Awards!

I love awards. Totally, and absolutely. I would be lying if I say that awards don’t mean a thing to me. I love to stand there on stage, taking my little token /trophy /certificate anything that pats me on the back and can then adorn my shelf! I love the recognition that come with it, and the glory that I love to bask in. It’s fantastic. It motivates, invigorates, and pushes me to do better.

 

In school, I always wanted to be the one going up on the dias and taking any award. But there was too much competition then. In college, I kind of lost out, with my focus being on other things. And then, with work life in Mumbai, I am discovering the ways of getting recognition. Three in the last one year. Makes me feel good. Very very good. I hope this goes on, he he he…..

 

And now, I somehow find myself enjoying the glory that Slumdog Millionaire has got. I have not seen the movie, nor do I find it compelling to do so. Maybe one day I will. Maybe I won’t. But, it’s good to know that it is a product that most people love. Yes, it’s not an Indian movie, it’s only about India. Only? That’s one word to be used carefully. Anyways, there are people who say that the Oscars are not the greatest recognition for Indian artistes. But my dear friend, it is recognition. And, on a global scale. Its an award, that some Indians got NOT because they were in the “foreign film” category. It’s a recognition of their talent on the global network.

 

Jai Ho!

Filmfare Awards 2009 – Picks

The Filmfare nominations for 2009 have been announced. With so many awards happening, one doesn’t know which one is really credible. But since Filmfare has been the longest standing, personally I consider them to be more like the Oscars of India (well almost!). Anyways, the list is out and the nominees must now be praying that they can take the black lady home.

My picks for the awards are marked in red (and italicized) below. Am no Nostradamus honey, so don’t hold anything against me!!!

BEST FILM

Dostana
Ghajini
Jodhaa Akbar
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Rock On!!

BEST DIRECTOR

A.R. Murugadoss – Ghajini
Abhishek Kapoor – Rock On!!
Aditya Chopra – Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Ashutosh Gowariker – Jodhaa Akbar
Madhur Bhandarkar – Fashion
Neeraj Pandey – A Wednesday!

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Aamir Khan – Ghajini
Abhishek Bachchan – Dostana
Hrithik Roshan – Jodhaa Akbar
Akshay Kumar – Sinng Is Kinng
Shah Rukh Khan – Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Naseeruddin Shah – A Wednesday!

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Aishwarya Rai – Jodhaa Akbar
Anushka Sharma – Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Asin Thottumkal – Ghajini
Kajol – U Me Aur Hum
Priyanka Chopra – Fashion

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (MALE)

Abhishek Bachchan – Sarkaar Raj
Arjun Rampal – Rock On!!
Pratik Babbar – Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Sonu Sood – Jodhaa Akbar
Tushaar Kapoor – Golmaal Returns
Vinay Pathak – Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (FEMALE)

Bipasha Basu – Bachna Ae Haseeno
Kangana Ranaut – Fashion
Kiron Kher – Dostana
Ratna Pathak Shah – Jaanu Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Sahana Goswami – Rock On!!

BEST PLAYBACK SINGER (MALE)

Farhan Akhtar – Rock On!! – Socha Hai
KK – Bachna Ae Haseeno – Khuda Jaane
KK – Jannat – Zara Si Dil Mein
Rashid Ali – Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na – Kabhi Kabhi Aditi
Sonu Nigham – Jodhaa Akbar – Inn Lamho Ke Daaman Mein
Sukhwinder Singh – Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi – Haule Haule

BEST PLAYBACK SINGER (FEMALE)

Alka Yagnik – Yuvvraaj – Tu Muskura
Neha Bhasin – Fashion – Kuch Khaas Hai
Shilpa Rao – Bachna Ae Haseeno – Khuda Jaane
Shreya Ghoshal – Singh is Kinng – Teri Ore
Shruti Pathak – Fashion – Marjaawa
Sunidhi Chuhan – Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi – Dance Pe Chance

NOMINEES FOR BEST LYRICS

Abbas Tyrewala – Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na – Kabhi Kabhi Aditi
Gulzar – Yuvvraaj – Tu Meri Dost Hai
Jaideep Sahni – Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi – Haule Haule
Javed Akhtar – Jodhaa Akbar – Jashn e Bahara
Javed Akhtar – Rock On!! – Socha Hai
Prasoon Joshi – Ghajini – Guzarish

BEST MUSIC DIRECTOR

A R Rahman – Ghajini
A R Rahman – Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
A R Rahman – Jodhaa Akbar
Pritam – Race
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy – Rock On!!
Vishal-Shekhar – Dostana

Childhood

Why is that when we are children and in school, we want to grow up in a hurry? And why is it that once we grow up, we want to be children again?

Got this fantastic poem as a forward (it’s in marathi, but the true essence is only felt in one’s mother tongue, and translating this will be a crime!). It is so true for my days in Pune, and which I sitting here in Mumbai, miss terribly.

Sports Day!

The last time I was at a Sports Day in school, I was sitting at the back of a giant population of kids in my school, completely disinterested in what was happening. There were some kids running around trying for a bunch of medals, God know why, is what I thought then. Obviously, no parents were there to cheer them ’cause all this was quite frivolous then. Those were the times and then there are times like now. Schools celebrate Sports Day as some huge annual gathering of kids and parents. It is a big big event, one that is never to be missed by parents.

I attended sports day at my daughter’s school on Saturday, and it was an experience in itself. Parents were warned to come in by 8 am (yawn), and take their seats immediately after handing their kids to the teachers. Another stern warning was that no parents should be seen near the tracks or the sports day would be called off. Diligently, we landed there at 8 am, and dropped out little tot to prepare for her race. We then took our place in the parent’s shamiana, right by the tracks for a good view. The kids – ages 2.5-3.3 years – are a fantastic way of enjoying. Their overpowering sense of non competitiveness is actually so very cute. Kids running with their hands in the pocket {mine ;-)}, kids seeing their parents and stopping to wave, the kid who is leading suddenly feels lonely and lets other catch up by waiting for the mid track, kids who kept running cause they didn’t know the concept of the finish line… Amazing!!! The parents, too bonded very well cheering one and all and the spirit of any competition that they would have harboured evaporated immediately. The parent’s races were again so overtaken by this spirit that people were actually enjoying the prospect of just the running. Yours truly finished the race, with a tumble on the ground in the mass of fathers running for their kids! And the mother didn’t hear the whistle and hence ended up a on the starting block!

But the gem is what my daughter Myra said to me after we got home. When I asked her why she didn’t run fast, she said, “No pappa, you were not there, you didn’t see me running, I won the race”. Suddenly it dawned on me, that for her, it’s the spirit of taking part, not competing is what I need to grow in her. “Yes” I said “You did, my baby, you won”.