, he seems to be hitting the hammer on a flattened piece of scrap that he refuses to let go off. Why should he, he still gets to take home a fat pay cheque. The less said the better of Sidhu paaji, the avuncular jolly good Godfather-like character of the show and its lucky mascot. He doesn’t add any value to the show, has a penchant for enjoying the dampest of jokes and loves putting every guest on the show on a pedestal.

Indian TV plots have a knack of milking every concept idea dry before they can it. So while you have a ready audience for substandard fare, who cares two hoots about creativity or originality? Now I have observed several stand-up comediennes take real effort and improvise to make every act on-trend, incisive, fresh and really funny. That’s exactly where the show fails us so here’s a quick look at what the makers of the show need to drop/get rid of if they need to sustain the format for long:

1) Kapil’s constant derision of his wife. It’s boring, insulting and I’m not even going to get in to how sexist most of his jokes can be.

2) The Lecherous Daadi needs to lay off. She is cute, can yap nineteen to the dozen and loves high strung drama. But is it really funny when she latches herself on to every embarrassed star on the show to indulge in some kinky shenanigans??

3)  Sunil Grover is a versatile actor no doubt and I would probably burn my fingers if I say anything against him but give him some new direction instead of indulging in the same staid ‘flirty meets fanatic’ act everytime, along the same lines of Daadi. And even the otherwise talented Kiku Sharda who follows suit.

4) Can we have a show where the stars invited do more than just gloat about how good Kapil and his show is? Will this PR-driven exercise of mutual promotion ever end? And if you must have stars on the show tied in with their film promos, because that is the only time they seem to be available can we at least have them do and speak new things?

5)  Last but not the least, can we have an audience that is not so gawky-eyed and foolish in front of the camera? I know this is no We The People but the dumbing down of entertainment in the name of comedy starts with an unintelligent audience asking cringe-worthy questions like, “Kya aap mere se shaadi karoge?” to realizing the dream of dancing the most ridiculous dance of their lives with their favourite stars.

The likes of comedy artists who enjoy the kind of adulation that a Kapil Sharma does have to realise that making people laugh is a serious job at the end of the day. It’s good to be light-hearted but not light-headed when it comes to churning out regular episodes of engaging and rib-tickling comedy for the masses. Everyone loves a star but even an SRK has to find ways to reinvent himself with Fan every time he serves up duds like Happy New Year and Dilwale and the very same people who enjoy Kick applaud Salman when he plays less macho in a film like Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The undoing of talent may reap profits in the name of a brand that is driven further through audience-generated hype but the very same audience can pan a Gutthi when she gets on a show of her own. So makers of such shows will be well-advised to reinvent before they repent!

Big Ticket to Hollywood

Remember that song from Jhoom Barabar Jhoom? It depicted a ruffian-like Abhishek Bachchan trying very hard to talk the sophisticated Lara Dutta in to giving him his ‘Ticket to Hollywood.’ Well, Bachchan Jr. may still be waiting for his chance but many others including his iconic dad and global diva wife have already been there, done that. No matter how big these stars may be here in Bollywood, they definitely weren’t the first to start the trend. If one is to be kind and rewind back to the past, actors like Victor Banerjee were already making it big with directors like James Ivory way back in 1978. In fact, a little nugget for those of you who swear by Hollywood and feel pride at its Indian connection- this Calcutta-born actor even won the BAFTA for his role as Dr. Aziz Ahmed in David Lean’s film A Passage to India in 1986. Not only this, he went on to star in Roman Polanksi’s Bitter Moon in 1992.

Soonafter, the likes of Kabir Bedi and Gulshan Grover made their way to LA and bagged noticeable roles. People may remember Bedi star in a James Bond film Octopussy, while Grover’s claim to fame remain films like 'The Second Jungle Book', 'Prisoners Of The Sun', 'Cape Karma', 'Nephilim', 'Honour Killing', We're No Monks", Italian movie 'Les Mysteres de Sadjurah', 'Blind Ambition', 'Sweet Amerika' 'I Am Kalam' and 'My Bollywood Bride'. Even our own Om Puri aka Mogambo khush hua when he was applauded on essaying the demonic character of Mola Ram in the adventure series Indian Jones and The Temple of Doom made famous by Harrison Ford.

It’s not just the badass boys of Bollywood that have made a mark overseas. Largely known as arthouse veterans Naseeruddin Shah seen in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Om Puri in films like City of Joy, My Son The Fanatic, East is East, Wolf, Ghost and the Darkness and Charlie Wilson’s War have been making a memorable impact with their powerful roles. Anupam Kher has been taking his cut of the pie with films like Bend it Like Beckham and Silver Linings Playbook under his belt.  Taking the legacy forward have been talented and nuanced actors like Tabu and Irrfan Khan in films like The Namesake and Life of Pi. Irrfan in fact has become the new poster boy for significant roles in Hollywood in film after film like Jurassic World, Slumdog Millionaire, A Mighty Heart and has recently created a furore by turning down a Steven Spielberg film. 

The surprise package has been Anil Kapoor who shot his way to the Oscars with his very first American film Slumdog Millionaire which has paved his way to an alternate career.  So far so good. But like any trend that catches on like wild fire, there is a point when in the bid to not be left behind, every second eager beaver joins the race to international fame, often resulting in falling flat on his/her face and causing sizeable embarrassment on his/her videshi histrionics back home. So while Bollywood’s newest imports and pretty ladies Priyanka Chopra and Deepike Padukone go neck to neck in proving their talent on international shores with the movie version of Baywatch and The Return of Xander Cage respectively, I would like to make you wary of celebrating their victory before actually watching their films and judging their worth in these films for yourself. You can charge me for being a cynic but these few wonderful examples will tell you why I am not blowing the trumpet yet!

Amitabh Bachchan: Yes yes, he got to rub shoulders with Leonardo Dicaprio and Toby Maguire in a Baz Luhrmann film that is a classic adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s edgy take on the supposedly ebullient lives of the rich and the famous. But what was this legendary star doing in this film that could not have been done by any other lesser known actor?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: And how can beautiful bahu be left behind when it comes to taking the bait when Hollywood beckons? So our mersmerising diva has not only been the face behind international brands like Loreal and taken a coveted seat among the jury at Cannes Film Festival but also sought to prove she is not just a dolled up beauty queen with a spate of films like The Pink Panther 2', 'Bride and Prejudice’, ‘Mistress of Spices’ and ‘Provoked'. However, she earned more brickbats than credit for her flat performances in most of them, questioning the whole idea of Indian actors earning roles through merit or pure good luck/PR.

Mallika Sherawat: She played Samantha err…an Indian peasant girl in The Myth starring Jackie Chan and more than the role, it was the slit in her gown and the bosom-popping gowns she strutted in at Cannes that got talked about. Of course, this whippersnapper of a star has even gone on to meet US President Barrack Obama on the back of her film Politics of Love.  She claims to be the first Bollywood actor to have ever met the US President. Don’t blame the President if he has banned watching Hindi films in the White House.

Frieda Pinto: She may have starred in many a film post her Oscar tryst with Slumdog Millionaire but what I fail to still understand is what has given her that privilege? Give me a Frieda and I will give you 10 more talented actors who could fit the bill. And mind you I have nothing against her but am still waiting to see a film of worth that makes me say, now that’s an award-winning performance right there!

Let me know if I have missed out on any name. It would be nice if Indian actors don’t just bite the big apple and instead choose to look beyond stereo-typical blink and you miss roles as well. Speaking of which, what exactly was Sonam Kapoor thinking when she decided to wear those horribly mismatched clothes and appear for a second in the Coldplay video ‘Hymn for the Weekend’? I guess that’s a topic that reels in a whole new debate so I will hold my peace for now. 

The Pihu Diary: Pitter Patter…and we all fall down!

Pihu is up and running about these days. She realises that this is the time of her life when she has to make up for all that time that she was subjected to lying on a bed for over 15 hours a day sleeping away to glory. So she is in a desperate hurry to discover all the things she was kept away from. No no, she isn’t exactly raiding my wardrobe yet to wear my clothes but more for throwing the contents of it around. Prohibited items and particularly soiled ones ignite newfound curiosity so that her dad’s shoes and the diaper bin are special items of discovery that pique her interest.

She has also developed  a sense of assertiveness and diligence which would be nice at the work place one day, but not when that is employed towards sitting down on a cold marble floor and pulling off her socks and shoes to run amok on naked feet.

There was a time when Pihu used to sleep through half a movie in a theatre and munch popcorn through the other half. Now she bawls the moment the lights are out and the Dolby stereo booms on her eardrums. Lesson learnt: No movies for her before she turns errr…3 may be?!

She has a sharp sense of like and dislike. So what she likes go in her toy box. What she doesn’t or has no more need for goes in to the waste paper bin. So much for being organised.

She also happens to have taken PM Modi’s Swacch Bharat Andolan very seriously. Charity after all begins at home, and the moment she can get her hands on a napkin or piece of rag, she starts dusting almost everything near at hand. From floors, walls, furniture, kitchen racks, refrigerator, closets…(you get the drift), no speck of dust escapes her eye so that by the end of it, there’s nothing left to wipe except her mouth which she does generously with the same cloth…if left unhindered.

She insists on helping us dress by instructing us on what to wear when from a pile of clothes. Another favourite chore is picking out clothes from the washing basket, selecting one to wear around her neck or pull over the head and walk with a stately gait.

Sitting under my work desk and grabbing my leg to count my toes is another of her pastimes. Hence to say Pihu keeps me on my toes these days would be no exaggeration.

Recently, she even locked me in the bathroom. It freaked me out because there was no one at home and all she could do was cry out from the outside as she couldn’t figure out how to unlatch it. It took some timely yelling for help through my bathroom window and a neighbour breaking in to my house through the back door that saved the day for us. Needless to say, Pihu is providing a lot of drama in my life.

Becoming a parent increasingly makes you vulnerable to the point that you don’t know how to protect your kid from every kind of danger. No matter how careful you are, there will always be that miniscule chance of a slip-up which is sure unnerving. It makes you feel really vulnerable to circumstances given the immense responsibility you bear for a tiny soul.

Pihu’s sheer brightness and that winning smile however reassures me that it is all worth it.