List of All Posts to Date

-- Kitaabein Hisaabon Se Bhar Di List of All Posts to Date Sach Ko Nahi Aur Kaam Koi On Why I Speak English So Well Birthday Musings on Death How India’s Unusual Nationalism Might Save the Planet Main Chup Hun A Letter to Arundhati Roy To: Friends of the Castiko Space Afreen Afreen – Two More Versions Orange Man with Dick Out Ode to Mumbai 3 – She said we’re rats Ode to Mumbai – 2 – मुंबई के दीवाने A Tribe of Sedative-Ecstatic Savages The Good, the Bad and the Sholay – 2015 Reading Godfrey Reggio’s Interview about his film “Visitors” Read Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer’s Real Story – Revealed Dar Dar Ke Listen to Bulleh Shah! Ode to Mumbai – 1 – Monster सुनो सुनो सुनो ! आज कुछ खरा सुनाता हूँ ! Jaden’s Tweets Make Mind-Blowing Sense – in the Right Order #Jupiter Docked at Lanky Bay In Response to the Empire Debate Rahi Tham Jaa Zara I Don’t Want to Talk To Mukesh Budhaape Tu Kab Aayega? बस इक पल के लिए Aaj Sab Theek Hai – New Song About Blaming it on the Ooparwaala Baudelaire, In an ode to the Painter of Modern Life Baniyaan – An Original Song. Patterns: Smallness Happy New Year was So Bad, I Wrote A Review For It We Live In An Extremist World, and We Too Are Extremists Saala Idealist Kahin Ka [What a Bloody Idealist] Taking Money Out of the Equation Ye Dhun Gungunaana 4 Bases Are Passé – Get Ready for the 11 Wickets of Love Who I Would Vote For: Language Matters Clarity is Hard to Come By New Blog Post Type – Essays Citizens We Had Gas Once There Was a Praful मुज्ज़फर्नगर के दंगे College. Choice ख्व़ाब Tum Ho Ki A Time Gone By सूर्यास्त Sawaal Jawaab ज़िन्दगी लम्बी नहीं बड़ी हो Baby Steps Indian Music: Episode 1 Amaavas The Dreamers Chords for Pyaar Ke Naam pe by Bombay Vikings Rotten Arches France mein Desis Ke Liye Gaaliyaan Kadr Karo Shadows The Pants Theorem ज़िन्दगी के packets के size मैं बदलाव Dheere, zara dheere Sher Swantantrata Sangraam Saale Bistar Sher 50 People, 1 Question A Rhyme About Nothing Life of Newton Dear Stacy I Miss You बढ़िया ही हूँ My Grand Old Man A Sense of Social Conduct तारों ये साथ फ़ानी है Raising Parents Ponnamma Memories and Mysteries The Rest Thakan Little Girl and her Grandma Docked at Lanky Bay Good Friends and Soulmates An Ode to Tot Being a Rock शब्-ए-याद The Other World Galat fehmi – Naatak रोना छोड़ दे दिल भी साला आबशार-ए-आरज़ू Random sher A Slice of Perception Couplet भीग जाऊं Teri Yaad Aati Hai I could paint the sky today Pink The Only Song Observer Village Engaged to be Married It’s Cold Kucch Bhi Toh Nahi Memoir of A Broken Star Cottesloe Jubilo Winters The Fan The Reason Victory Humor Daily Dose of You 90 Degrees Screw it back Trapped in Love यहाँ का खाना Be Ehsaas The Luscious Love-Loop Analyze Me God’s Blue Eyes P-C-M Return Maiden of Melody Notes and Words Move On Ik tu Phoenix The Story of the Lost Tune The Leader Hate Value Conflagration Those Eyes Unspoken Woman The Song of a Bird Have a good life Flames Godly Desire The Pink Letter The Real Battle of Stalingrad Timing Har chaahat Boredom Tu woh kahaan Doors Chuppi On Her Behalf Distance Second to Third Age, Will Baat-cheet The Bus

Kitaabein Hisaabon Se Bhar Di

Kitaabein hisaabon se bhar di
Tasawwur ko safha naseeb nahi

Ghadiyaan bhi ghaflat se bhar di
Bacha koi apna kareeb nahi

Shafqat ki numaaii bhi kar di
Kahe toh koi main najeeb nahi

Sohbatein museebaton se bhar di
Pata na chale main gareeb nahi

Tanhaayi tamaashon se bhar di
Tanhaayi bhi lagti ajeeb nahi

Khayaalon mein kaalik bhar di
Pagal hai khayaali, museeb nahi

Sach Ko Nahi Aur Kaam Koi

Sach ko bas hone se matlab hai

Usko nahi aur kaam koi

On Why I Speak English So Well

What’s up?

These past few days I find myself thinking a lot about language. My first language, growing up, I think, mom please correct me if I’m wrong, was Hindi. But now my first language is English, which is, mom please correct me if I’m wrong, because I went to an English-Medium school.

Birthday Musings on Death

On the occasion of my 29th birthday (16th October), I had the opportunity to think deeply about the question of death and dying. Which is the done thing nowadays I believe. Be cool like that. Ponder death on birthdays. Ponder poverty on pay day. Ponder sickness while healthy. So just being cool here. NBD.

How India’s Unusual Nationalism Might Save the Planet

First, there were humans on earth. We organized into tribes and clans and fought with nature over resources. Then some tribes realized some other tribes were also in the neighbourhood so they fought those tribes over said natural resources. Then some of them realized they might as well inter-marry, share skills and tools, and conquer nature together.

Main Chup Hun

Main chup hun – ke ab bhi ruka hun main
Neend se shaayad jaag jaao tum.

A Letter to Arundhati Roy

Dear Arundhati,

I couldn’t get through your first book because I was too young when I picked it up and your English was too you. They don’t teach that kind of grammar even in English-medium schools. They didn’t even tell me ‘English-Medium’ meant that the medium of instruction was English. For many years I harboured a deep, unspoken irritation that my parents didn’t bother to send me to an English-Large or English-Extra Large school. Why Medium? Is there is a test I can take? I will take it, I swear. I will ACE it. Just let me.

To: Friends of the Castiko Space

4th June, 2019

Dear friend,

By now, you may already have heard that Castiko is moving out of our beautiful home at 121, Aram Nagar 2. If you haven’t, please consider this as us letting you know. We’re moving out. It’s the end of a brilliant, iridescent chapter in our lives. I hope the Space meant as much to you as it did to the people who made it come alive.

Afreen Afreen – Two More Versions

I’m obsessed with this song. Here are two versions of the lyrics, 1 verse each. Best enjoyed by humming along.

Orange Man with Dick Out

I went up to the top of the highest mountain
There was a man there, they had told me.
A man with shadowy eyes and long, flowing white hair
A man who could turn invisible at will
A man whose orange skin was so bright
It could blind you even before you could open your mouth

Ode to Mumbai 3 – She said we’re rats

The air today it reeks of sorrows wild.
The smoke from cars and trucks and burning trash
The fumes off burning hearts that used to dream
The sordid lusts of hawks who thirst for blood.

Ode to Mumbai – 2 – मुंबई के दीवाने

सुन सुन के तेरी महफ़िलों के फ़साने
आ गए दीवाने, साहिल को पाने!
किस्मतों की दलीलें धुएं में उड़ाने
फिर आज़माने ये रास्ते पुराने!

A Tribe of Sedative-Ecstatic Savages

We’re citizens of a tribe of sedative-ecstatic savages, in

Kingdoms of filth and infrastructural amenities, with

Gold-crusted grins of sharp shocking jaws

Anaesthetized, impervious, black punctured eyeballs.

The Good, the Bad and the Sholay – 2015

The Good, the Bad and the Sholay‘s Kalaa Utsavam run just ended two days ago. I wrote the play at an emotionally tumultuous time in college, when very little was making sense and I was still grappling with what I want to do with myself. Writing was cathartic and rewarding, and it became my refuge.

Reading Godfrey Reggio’s Interview about his film “Visitors”

Here’s the link: http://www.filmcomment.com/blog/interview-godfrey-reggio/

I haven’t watched the film yet, so this is quite a difficult read.

Some memorable quotes:

Read Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer’s Real Story – Revealed

Rudolph the rednosed reindeer,
Had a very shiny nose.
And if they ever saw him,
They would let him know it blows.

Dar Dar Ke

Atankwaadi toh chalo apna kaam kar rahe hain
Par aapne kyon dar ki dukaan lagaayi hai?
Jab dekho daraate rehte ho.

Listen to Bulleh Shah!

Listen – do listen! – to Bulleh Shah
Beware of the tyranny of names!

Ode to Mumbai – 1 – Monster

A monster’s heart is beating it alive
This city’s stench and bile is still aglow.
And you and I are dregs of mindless dust
Just wafting thoughts that pass, and are forgot.