Sonu Nigam

I have always said "I like some of his songs, but not him". It was this mushy-mushy style of his - he gets way too romantic. As my didi says, "Lagta hai agar isko woh ladki nahin mili, to mar jaayega". You can check this out yourself - just listen to any song from his album Jaan/Yaad. Or Resham Si Hain Yeh Hawaayein Sanam (Mere Yaar Ki...), Aayi Jo Teri Yaad (Saaya), or many others. Even in the ones I like - Saathiya (Title Track), Satragni Re (Dil Se). It gets almost comical at times. See the difference between the two version of the same song O Saathiya from Saaya - first one by Udit Narayan, & the second one (Aayi jo teri yaad - sad version) by Sonu, and you'll know what I'm talking about.
But recently I've actually started liking him. No, not because of Indian Idol. It's just that he sings really well. And that what counts when you're evaluating a singer. My favorite list includes a number songs by him-
1. Saathiya
2. Satrangi Re
3. Tanhayi (DCH)
4. Sandese (Border)
5. Tumse Milke Dil Ka (MHN)
6. Mera Rang De (The Legend of Bhagat Singh)
and many more. And I really cannot hate him any more.

PS: By the way, my new Minesweeper Beginners timning - 3 seconds. :)

Veer-Zara and Swades

Veer-Zara:
I dint like it from day one. From the day I watched the promos, that is. I still kept convincing myself that coming from the Yashraj banners, it had to be something good. So we (some 20 of us) went to watch it together. I wish I hadn't wasted my bucks. Dint know what made Yash Chopra give a movie like that. The first half was absolute crap, so was the second half.. maybe to somewhat lesser extent. Shahrukh, Preity, Rani, Amitabh, Hema, Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpai, Boman Irani, Late Madan Mohan, Javed Akhtar, Yash Chopra himself - it didnot lack names. But you cannot make up a story with names only. I still find a lot of people liking it, loving it, praising it no ends.. maybe I've missed something good in it. But have I missed everything that was good?

Swades:
I like it. The feel of it. Even Shahrukh's looking okay. Especially in the song 'Yeh Tara'. I absolutely love this song. And the lyrics are lovely. I wish it turns out to be a good one. All the best Ashu.

I'm really missing a good movie from bollywood - what with Murder, Julie, Shaque, Khwahish, Tezaab etc etc - they all look the same to me.

Coming home to BV

At last, I'm back after Deepawali. Home is always so much fun. Especially if you have some 100 relatives waiting back at home. It's really nice seeing them all after so long, talking nonstop about so many things, going to the same old places that we've been to a hundred times before, knowing about all the marriages fixed - relationships broken, preparing for Deepawali as if it was the first time we were celebrating it (or may be the last), cooking, not getting up in the mornings, fighting about so many things... the list continues. Who wants to come back to the hostel?
But when I come back, it doesnt look as hell like as I expected. Though there are so many assignments to be submitted, seminars to be presented, the farewell party to be arranged, things to be done & exams at a hand. Still, in a way it feels like coming back home.
Seven years in the same institute... it's bound to become your second home - first, for some. And you know you're going to miss it once you leave it.