Chak De Team 11 !!!!!

The D-Day arrived. 29th June - The day I had been waiting for the last two weeks ever since we confirmed our participation in the Ashok Nagar Cup. For the first time, we assembled at the ground on time after a refreshing cup of coffee. The opponent team delayed the proceedings and if one had to go by the rules, they had to walkover but we were kind enough to accept their lame excuses for the delay. They looked professionals, clad in yellow-black jerseys unlike us and I wondered if we have to toil very hard to earn a win but as they say, looks are very deceptive and it was more or less a cakewalk for us.

After some serious discussions, I opted to bowl after winning the toss. The start I gave with the ball was just perfect. After conceeding just 2 runs off the first three balls, the fourth one was of a shorter length and I was successful in deceiving the batsman and he scooped a dolly to the fielder at short mid-off. Team 11 draws first blood : ) . The over that followed, the one by Monish was bang on target and he was just too good in maintaining balls at good length. Shriram and Bharath continued from where we left. Shriram was in his element but it was pleasing to see Bharath bowl so very well after some tough matches last week. He was superb.

Occasional misfields helped in their recovery. But for them, our ground fielding and catching were not all that bad. To be frank, I was surprised to see the ball get into my hands after it was hit high in the air. To get you a clear picture, I was standing at mid-on (my regular position where I love fielding just because it enables conversation with my bowlers easy and frequent) and the moment I heard Shriram and a few other players say ' Rajesh, that's for you ', and with all players tilting their eyes toward me, my pulse rates soared. I'm good at grabbing flat ones but I confess, these 'high-in-the-air' catches really tense me. Just like adding salt to the existing wound, Bharath joined me in the search for the wicket. Though I knew he was running towards me, my focus was only on the ball and I never bothered to communicate to him. The ball finally bounced on my palms, jumped out, kissed the air above my fingers and landed back to the place where it is always safe - my palms. : D : D and I quickly pocketed the ball to make things safer : )

Wickets fell at regular intervals. At one stage, they were 31 for the loss of 6 wickets at the end of 7 overs after both Bharath and Shriram missed out on a well-deserved hat-trick. I still wonder if we bowled exceptionally well or if their batting looked out of sorts. Monish and I finished things off bowling the last two overs in tandem. I bowled the last over and to my utmost satisfaction, the first ball was straight through the gate, the batsman failing to connect the ball with his bat playing across the line. Uprooting the stumps is the the best feeling for any fast bowler and that too at the dearth. Though I didn't get too expressive, I could hear people appreciating me and a peculiar voice caught my attention shouting ' Come on da...well bowled' (as I was walking back to my run up). It was Durga - he should have had the best view from square leg and it's indeed a special feeling. The ball that followed was a flat hit to covers and Kaushik, I knew, would never drop such easy ones and he rightly justified with his safe pair of hands. Incidentally, I had changed the field just before that delivery by moving him from deep cover to cover.. Thank God!!!. I was on-a-hat trick but this time we didn't miss it. Once again Kaushik got into the act, fielded smartly at covers and I was successful in gathering the ball, pounced on the stumps and screamed ' Howzzzzaaat '. Run Out!!!. A team hat-trick after all...!!!

They were bundled out for a cheap 37 and after some initial hiccups, we finished things off in 6 overs. It is always a special feeling to captain a winning side and I take this opportunity to congratulate my team-mates on this convincing victory. I must admit that the practice sessions we had last week really helped. Overall, a satisfactory performance and with God's blessings, we hope to continue the same to the next match on 5th July.

Thoughts for the day :)

I wanted to write an article about ‘The modern ideas, Conservatives fail to acknowledge and The antiquated practices, Modern find tough to accept’. I want some more time so that I shall give my best and I definitely want to. I’m dying to express my views on this topic because this is something I come across at home everyday. (Readers, kindly give me some more time and I’ll surely post it by the first week of July). In the mean time, I’ve come up with a quickie.

Well… Below is something I believe in.

# People are usually more convinced by reasons they discovered themselves than those found by others

# Beauty is often worse than wine; intoxicating both the holder and the beholder

# Where there is excellence, explanations are not required. Where explanations are required, seldom you find excellence

# Talent is often nurtured in solitude

# You can’t change people but channel them your away

# The cruelest lies are often told in silence

# Power is a little like alcohol: the faster it’s consumed, the quicker it affects the brain

# People have one thing in common: they’re all different

# Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one where they sprang up

# Enjoy present pleasures in such a way as to not injure future ones.

# Sleep is the best cure for waking troubles

# Victory has thousand fathers but defeat is an orphan (I’ve heard Navjot Singh Sidhu say this quite often)

# Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; Argument is an exchange of ignorance

Finally

# A man is a product of his thoughts; what he thinks, he becomes

(Hope this applies to me as well and I become a man whose life is on the lines of his thoughts)

Starting work on my next blog right away :)

I have been Tagged !!!

Thanks for tagging me Ani... This is the mother of all articles and perfect for my blog titled 'As I Introspect' as this involves a very big introspection of my life..

6 Whatever's about me

1. I love eating...very selective though...hate all those green vegetables..i prefer the fried ones like potato etc but never over eat...even on those days when we go out for unlimited pizzas, I'm the one to finish first and friends banter me for not making the most of it..they don't understand the fact that it's after all a stomach.. :)

2. I'm this kinda person who wanted to read but the moment I take a book for reading, I doze off and that happens almost every time...eventually I became a person who hadn't cultivated the reading habit.....things do change right???...yeah... with blogging, I started to read my friends' blogs...haha...I do read :)

3. Sometimes I tend to react in a way I hate to...especially while talking to my mom or younger bro...the second I finish my conversation, I ponder over it again and scream to myself " Why the fuck did you react that way? you should have been more polite...you're so stupid ".. I fail to think before I speak. That's a bad habit, I admit

4. I'm a music freak..strictly Tamil or Hindi songs... loveeeeeeeeeeeeee Shreya Ghoshal..though my friends forced me to listen to English songs and gave me songs for 2 GB, I somehow found them all boring. The only two songs I loved listening were Shape Of My heart (BSB) and My heart will go on (Titanic)

5. I believe in fate and Karma. Efforts apart, people shall get only what they're destined to. I also feel whatever happens in life is for a reason and that change will be appreciated at the right time.. ( In the film Dasavatharam, I admired Kamal Haasan's novel way of portraying the positive effect of the deadly Tsunami...it's hard for anyone to think on those lines...he's truly an optimist)

6. I'm scared of heights... Oh my God!! had a tough time at one of those amusement parks in Cochin...had the heart in my mouth while sitting in one of those rides....hmmm.. ya...I can recollect.. it was called ' The Deadly Dragon '...huh...bull shit...was really DEADLY...that was the first and last ride.. :) ....a nightmare..

5 things I miss in my life right now..

1. My school life at Jawahar Vidyalaya and my JV friends.

2. The tuition classes under Mrs. Shrimathi (Maths, class 10) and Mr. Sundaresan ( Physics, class 12). Also worth mentioning here are the days in high school at PSBB, K.K.Nagar where we used to sit together during lunch and imitate Sundaresan Sir. We laugh laugh and laugh till our stomachs ache.

3. Cycling from home to school in the morning hours...

4. Those early morning cricket matches during summer vacations when we were in school.

5. Of course, the days I spent with My Grandpa who is no more : ( .. Really miss that Gentleman.

10 things I wanna achieve (not exactly achieve but things that I wish for) in a decade

1. Do my GATE exam really well next February and pursue my PG in Industrial Engineering at one of the IITs or NITIE, Bombay

2. Get a job in banking or any sector not related to core Mechanical Engineering.

3. Learn car driving

4. Stay in touch and maintain healthy relationships with all my school and college friends.

5. Fall in love with a girl ( preferably my colleague :) ) .... a ' not-so-fair ' girl with long fingers ( Unlike many guys, I'm not so much attracted to all girls who are very fair in complexion and I love women with long fingers.. :))

6.Get a beautiful flat in an affluent locality in Bangalore and lead an urban life. Adorn the walls of my apartment with landscape paintings and Shreya Ghoshal stills in my bed-room ( I'm sure my wife will accept my first crush in our bedroom...atleast on the walls : D )

7. Buy a hi-fi SONY music system and listen to Shreya Ghoshal songs 24 X 7

8.Meet Shreya Ghoshal, tell her how crazy she has driven me and take a photograph alongside her ( do read the post titled ' Fallen In.....' posted a month back )

9. Preserve my Music library of Tamil and Hindi film songs. They're so very close to my heart.

10.Phew...last one... ( managed to write 9...10th one... lemme think :)) I would like to watch the first day first show of Rajnikanth's next Tamil film (tentatively titled 'Robot')

The Book Tag

Sorry...no book around me


Tag five people

Madhumita Gopalan http://madhugopalan.blogspot.com/
SuhaniSoniya http://tete-a-tete-today.blogspot.com/
Man In Painting http://keyboardsculpturer.blogspot.com/
Shaji http://awesomesprings.blogspot.com/
Preeti http://beetlejuice357.blogspot.com/

Being a moth in a chandelier

If one were to ask me this question "Which of these will make you the happiest person on Earth? Is it a bowl of ice-cream left for you to finish? Or bunking college and going to a film? Or a date with your girlfriend? ", I would politely answer ' None of these' (Readers may wonder if I didn't listen to the third option or if I'm sounding too diplomatic but the truth is, I'm being very honest). The premier thing in my life (at least as of now) which enthralls me and with which I share a committed relationship is playing cricket. Yes! It’s been there ever since I attended cricket coaching classes when I was in my fifth grade. For someone who had grown up watching the game on TV, it was exuberance that filled the air around when I played cricket in a professional way, clad in whites with my pads and gloves on. That was a special feeling indeed.

Though playing cricket had always been a part of my life till the tenth grade, I started feeling its absence once I entered high school. Things never seemed to materialize and the sincere efforts we had put to bring in people for a match went in vain almost every time. Even on those days when we played occasionally, there was not cent per cent commitment due to poor fitness levels and lack of touch with the game. Playing cricket has given me so much happiness, that's the only time when I actually forget everything in life and stay so much focused and dedicated on the field that, I'm sure, even a Kelly Brooke in bikini will fail to distract me.

After months of anticipation, a full-fledged cricket match happened last evening at the Somasundaram grounds in T.Nagar. I made a sincere effort last morning to do some yoga exercises and rolled my arm just to loosen the muscles so that I bowl with not much difficulty. Every time I go for playing cricket, I become a moth in a chandelier and yesterday was no different. Captaincy has eluded me on a very few occasions in the past and yesterday was not one such. I'm of the view that this responsibility will only exude confidence to players and make them give cent percent. After losing the toss, I took the ball in my hand to start proceedings and to my satisfaction, got the line and length right from the very first ball. But for those two boundaries, it was a very economical spell and I was successful in picking up two crucial wickets. I've always enjoyed standing at mid-off cheering up the bowlers and I applauded them after every dot-ball. As a bowler, I know how much it means when a fellow player applauds you. Fielding was not bad either and I played my part in a run-out.

Though I didn't get a chance to bat, we successfully chased 69 in 10 overs and the most important thing was, we didn't lose a wicket. It was so convincing and the immediate conversation I had with my opponent players was "When's the next match guys? ". Though it might have just been a friendly match, as I said, I play the game with so much intensity every time. Winning the match last evening made me so joyous and it was evident as I returned home with so much satisfaction. Nothing in the world can make me happier than playing cricket. Now, the daunting task ahead of us is to lift the 'Ashok Nagar Cup' which starts on June 29th. Hope we stay fit and put up a very good show.

A cricket fanatic forever,
Rajesh

When I knew only laughter....

Life can't get better than the one I had at Jawahar Vidyalaya. It was, in fact 'better than the best'. Precisely, I made the most of my last four years at JV that is from my 7-10th standard. They were, and will definitely be the best phase of my life where I used to enjoy even the smallest things happening around me and now, when I think of it, feel blessed to have made friends around me happy.Before penning down that wonderful journey, I would like to thank all my friends without whom this article would never have been made possible.

Seventh standard was to me what a spark plug is to an engine - initiated the fire or rather kicked off that wonderful journey of mine. I used to be a very quiet boy, face ebbing with innocence, being too circumspect at times with a not-so-friendly attitude. What brought about the change in me was unintentional but something that just happened and I feel that's what they call GOD. What really surprises me is the fact that I never knew I was changing but was thoroughly enjoying and there never seemed to be a dull moment at school. Even those numerous art classes when I was chucked out were warmly welcomed with a smile or rather laughter. The lack of concentration in class just because I was busy planning for my next dig at teachers thankfully didn't hamper my studies. I was very successful in maintaining a consistent score of 80-85 p.c and to my utmost satisfaction, got a higher rank than my close pal Shriram almost every time. This was a key factor in me not compromising on the fun part at school. Another pivotal role was played by my cousin Divya who never disclosed any of those mischiefs to my parents at home though she knew most of them. The tallest of all - when I was caught of malpractice in that f***ing IT paper ( details of that incident revealed later in the article). I'm very thankful to her.

I loved school so much that I missed just half-a-day of class in ninth standard to attend the 13th day rites of my grandfather. I still remember that day- I pushed my mom to get my lunch done fast and rushed to school in my Hercules MTB cycle to attend the second half to make sure I've cent percent attendance in the ART hour. First of those funny incidents was in seventh standard when I misplaced my friend Sreeja's pen which had a photo of Sai Baba. I was so perturbed that I started making fun of her and refused to search for that pen. She ended up in tears, won my sympathy and I had to compromise and thus offered her a pen which my friend R.B had with a photo of Vinayak. She was in no mood to accept and wanted that Sai Baba pen alone. I got so frustrated that I shouted 'Podee Baba' and a few around me burst into laughter and eventually she was nicknamed Baba. This incident will always remain etched in my memory- her weep and those moments which really tensed me and R.B. Being an innocent boy, I was afraid if she would complain etc but things ended up on a good note and we found her pen just behind her chair. She stopped weeping thus bringing my pulse rates back to normal.

Eighth standard was just perfect when all the french students merged and I should say, we really gave the teachers a run for their money. I had become a boy sans fear - Come what may, I was ready to face it and nothing could be done at the expense of the fun we had. I still remember the day during one of those math periods when the six of us ( myself, Shriram, M.B, Rakesh, Vignesh and Murali) teamed up to cook up a story with all teachers in an amusement park. Though I don't remember what exactly the story was, it was that day when we all got together and the intensity of our laughter was just too (three) much. It was also the year when I learned all those filthy words and found pleasure in using them even when situations didn't demand. The best was my verbal dual with Arvind Raj on one of those days during lunch hour ( I don't want to get into this topic any deeper just to maintain the decorum of my blog space). These funny incidents had no boundaries...to name a few more... those Mane Mane cherche lines in our hindi classes, Taj Coramandel matter, By the by My name is Damayandrui (craft), the extent to which Shriram and I laughed when I copied during a hindi test...those funny conversations Kutty Sriram, MB, Murali and our class teacher used to have among themselves almost every day...the art hour when Vignesh and I hit chalk at our Sir and ran away. Art hour used to be unique in a way that it was supposed to be the only class where I had fun from outside the class. In a sense of exuberance, on most days, I never used to bring the Art note just to irritate him. The friendly cricket matches we used to play during holidays deserve special mention here ( Rakesh, do u remember the reverse shot we used to play). It feels nostalgic to remember those days when we assembled by 7 in the morning and played till the sun took the toll on us. Almost all matches were nail-biting finishes.

Ninth and tenth had tough moments as well.... juuuust and ssssss ( our sincere efforts to imitate our geography and history teachers) were part of almost all the conversations we made... Another notorious incident worth reminiscing was when Shriram and I burst into laughter seeing UPK Ma'am take the podium to conduct the morning assembly and almost all students scowled at us with disgust as they were tired of our laughter. We feared if we would be pulled out and taken to task by one of the teachers present . Thankfully, nothing unfortunate happened but our laugh was instantaneous as we were astonished to see a fat lady adjusting herself between two doors. There was not a single class when I failed to get away without rebuke from my history and geography teachers. The situation worsened one day when my history teacher left the class in disgust as i jacked her left, right and center. She found it so insulting that she left the class saying, I quote "I will not take history classesssss for you peepul (people), horrible classss, alwaysssss loghing (laughing) and making fun of all teacherssss. One idiot (myself) startssss loghing and the whole classss followssss him. All of you keep standing and no one should sit...keep standing". After she left, I murmured to myself ' Who the f*** is she to make me stand... F*** off '. That was the only day I actually wept in school. Mrs. Shantalakshmi had complained this act of mine to the class teacher and the latter asked us to stay back after school hours. Our class teacher entered and in an angry tone said " Except Rajesh, all of you shall sit". I felt like a stranger stranded in a jungle. She shot back " What an audacity you have!!! Who do you think you are?". I was lambasted verbally in front of all the 42 students. I knew, I was the sole reason for having made the entire class to face the axe. After we dispersed, I found a group of my class girls standing outside the gate having a private conversation and I was very sure they were cursing me. I felt so bad that soon as I came back home, I went straight to my room upstairs and wept for nearly an hour. Another terrible incident was when I used a red pen to add a few marks in my IT paper and complained the teacher of totaling error. I admit to the fact that I was not smart enough to use the same ink she had used. She was bustling towards the principal room when I stopped her to plead guilty. That evening, my pulse rates soared as I had to meet the principal but thankfully the principal had left school little early and the VP was kind enough to let me off saying "You thought you can fool her every time? Today is her chance to win over you."



Excursions added spice to the fun and fortunately we had two outings in ninth standard ( thanks to Divya Ma'am for arranging a trip to the Chennai harbour ). The bus journeys were just great. We leaned out of the window, made fun of fellow motorists but the fun inside was kickass stuff...imitating the way Anuja sings and her apple polishing attitude, Sukanya's Oonjal matter and of course we had Kutty Sriram who was always made the scape goat. Dolphin City and Mahabalipuram made for two great places of visit that year and we had a wonderful time.

On the whole, JV life was where I made ' FRIENDS FOR LIFE ' and it's a special feeling when I see myself in touch with almost all of them even today. The time we all spent together are great memories, which might better find place in a book.

An Inspiring Show

The clock in my mobile showed 2320 hrs and as I decided to close my books and hit the bed, the IPL fever pushed me back from the bedroom to the hall to check out what was happening. The Knight Riders were still in the hunt and seemed very determined to salvage their pride and who better than the son of Bengal, could have made the show better.? Dada was batting on 34 and Saha was giving him company. ( I prefer to use Dada in place of Sourav just as a mark of respect to the man who fought till the very end and proved why he still has the fire in his belly and hunger for more runs in spite of all the controversies surrounding him). Though wickets kept tumbling at the other end, Dada was there to keep the crowd alive and seeing the six he hit off Piyush Chawla, I really missed Tony Creig here, who, you know, would have got all excited and his reaction would have been “DOWN THE WICKET HE GOES……AND WAY SHE GOES…OOOOOHHH…WHAT A SHOT!!!! WHAT A SHOT!!!...SORAV GANGOOLY IS TURNING IT ON HERE FOR THE KNIGHT RIDERS…..WHAT A PLAYER!!!! WHAT A PLAYER!!!! ..’’. It was, in my opinion, a trademark Dada shot. Had Muttiah Murali watched it from the Chennai camp, he would have had nightmares of Dada’s massacre at the 1999 WC match where he smashed an unbeaten 183 and yesterday’s innings was no different. Rahul Dravid once said “ After God, it’s Sourav on the off side”. Dada did justify his good friend’s cliché with some fantastic cover drives and square cuts where all the five fielders on the off side were made spectators as the ball blazed away to the boundary ropes. Umar Gul’s short stay at the crease was a shot in the arm and eased the pressure off the champion batsman. Even after Gul’s exit, Dada continued the onslaught. With 15 runs needed off the last six balls, he smashed Pathan for a towering six over square leg off the very first ball and the latter could only applaud the genius who groomed him in the early days of his cricketing career. The six that followed, straight over long off, majestically executed, just a shuffle across the stumps made it a fantastic sight and I wondered if it was the same Dada of the late 90’s.


What really surprised me was his reaction after scoring the winning runs, I expected him to jump and punch the air with his fists but he preferred to stay calm and shook hands with his opponent players. This unusual reaction of him was an indication of the disappointment at not being able to qualify for the semi-finals. I got so much involved that I actually stood up from the chair and lauded the Bengali for showing very good temperament. This knock exemplified what self-belief can do even if you're in dire straits. He played for his hometown and provided just what the crowd had expected that day - an entertaining knock from their son. This is definitely one among the best innings ever played in T20 cricket and more than that, it was truly an inspiring innings for all budding cricketers from one of the Greats of Indian Cricket.

Had Mr.Dilip Vengsarkar watched, he should surely justify his earlier comment on selection by bringing back Dada into the ODI squad. Who better than Dada could give Sachin the much needed company at the top of the order??

7.05-8.05 AM

“Bye pa”, I say and get down from my dad’s bike and stroll towards the staircase at the Mambalam railway station to board the electric train en route to my college. The aroma of coffee at the stall refreshes me. Though the companionship with my mp3 player is second to none, on many days, a newspaper, I feel is much better just because of my curiosity to get to know what atrocities are happening in an otherwise heaven- India, read interesting articles relating to health and fitness, the IPL obsession and above all, fulfill my everlasting desire to improvise on my English vocabulary. It’s already 7.05 in the morning and as I was bustling towards the stall and deciding which newspaper to buy, the train had already entered the platform and I finally settled for the new colored version of The Indian Express and pushed myself into the compartment against the throng of commuters who were waiting to get down before I could get in.

A train journey especially in the mornings is something I’ve always loved where the scenic beauty could be enjoyed to the fullest. When I see the rising sun, the flowers raise their buds towards the sun whose warmth really injects freshness into me and as I pen down now, I can reminisce those wonderful journeys I had made traveling in the Brindavan express to Bangalore as a kid. Coming back, what a train journey can do to one especially when you’re seated next to the window, or if I confine to myself is, I can really rewind myself to my past life incidents looking at the meadows, the vehicles on GST road and of course the landing and take off of flights as I pass through the Guindy- Pallavaram stretch. It's just a perfect time for introspection which I truly love when left in solitude, and it is always joie de vivre and sometimes I only feel like laughing at things I had done a few years back with so much enthusiasm, some included notoriety as well. Occasionally, when the thoughts get so funny I would become too expressisve and I manage to control myself sensing what impression a person opposite me might get when I giggle to myself. The gamut of my thoughts is very interesting, it varies from my childhood ambitions of playing cricket for my country, the flair for the language of French (thanks to my French teacher Ms. Divya) and the interest I had developed in solving math problems (and I’m interested even today) while in middle school, the enthusiasm with which I used to admire and imitate my physics teacher Mr. Sundaresan in high school, my funny ideology of somehow managing to impress a girl soon as I enter college (this of course is something I can only laugh at if I think of it now and thank god I never put myself in embarrassing situations like proposing etc..) and I can visualize what lies for me in the future, a perfect SWOT analysis flashes across my mind. If one of my friends seated next to me starts a conversation, I would still be in my own world and when I try to reply, I’m left in a state of delirium. Just as the one hour journey is about to come to a halt at Potheri, another episode of my flashback had come to an end with an imaginary phrase at the left bottom of my mind

“To Be Continued….”

Fallen In Love With Someone I've never Met

Seeing the title, you must be wondering if I'm mad???...Actually I don't deny that completely. Recently I read a book "The Bridge Across Forever" by Richard Bach and he claims, people who feel lonely in a world of strangers, missing someone they've never met shall find a message from their love in this book. I didn't read the book intentionally, it was a mere co-incidence but it helped me keep a suitable title for this article.

To start with, I'm blogging after two years. The delay is because I couldn't just think of a better topic to pen down. The topic and content of this is so close to my heart that I'm giving my 200% and have done some research on this particular person to make reading a joy ride. As readers see behind writers' masks, you'll see what drove me to put these words on paper.

They say "Music" has no language barriers. This article clearly justifies that and sometimes music seems to take a person to a level where one can turn addictive to it when it's pleasant and soothing to the ears. If there are two electronic gadgets I can't live without, they're my mobile and mp3 player. The latter assumes better significance in this context. Yes, I'm a music freak and can keep my ears tuned in to good music 24X7.

It was in May 2006 when the audio of Rahman's Jillendru Oru Kaadhal got released. Being a Rahman fan, I can very well say that it was one of his best albums. All the songs were very good but one song was out of the ordinary and it injected a bed of roses into my blood. There've been some awesome romantic melodies composed in the past.. Pehla Nasha, Raja Ko Rani Se, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, Ho Gaya Hai, Kadhalin Dheepam, Kaadhal Rojaave, Anjali Anjali..to name a few are my favourites. This particular song was definitely above all in my opinion and I remember Rahman was quoted as saying "Munbe Vaa is my favourite composition".

I was so much impressed that I used to listen to it over and over again and to be frank, it was and it is tough for me to close the windows media player even today when this song is halfway through. Both the singers had sung it brilliantly but after a while, I could sense that it was SHREYA GHOSHAL who was driving me crazy (and even more crazy these days).yes, it was the same 17 yr old Shreya Ghoshal who

~made Sanjay Leela Bhansali take notice of her after Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and she was called to audition for devdas in 2001.
~simply closed her eyes and sang Beri Piya (Devdas) without a break and it was recorded at one go.
~ won a national award for her first song (Beri Piya)
~won the filmfare award for Jaadhu Hai Nasha (Jism)

There started the love affair or rather my admiration for Shreya Ghoshal. To be precise, I'm enamoured by her. A 17 year old girl winning a national award speaks so much about the talent this girl possesses and the hardwork she's put in to get right there to the top. What I see in her is something fantastic and a terrific achievement. Born and brought up in an educated family with her father working at BARC (Bhaabha Atomic Research Centre), it is commendable to see what she has achieved inspite of the fact that she lived in rural Rajasthan till the game show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa happened. I'm a big fan of Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Yesudas and S.P.B but the voice, clarity and perfection in rendering the lyrics and of course her voice modulations especially in Jaadu Hai Nasha (Jism), Saansein Madham Hai (Kasak) really ignites a sense of freshness to the songs whenever you listen. To name a few more, Saara Yeh Aalam (Shiva), Har Taraf (Saaya), So Jaaoo Mein (Woh Lamhe), Ek Pal Ke Liye (Ankahee), Pyaar Bhara Geet (LoC Kargil) and Pyaaar Ki Ek Kahaani (Krishh) are some of her best. I will go on mentioning all my favorites but the list is a bottomless pit. I'll be doing injustice if I fail to mention her singing prowess in the song Rab Ne Mere (Aryan). Wow, simply mindblowing!!! what a song!!! It's definitely not the feminine factor which makes me rate Shreya higher her contemporaries but the gamut of her voice. I remember, it was my semester holidays in July 2006 when I started to download her songs which she had sung in those four years (2002-2006).

Recently when Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN questioned her as to how she could make Jaadhu so seductive considering the fact that she was just 18, she was speechless and was quoted as saying " I don't know, it just happened". There’s not a genre of music she has not touched upon…be it the melodious Beiri Piya (Devdas) or the classical Har Taraf (Saaya) or the Hindustani kind Piyu Bole (Parineeta) or the fast numbers Dil Liya (Dhol) and the recent Ye Ishq (Jab We Met), she has made them all 99.9 % perfect in my opinion. Sir Vivian Richards once said that Sachin Tendulkar is 99.5% perfect in technique and I just hope Shreya receives a similar compliment from a music legend.

She’s a sensation down south as well. I have no idea about her malayalam or telugu songs but she’s too good in tamil. Introduced by the maestro Ilayaraja himself in the movie Album, she’s been part of some wonderful compositions. I was of the opinion that her songs are only melodies down south like Khajuraho, Ninaithu Ninaithu, Munbe Vaa, Uruguthe etc.. but her recent Thaiya Thaiya (Vellithirai) has proved me wrong. It’s a fast number on the lines of Ye Ishq Hai or Dil Liya..In a recent interview to The Hindu, S.P.B admitted that he could do nothing but admire Shreya Ghoshal (but his definitely can't better my admiration) and rates her better than her contemporaries. He was quoted as saying “What makes her special is her keenness to learn languages and this is why she's a big hit down south. Her tamil diction is so very good and her pronunciation of "zha" is what surprises me”.Cheeni Kum by Ilayaraja has all songs sung by this melody queen.In that same interview to Rajeev Masand, she rated Cheeni Kum as her favourite album of 2007 just because it was Ilayaraja’s. Another great aspect of Shreya is that she can make an impact to a song in no time...for eg, her contribution to the song Mein Agar Kahoon (OSO) was just for 31 sec and wow!!....she has just made it terrific and, in my opinion, beautified Padukone.

It's tough for me take my ears away when I listen to Shreya Ghoshal sing. Credit goes to my mp3 player which acts as a "NOKIA" connecting me with Shreya Ghoshal. Just like the film Kaadhal Kotai, I had fallen in love with her even before seeing her/her picture online. When I googled , it was a sweet surprise to see her look ravishing and so so beautiful. It was something unexpected and my love for her only grew taller ...Was it her beauty or her voice which made me fall for her???? Without an iota of doubt, I can say it was definitely her voice which inspired and made me admire her but Shreya Ghoshal is a confluence where melody and beauty meet.

My life will be incomplete if I don't meet her atleast once in my life. My everlasting desire is to meet her, chat for a while to tell her how crazy she has driven me, take a photograph alongside her. I just hope my wishes come true one day... Shreya, are you listening??? If you’re, I’ll lift the lines from your recent song U Me Aur Hum to say “YOU’RE DRIVING ME INSANE”.

Do leave your comments after reading.This is a fan's tribute to his favorite singer. The respect and the adulation here is much more than what an Om had for his Shanti in Om Shanti Om. So here you go.....

Tumko paya hai to jaise khoya hoon
Kehna chahoon bhi to tumse kya kahon

Kisi zabaon mein bhi woh labaz hi nahi
Ki jeene mein tum ho kya tumhein mein bata sakun

Main aagar kahoon tumsa haseen
kaynaat mein Nai hai kahin
Tareef yeh bhi to sach hai kuch bhi nahi

I wish Shreya Ghoshal reads it one day. I pray God for that to happen

A Shreya Ghoshal fan always,
Rajesh

A TRIBUTE

This is a tribute to a 68 year old man whom I admire.Here it goes....................



"Rajesh, ball pass karo" was Sachin's call."Ya , ya ...take it"..I said. "Yea yea"...We all shouted and enjoyed after scoring a goal."Cut..Cut",said the director.Wondering what..?I am with Sachin Tendulkar for an Ad video.When the shot was ok,Sachin was leaving.A huge crowd gathered and everyone were shoutin "Sachin autograph please....Sachin...Sachin...".Among these I heard a strange voice yelling "Eh..Rajesh..Rajesh". I just rubbed my eyes,saw a familiar face..Oh God..Its my mom.Its 4.30 in the morning and she is waking me up and the ad video was a dream..".......What a nice dream!!!!!...Why did u wake me up?...was such a nice dream!!!.." I asked her in disgust.She shot back saying "Today is April 5th...Forgot?".I dont know from where I got all the energy and enthusiasm, I immediately got up.This was a day for which I ve been longing for 2 months.I got up and did the morning routine.I had my cup of coffee, the aroma really refreshed me.I took my cycle and pedalled my way to a nearby school where I ve studied for 6 years.It was great to be back there. I saw my friends leaving their vehciles and proceeding to a class.I followed them.On the way I saw a 68 year old man, so formally dressed standing outside the block and welcoming all the students.I wished him"Good Morning Sir".Jus a shake of the head was his reply.I entered the class and was to happy to see my friend Ashwin sitting in the front bench,So I went there and sat next to him and I never changed that place for that full year.That place become as close as Ashwin was to me.

That gentleman entered and requested one of the girls to start the proceedings with a prayer.After the prayer, a strange voice caught my attention and made me turn away from Ashwin with whom I was chatting (as usual)."I am N.Sundaresan......Reader in Physics....so you may be knowing, anyway let me give you a formal introduction......................",he started.This was the beginning of his tuition classes, I cherish those moments even today.Such a pleasing experience it was for me to attend his classes.For a person like me who considers sleeping as the mother of all activities, this gentleman really made me get up at 4.30 with no hesitation. ( but I must confess that I ve slept in his classes,this was only on those very few days when I missed my morning coffee).The thing which really brought about this change was his entertaining and brilliant way of teaching.I was a person who considered Physics as my biggest enemy in class XI because I was a victim of some horrible classes in School and this man brought about a drastic change in my attitude in just a week and made physics my biggest friend.The anecdotes which he used to give during the class really made me relate physics to the daily happenings around me.At one point,I started repenting as to why I missed these classes in class XI.

Let me now tell about his classes.If Mr.Sundaresan enters Jawahar Vidyalaya,then you can tell without any doubt that it is 5.15.So punctual he was and he expected the same from us which made some students a little uncomfortable.I ve always been punctual and was unfortunate to arrive 5 minutes late just one day and he did nt excuse me as usual,I was standing in the last row the full class.Then after the class I went and asked a sorry and requested him to mark my attendance.He replied"Naan eppadi Rajesh ku attendance podaama viduven,Athellaam pottuduven.(How will I forget to mark attendance for Rajesh?) and ended it with his characteristic smile.Thank You Sir,I replied in a humble manner and left.There has not been a single issue which he had not talked about.He is a strong critic of Karunanidhi,objected Sonia contesting the elections as she was not of Indian origin.Just like how I admire him,he says he really admires Rajdeep Sardesai and says he is forced to watch his shows.He calls Jayalalitha a brave woman and comments that Rajnikanth is an eccentric fellow.Though I oppose some of his views,I admire his style of speaking.I had told this in the feedback letter that I ve never heard such style of speaking. ( A style as different as Rajnikanth).The words he uses very often are "So that way.....".I dont know whether he s doing with or without his knowledge. ie he always ends his sentences with the word"right" which sounds very strange but nice.

There is one thing which makes me feel a little sad,he said that I did nt live up to his expectations in the marks I scored.I could manage only 89% in physics in the XII public exams but he said "So.......Rajesh...... I expected a 94 from you but sad that you could nt." but anyway he has appreciated my way of presenting the answers and says he likes my handwriting too .He has told this both to me and my parents.I felt very happy to hear this ( Atleast something I can be proud of ).

Overall,it has been a marvellous experience for me to attend his classes.I salute you Sir and promise to lead my life in the manner you had expected of me.

I feel elated to have penned down my views on Mr.Sundaresan who has really impressed me and whom I admire and respect a lot.

Feedbacks,comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Chennai CBSE Students- What makes them Very Special?

This is a question to which I ve been thinking about for the last three years ever since I got my admission into PSBB, one of the best CBSE schools in this "Singara" Chennai. I ve been keeping a close watch on the results of the class 12 CBSE exams like you for the last three years and what really surprises me is the amazing performance of the Madras students.They have been topping every time in the pass percentage column.What makes them so special?

The number of students in Madras (I'll use Madras because I love this name and I m wondering how the State Government could change this beautiful name to a sick one - Chennai!!) taking up the CBSE exams in class XII are actually small compared to other places.This can be one of the statements which can attribute to their consistent success.The hunger for success here is actually high as they are competing with a large number of their friends studying in schools affiliated to the State Government. where scoring marks is actually pretty easy as compared to the former..Engineering and Medicine are the only two streams in the minds of most of the students (this very much includes me).The professional exams being conducted in Tamil Nadu (which no one knows whether it ll be conducted or not till the very last moment after crossing all the hurdles possible) is based on the State Board syllabus wherein the manner in which the students are tested is different from what the CBSE students are exposed to.The key factor which separates the two groups is their performance in TNPCEE.

Engineering/Medical college is always there on the students' minds and therefore, in order to perform well in the TNPCEE,the CBSE students try their level best to finish off their school portions as soon as possible .The pressure to perform well and the expectations are always very high in Madras. Sorry for not taking into account the Commerce group students in the above sections.Their number is very small and have not much of an effect. Their performance too is good but are not much there in the scheme of things.

Credit should be given to the students for handling the pressure in a beautiful way.One of the keys to their success are the tuition classes in my opinion. My experience actually speaks here.We have great fun at school and enjoy to the maximum extent possible and then when we go through the text books before exams.....all looks greek & latin..This was the case in class XI. This bad phase was not much to be seen when we started attending tuition classes in XII. So the tuition teachers played a significant role (though not a major one).The contribution of the school teachers in our success I feel is meagre which I believe many will agree with me.When compared to other metros,the distractions are little less in my opinion and the desire to succeed is also high on the minds of the students.

Overall Chennai ( atleast now I should use) students are having a blast everytime the results are announced and I hope this trend continues in the coming years.I m really proud to be part of this.

Note: Not everything mentioned above relates to me as you may think I was also a CBSE student.I ve written this article based on my observations. 

Comments,Suggestions and feedback are always welcome.

Ganguly-The Man of The Masses

Let my first article concern a topic in which I am very familiar and can explain my ideas in a fair manner.I am not a great fan of Ganguly but I admire his early days as a batsman and his wonderful captaincy where one could see fire in him.He silenced his critics.He was the only captain who took on the Great Steve Waugh and brought about a new aggression in the Indian cricket team.I believe this genius deserves a better send off equal to Steve Waugh.The reason for this is my article.

Saurav Ganguly-Prince of Calcutta

This is an exciting topic to discuss.Let me tell about the Emergence,the Rise and the Fall of Ganguly if you are not aware of it.

1992-Was a part of the 16 member squad in the Indian team which embarked on a tour Down Under after some awesome performances for Bengal in the Ranji matches.Bad mouthed the team management for being made to sit in the reserves and being asked to carry drinks to the players(Thinkin that he was the Prince of Calcutta) throughout the tour.

He did nt get into the team though his performance in the Ranji nmatches though his performances were the best in India due to too much politics.

1996-After a dissapointing World Cup,India toured England which can be called as a tour where two new stars were born-Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly.Ganguly and Dravid made it to the team in the 2nd test after losing the first test.Ganguly started his International career with a bang-A fitting reply to his critics.Started with a century on debut and thrashed away the English bowlers with.Dravid made a solid 95.Sourav looked very confident in that innings against the likes of Rose,Lewis etc..His boundaries on the cover area were a treat to watch

From here on,started a new chapter in Ganguly's cricketing career where he was welcomed by the Indian audience and was at one stage almost equal to Sachin in terms of popularity.He opened the batting in ODI s with Sachin.His performances were stunning and was called as "The God on the Off-Side" by his fellow mate Rahul Dravid.His average was always 44+.This goes to show his consistency.He was a good bowler too and picked up two 5 wicket hauls.His test performance too was not at all bad.He even now averages 43+ in tests.

1998-Shared the record with Sachin for the highest opening partnership against Sri Lanka and scored a wonderful match winning knock of 124 at Dhaka against Arch-Rivals Pakistan.His timing was simply brilliant.His elegance was there,perfect.The way he used to smash those mighty sixers made me wonder if there could be any other player on Earth who could hit a six better than him.He makes his sixers look so easy.

1999-Scored 183 which is supposed to be Ganguly's best knock so far in ODIs.He hit 7 sixers in that innings in which one broke a camera on the top floor of the Pavilion stand and one was hit outside the ground and the ball was never seen again.These innings paved him way to become the vice captain of the team deputing Sachin Tendulkar.Since Sachin's essay as a Captain was not as impressive as his batting,he voluntarily resigned the job in 2000.

2000-Took over one of India's prestigious post as the Captain of the Indian Cricket team after Sachin Tendulkar resigned.The team was in shatters after the match fixing scandal and credit should be given to Dada for bringing up the team.He has the distinction of being the only Indian Team Captain who called up the entire team to come to the dias and collect the cup.That was the Sahara Cup at Toronto which was his maiden tournament as Captain.From then on,there was no looking back for this man.He brought up young guns like Yuvraj and Kaif into the side.

2001-This can be called as one of the golden years in his life.He took on the Aussies even before they could arrive here.He made fitting replies to Steve Waugh's comments on the pitches in Indian grounds.Though the hosts lost the first test at Mumbai after a dismal performance.The rest is history. Harbhajan,Sachin,Laxman and Dravid came to his rescue but his control on the field was amazing.The way he encouraged Bhajji was great which made him even take a hat-trick.His fiels placements were amazing.The attacking mindset of Ganguly really helped Bhajji and he looked so confident.

2002-Who can forget this year???.......Natwest triumph at The Mecca of Cricket..This chap showed his body to the whole world(Freddie style)...But credit to be given to him on the battin part surprisingly for the start he gave to the side..smashin the bowlers all around the park.The way he hugged Kaif later (I dont think he would have even hugged his wife in that manner) showed his true character,like how happy and involved he was.That one aspect I ve never seen in any Captain in World Cricket

2003-After 20 years, an aggressive captain made the Indian team reach the finals of a WC.This is none other than our DADA..His shrewd captaincy was the main factor in their morale-boosting performances after a disappointin start in the WC.It was correct on his part to voice the team's opinion through Sachin after huge violence set the scene in many of the cricketer's houses after a disgusting performance against Australia in the league match.His brave decision to play Bhajji instead of Jumbo was to be appreciated but I see no justification in his act but though accept that it was a tough choice to make.

2004-After the WC,the Indians were on a high and set out on the tour to Pakistan.The convincing victories in both the test series and ODI s made Ganguly even bigger among the masses.The way he commanded respect from his team mates was simply amazing.The 2004 tou Down Under showcased how great and confident he was while taking on the Aussies.The Indians before leaving the Chennai Airport were the underdogs but things changed once they arrived in Australia.Started off with a draw in the first test at Brisbane,thanks to the overcast conditions and frequent rain.But Ganguly led from the front and exuded confidence in the team with a brilliant 144*.He gave a fitting farewell to Waugh by preventing him from leaving his cricketing career with a series victory.The series was levelled 1-1.

From now on,started the dark phase,the entry of Creg Chappell..It was Ganguly who insisted on Chappell takin up the job and wanted to work with him but Chappell had other plans.But Ganguly's horrible batting form was a main factor to his exclusion.His decision to discuss that issue in the press conference was very bad and that too after scoring a century seemed he like he wanted to justify his captaincy with a century against the minnows.This was not at all expected of him.I think now he must be regretting for what he has done.But still I believe Dada should have been given some more chances considering his stature in the Indian team.People like Kiran More, I think has no right to talk so ill of Ganguly.

So on the whole,I believe he should have been given a better farewell and not be treated in such a shabby manner.One of the main aspects which I really admire in him is the fact that he always defends his decisions and his players and always sounds confident in the post-match presentation ceremonies and press conferences and always defends his players when they are going through a bad phase.His words are so powerful and sends out clear messages to the opponent's camp.

You can clearly see the three stages-Emergence,Rise and Fall of Dada in the 3 pictures above.. Ganguly-The Captain stands tall and higher than the other two.

Comments,suggestions and feedback are always welcome

Cheers

Rajesh.S