Those really were the days....Part ii

All efforts from my side to keep this blog, chronological considering the episodic nature...

Post lot of running around, my mother had managed to get me an admission in St.Joseph's...considered as one of the good Christian Missionary Schools in the area...this was the school , where my grandfather, my uncle and then my cousins were studying....It was important for my mother that I studied in this School..

Class Teacher was Miss Lily , in Ist STD (figures in the photo above!!) and she was a tough disciplinarian...! Around the time of Unit Test, I was also being exposed to the good life and learnings from Islam...on the day of the paper I decided to put my faith to test. I had deep faith and was quite convinced that I dont need to appear for the paper since my Allah would help answer all the questions...I closed my eyes on receiving the test paper and started praying fervently to Allah to save me from this test !

Those were the non CGI / SFX days ...but I expected to see the miracle soon...Eyes closed I could hear Miss Lily's authoritative voice ; on the time left...I slowly opened one eye to have a look at my answer paper...EYES were soon Wide Open on witnessing the blank rule lined paper . What ?? Allah, could not help me...?? my faith was being challenged here... !!

I dont think I need to share what were the result for this test...soon better sense prevailed and the line that Allah Helps those who help themselves dawned on me...!

For Miss Lily, I became the prime candidate for Tuitions :-)

Recess Time was reserved to run to the small playground which looked BIG at that time so that I could sit on my favorite swing...before it is claimed by someone else !!

When the final bell use to ring , announcing the end of the day at school...I use to run along with the other kids towards the main gate...eyes searching for my mother amongst the crowd ! Always use to have an unfounded fear what if one day no one comes to pick me up from School...then what ?

Ist STD also was the time when I first saw Saad...and noticed that he was popular even then :-))

Dont recollect any close bonded friends from this class though...where the foundation was being laid on my learnings and for my growing up years...to follow soon !

Movie Review - FASHION

Mass Rating - **
Class Rating - *1/2

The non-issue (since he finds issues in nearly every subject!!) based movie director is back...Post generalizing Page 3(2005), Demonizing Corporate (2006) & Presenting the Microcosm at a Traffic Signal (2007)...he is back with his contorted magnifying lens trained on the Fashion world...

From the Bhandars of Madhur comes Fashion...the spur for making this movie being two infamous episodes from Fashion industry...Carol Gracias's Wardrobe Malfunction & the troubled life of Geetanjali Nagpal (refuted conveniently and vehemently by the producers and director though!!)...the writers cook and weave up story against the glittering backdrop of the glamorous and cut throat world of haute couture fashion world.

Initial parts of the movie was really like witnessing Page 3 at a Traffic Signal !!

As a movie-goer my crib against this director is his generalizing and stereotyping the characters...only extremes and caricatures do exist !! Like - models have to sleep to walk the ramp, designers are generally gays, substance abuse is rampant, amorous lifestyle is classified as being in VOGUE (pun un-intended!) ...

Will the real characters stand up...? No scope in this bioscope..but Madhur need not worry , there surely are audiences for his type of cinema as well....

What could potentially have been a realistic story of a small town girl with dream in her eyes, ambitious to become a super model and her journey therein...looses track in between the 17 reeler saga...

Production values are good, Music by Salim-Sulaiman Rocks...but pray tell me how come all the fashion shows depicted in this movie spanning around 4-6 years repetitively plays only 1 or 2 songs from the soundtrack...?? Was there a dearth of remixes ? Beats me...but you may call this cinematic liberties...

Small Town Girl role earnestly played by Piggy Chops. Her make up throughout the movie is so inconsistent as if she is the brand amma-se-dar of Fair & Lovely...skin shades kept on varying ...Erosion of her moral values and then the realization,was scripted half baked...

Mughdha Godse as one of the models is natural and is vivacious ...

For me,Kangana Ranaut packs a PUNCH in her portrayal of the troubled model..she has reprised such a character in her previous encounters as well (Gangster, Woh Lamhe and Life in a Metro)...Sometimes back I had read in one of the reviews written by ace critic - Rangan Baradwaj ; on Kangana that she needs to do a light role soon or else it would affect her personal life as well...I strongly agree!! But uff , what presence she has, right from the first frame to the tragic last...!!

Question IS how can the director expose under belly of a profession which essentially requires washboard abs...amply and proudly displayed !! :-)

Rest of the characters come and go throughout this..fare...mostly the regulars from the house of Bhandars....

Posters & Promo's are surely more enticing and promising than the movie !

May be reading old issues of VERVE or VOGUE (foreign edition please !) would be a better option, if you do not wish to spend on the price of the tickets.

PS-Last heard, the directors next venture is JAIL(on convicts)...(you should know what to expect next!!)

Those really were the days...

(A very old picture of the teachers along with the Father)

Nearly 19-20 odd years since I passed out of school...My school...St.Josephs High School...and it still does bring fond memories whenever I think of those good ol' days...I studied in an all Boys School with Convent Section being just across the road..(now before you stretch your imagination...hold on...those days...believe it or faint,I use to hate GIRLS!!!)

Many contacts are lost...dont even know where those friends are...todays age and time warrants every one to be busy...whether one likes it or not...Most of my close friends are successful in their own rights and every passing day achieve new milestones in their personal and professional lives...in the competitive world we live in....

I have been in touch (okay okay...not exactly in touch...ON & OFF!!) with Jolvin (good friend in school and better friend out of school!),Saad (the creative and multi-talented scorpio),Vaibhav (sharp and naughty class monitor), Muzaffar (from whom I picked up good handwriting) and Abidali (the silent class monitor...continues to remain silent even now...)!

We have had nearly 2 odd reunions and occasional and accidental meetings ...But whenever we meet...its reliving the past, those days, and various episodes...

A chance meeting with Saad yesterday and he mentioned that FLICKR does have some old B&W photos of our school...set on the task immediately and downloaded quite a few...discussed with him over length , the teachers...the sirs...right till their individual mannerisms...Goes without saying that it was our collaborative effort of inputs which completed the collage of the faded and fragrant memories...

Let me list down the name of my teachers....Miss Lily ,Miss Baretto, Miss Virgin, Baqar Sir, Kashyap Sir,Miss Shyamala, Miss Jacob , Miss Philips ,Miss Marie , Miss Dalvi , Miss Nath , Anwar Sir (Drawing Sir), Punjani Sir (Physical Training Coach), Miss Doyle (the librarian) Babban Sir, Miss Charlotte , Miss Sushila ,Nigam Sir, Nainan Sir, Manickam Sir, Siddiqui Sir, Vora Sir and the Principals...Disciplinarian Father's (dont remember every principal though)....

Each and every teacher of mine contributed in grooming me...in one way or the other.

I am and will remain indebted to them.

Over the next few days creative juices warranting I shall try to pen down whatever episodes I remember of my school days....till then...its time to jog down from memory lane.