Reasoning

Time has passed,
Years gone by.
But it seems like just yesterday,
When you were by my side.
The ups and downs gone through together –
The miseries and turmoil we fought for each other.
But destiny has its twisted ways
Of making us realise what we share.
In just one second we drifted apart
With no part to play and no fault of ours.
I try to question “why me this time?”
Still in disbelief of what went by.
Every dream came crashing down
As your flight came to the ground.
You were one of the 150 on board
But our lives were taken, not just yours.
Alas! I must live and move on.
In the hope that time will heal my wounds.
But with every second that passes by,
With every candle that in your memory I light,
I find it difficult to comprehend
Why did our journey end.
But I have come to understand,
Time doesn’t heal all the pains.
It simply teaches us to live
With what we cannot understand.
So, I live as time goes by,
With the flicker of your memories by my side.

By Zoha Tapia

Estranged

I stood still as you walked away,
Every step taken trampling the memories we made.
I hold out my hand wanting you to stop,
But all I could feel was my pulse drop.
I wish I could rewind the sands of time;
Bring back the happiness, get rid of the grime.
Live each moment like it will never end
All the way through till our last breath...

But now I stand here alone
Waiting for you to turn back but I know you won't.
I loved you for the person you were
But will remember you for leaving me at the altar.
From the moments of love we spent together,
It's the pain you caused I will remember forever.

I will never forget the twinkle in your eye,
The way you laughed and made me smile.
The way you saw me through my highs and lows,
Supporting every step I took.
But more than ever I will never forget
The way you turned my love into pain and regret.

By Zoha Tapia

Resurrection of ruins

Broken from within, completely forlorn
Nothing to look forward to, nothing to hang on.
Alone as ever, in pieces and despair,
With the heart and mind seeming to be beyond repair.
After all the time that has been spent
After all what’s been given and that has been felt,
Today on the path of destruction I stand
In ruins, on this lifeless barren land.
To resurrect myself seems like a task
I try pulling my self together, pushing the destruction in the past.
Forgetting the painful moments that brought me here
Cremating the memories that now at me jeer.
Detaching myself from those I called mine
Only to realise that they will drift away in time.
I look down at myself shrivelled and curled
Like a little foetus, craving warmth from the womb.
But I need to rise like the phoenix from within
Come out and live and not be hidden.
I have nothing to lose, nothing to hide
No prewritten rules, no societal guides.
A new journey I can now begin
The road to transformation starts with ruins.
With an open mind, I take my first step
For new pastures, experiences and relationships.
I may fall once more, and be scathed again
But every time I am ruined, a new beginning will beckon.
Ruined I maybe, but resurrect myself I will
Till the time, I haven’t risen, till the time peace within me I haven't felt.

A silent prayer

He held her mercilessly,
With no remorse in his eyes.
Wrapped in a ragged cloth,
She stared, trying to understand his wrath.
An occasional quiver, a slight shiver.
Though tiny and speechless, she was intuitive about her impending future.

Pushed onto the side
Her mother stood stoic in silence.
This wasn’t the first and neither the last.
Though grief-stricken, her tears dried with experiences of the past.

As she drew closer to her dug-out grave,
She let out a whimper and wished to speak.
Her heart jumped - leaps and bounds,
As she hoped someone would notice the tears that rolled down.

Each tear held an untold plea,
A plea to let her live and see.
“I know you look me as a burden,
An expenditure, which would increase as I turn maiden.
I seem of no use besides being in the four walls of your mansion,
Just like an old piece of furniture or an oil-stained utensil.
Constantly reminding you how fruitful it would be to have bore a son,
Who would take care of your farm and not make you bear a dowry amount.
But I still beg for that one chance.
The chance to live, watch, feel and dance.
The chance to prove I am more than just furniture
That I can do all that your son can in the future.
Make a difference in your lives
And be the apple of my daddy’s eyes.
To let my mother relive her childhood,
And be your caregiver all through.
The chance to flip through books old and new,
Learn new arts and my worth prove.
To leave my footprints for others to follow,
And fill your hearts with pride and honour.
Give me a chance to live for others,
As a daughter, sister, friend and mother.
I know it’s tough but I continue to plead
And ask you to break the barriers to which society heeds.
As you bury me under the soil,
This same society you uphold will live in turmoil.
It’s not just a daughter you are killing,
But future sons, whom without a daughter would not come into being.
I pray for the last time as you lay me down
Spare me and save your future now.”

But alas! Her pleas were left unheard
As the sand suffocated her every whimper.
No one came forth, for her no one stood.
But continued to call themselves custodians of customs and all that’s good.
Like her, nameless, more girls will be buried alive,
And live we will in the darkness and die blind.

-By Zoha Tapia

Walking on

I walk…
Leaving the past behind.
Envision a future,
Which will be only mine.

Burn the memories that haunted my head
Detach from those who left me stranded
Forget those regrets and resentments
And awaken to the light ahead.

But before I move on
To the new horizon that calls upon
I look back one last time
To see the trail of ashes, I leave behind.

The black path, is now just dust
But there still remains a certain glow.
In the ashes of the past, that lay before
Remained a few cinders of memories that glowed with warmth

I walk behind, one last time
Picking those cinders,
Etching them in my mind.
Leave the ashes, leave the past
Turn around and walk on….

A poem on Female Infanticide

She is the creator,
It’s through her that life evolves.
She is a caretaker,
Thanks to her a house is a home.
She is the epitome of love,
And sacrifice, perseverance and strength.
Yet she is looked down upon,
Yet she is tortured and made to mourn,
Yet she isn’t given her worth,
Yet she is killed before her birth.
Before she sees the world around,
Before a tear can even crawl down,
Before she has taken her first step,
Before she could breathe her first breath.

She could have grown up to be someone big,
A Kiran Bedi or a Madhuri Dixit.
A child prodigy she could have become,
But she wasn’t even given that one chance.

We closed her eyes and along with it ours.
We ignored the reality and lived in beliefs of the past.
“Why burden ourselves?” Is what we thought,
When killing that tiny little tot.
Not once did we weep,
Not once did our heart bleed.
We just witnessed the merciless act
And chose to ignore the fact.
Today, the equal society we live in
Has around thousand men to pitch in.
But for every thousand of those males,
Exists only 850 females.

The number is dropping as years go by
But we just ignore it and let it pass by.
We need to wake up and see the truth
Female infanticide is still rampant, in urban areas too.
The change needs to be made, one needs to take a call
Stop killing her now or it won’t stop at all.

Will Shiney Ahuja know life behind bars?

Bollywood and crime have always had a strange connection, not only in reel life but also real life. Recently, Shiney Ahuja’s conviction to seven years of jail for raping his maid, made many celebrities cry foul stating that they are being made soft targets and at the same time the common man rejoicing the fact that maybe, finally it is the end of celebrity feudalism.

To be quite honest, yes, many times celebrities are easy targets and at times them being famous doesn’t go in their favour. With people filing frivolous PILs (public interest litigations) over unimportant issues and sometimes the paparazzi going overboard highlighting their scandals to garner more eyeballs, some what justifies their viewpoint. But in the case of Shiney Ahuja, with not much money riding on him, and with not many hit films to his credit, what will one get by framing him and secondly parts of the industry that are vehemently supporting him, will they remember him and if he is released will they give him roles following a bad public image?

Well, that’s a separate issue all together. The question here is this has our judiciary finally agreed on the fact that justice needs to be the same for all, or are celebrities still allowed to be let off the noose.

Going into flashback mode, one of the first few actors to be caught up in the cops tangle was Sanjay Dutt. Being the son of yesteryear actors Nargis and Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Dutts arrest under TADA for owning AK-47 rifles in 1993 was a big blow to the industry. Currently, he is still fighting for his innocence in the Supreme Court against his 6 years punishment. As of now he is out on bail and though he withdrew his candidacy he did wish to contest for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. However, what about the others who aided him or who were caught for the same offence? Either they are still languishing in jail or have completed their term. But Sanjay Dutt still continues to enthral us with his Munna Bhai acts.

Speaking about the 1993 riots, how can one forget Bollywoods love story with the underworld. Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, a small time criminal who later became one of Mumbai’s dreaded dons, shifted his focus to the film industry with actress Mandakini. The glamour struck don organized parties in Dubai and Sharjah, which were attended by major Bollywood stars, either due to pressure or out of choice, thus, showing the legal system that he still ran Mumbai even on foreign shores. However, with the arrest of diamond trader Bharat Shah in 2001 and the underworld and Bollywood nexus being exposed, the Mumbai police claim a reduction in the underworld involvement in films. However, what happened to all the actors who were spotted with the don and the producers who made movies for him?

When talking about crime one cannot not talk about Bollywoods proverbial bad boy Salman Khan. The actors first brush with the law was when he was charged with hunting black bucks in Jodhpur. Ironically, he is the only actor who faces the consequences, while Saif Ali Khan and Sonali Bendre who were also accused have been let off the hook. Though he was handed a 5 year jail term in 2006, he has been out on bail since 2007. If that wasn’t enough he was later held guilty for rash negligent driving causing death of one and injuring four people. Though he was found not guilty he still has to stand trial for lesser charges, pertaining to the same case. Ironically, enough we lauded him for his cop act in Dabbangg and speak of him as a messiah due to his Being Human charitable trust.

Even Feroz Khan’s lesser known son Fardeen Khan was caught under the narcotics act. However, a few apologies and a fine set him free in the world of filmdom. But to think of it, if we were ever even suspected of any of these acts, would we have been let loose so easily? I don’t think so. Well, the verdict in Shiney Ahuja’s case has managed to restore some faith in the judiciary and the fact that justice is the same for all, but then again its not like he is a big star.

Well, the least we can do is be hopeful it’s the end of celebrity feudalism and that like Shiney Ahuja we would like it if other high and mighty politicians and bigwigs too face the music.

Koffee Bollywood Style

So finally Koffee with Karan is back with season 3 and for all those self confessed Bollywood fans, who are obsessed to know all the action and behind the scenes drama of their favourite and not so favourite stars, straight from them, up close and personal with their chatty rather catty host, well, Indian televisions most loved chat show is back.

Well, at least I was quite excited to see the show coming back on air, reason, well yes, I do like the Dharma Productions candyfloss dramas, and I do like the way Karan Diplomatic Johar gets the stars, who otherwise cover their real selves behind layers of makeup and reel, to let the cat out of the bag and get absolutely candid. Yes, there are those boring few, but most seem to shed their inhibitions and showcase their real selves.

Unlike the previous two seasons, this season didn’t kick-start with Shahrukh Khan being one of the guests; however, he did make his presence felt with the introductory all the best speech. Instead we had Bollywoods so called first couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Though they can’t match up to Shahrukh Khan’s jibes and jokes, to their credit and surprisingly so they were quite candid and not that boring as I had expected, especially Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. For a change she looked good (yes, I know she is the “worlds most beautiful woman” but no I don’t like her) and she even spoke her mind without being diplomatic, of course on the downside her annoying giggle could be heard all along and during the rapid fire round she suddenly turned vague (split personality I presume). On the other hand husband Abhishek Bachchan seemed to be at his diplomatic best during the chat session, wherein he even gave some Guru gyaan to the new boys - Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan (I wish he used some of it himself too). Seems like both their qualities have rubbed off each other making them forget whose quality it originally was.

Anyways forget them and coming back to the show. Karan Johar as usual was at his best, from the wardrobes, to the questions to the guests everything seems picture perfect. However, I prefer the set of the previous two episodes, some how the table between the host and “his couch” as he put it seemed to be quite a hindrance and made the place look cramped up. Also there was way too much adulation. Yes, we know Aishwarya Rai is beautiful and we know of Abhishek Bachchan’s lineage, seriously does it need to be mentioned in every second statement. So yes, stop the sweet talk, because I am pretty sure that’s not what the audience wants.

Well, with Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan coming together, followed by Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor, this season like its predecessors seems to have quite a few quotes in store. However, that only time will tell.

Memories

As I sat sifting through,
Papers old and new,
I came across words...
Words which transported me back to my school and college world.
There was a sparkle in my eye
And my lips twirled.
A smile crept up
As I scanned across.....
Across pages which I had imprinted on
Thoughts, feelings, experiences and moods
Happy moments, sad ones and anger too.
During school days, college days, those days of my childhood.
Those memories came and flooded my mind
The situations, those times, I could see crystal clear
Things which I had forgotten, miraculously appeared.
Those times which I left far behind
Suddenly seemed so important, so near.
I was overwhelmed
And embarrassed at some of my writings.
Smiled at some, chuckled at many.
I wish I could rewind and go back then.
Then when everything was so simple and fun.
Even sad moments never seemed to last
And problems and troubles were tackled with a laugh.
Those times with friends talking gibberish and nonsense
The teacher’s shouting’s and at times praising,
Our parents fussing and behind us running.

Those childhood memories made me so ecstatic
That I couldn’t stop flipping those pages.
I didn’t want that moment to end
Between me and myself.
Sometimes we stock things without realising
That years later when you happen to find it
It brings a glow on your face
A glisten in your eyes.
The child within us begins to evolve
And everything around seems so serene and so calm.
All those memories big or small,
I want to keep them as close as I can.
And hope each passing day
Is cherished this way.
So tomorrow, maybe when I’m feeling down and low
The today’s now, brings a smile on my face tomorrow.

The complexity of the mind

The human mind is so complex
Difficult to understand it is, immaterial which gender it is.
When it’s happy, when it’s sad
When it’s depressed, when its glad
When it’s funny and ready to swing,
Or serious, it’s difficult to speculate.
There are million things as a common man,
What even you do, sometimes you can’t understand.
Why ones sad on someone’s death
While the corpse is happy to be cremated?
Why someone’s laughing a minute ago
And all of a sudden is depressed and low?
Why don’t we practise
Sometimes what we ourselves preach?
Shout at someone for their mistakes
When we have been guilty of doing the same?
Why do we make someone our best friends
And then betray them in the end?
Why is it that people who love each other so much
Part in between for measly tiffs and act tough?
Sometimes people who we think we know better than ourselves
Seem to be those we understand very less.
Why feel happy, when someone’s in tears
Or feel happy when someone’s losing someone dear?
Why are we speechless when there is so much to tell
And let emotions take over ourselves?
So many whys such few are the because’s
So many things we do which have no causes.
Our own minds we cants understand
For something’s no reason the human mind has.

The Queens Necklace

The dusky sea, the starry night
Meet at a point far from the eye.
The shore welcoming the crawling sea
With a necklace of lights and glitterati.
The tetra pods seems to be embracing the water
With its open arms.
The red , blue and golden lights
Contrast the cloudy sky
Which seem to be giving away the sea
In the form of waves to the land.
So calm, so pleasant, so serene
But yet a rustle echo’s in the air.
An echo of peace, an echo of life,
An echo of mystery, an echo of the noise of the lights.
As time passes one wishes it would stop
As the shadow of the silver circle on the sea forms.

Snail

As delicate as a baby or even more
As hard and brittle as corals are
Sitting quietly on the lush green grass
With dew drops covering its brown carcass.
Slowly emerging from its cocoon shaped shell
A brown and slimy body resembling gel.
Raising the shell from the ground
A solidified fluid slithers out.
Forming a triangular shaped headhttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1741465725733386169#
With a featureless face looking above
As though squinting its imaginary eyes due to the sun
Its face crunching as wrinkles form.
Two deformed antennae cropping up from its skull
Like liquid pouring out and freezing under the sun.
Once its out of its protective cover
Slowly it slides pulling its cover.
Its shell seems so heavy at the speed it pulls
But doesn’t stop to rest till it reaches its food.
Munching and relishing on fallen leaves
Like a pure vegetarian living on greens.
But a sudden touch on its skin
Causes an alarm and frightens it.
Moving its sensitive body into its shell
The want for privacy beckons it in.
Ugly yet beautiful, hard yet frail,
A complex creature is this snail.

(Mis) Representation on television

Indian television has suddenly seen a surge of Indo-Pak bonding in the last month. What started of as a peace building initiative through music by singers Sonu Nigam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in the form of Chotte Ustaad seemed to set a trend of sorts, with Bigg Boss 4getting two Pakistani artists to be a part of the show. However, the first being a novel and a brilliant idea, the second I have a problem with.

Chotte Ustaad as we all know has one Indian singer and one Pakistani singer team up and compete with 11 other such pairs of children. While Sonu Nigam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan played mentor, the special guests on the show ranging from Abida Parveen, Shankar Mahadevan, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Sonam Kapoor, Shaan, Priyanka Chopra, Mahesh Bhatt, the Kapoor khandaan etc too lauded the efforts and the talent.

The show was unique in many ways. Firstly, it made Indians and Pakistanis team up and not compete against each other. Secondly, many Pakistani families managed to accomplish things they just dreamt off, like visiting the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, watching their children share the same platform with biggies like Asha Bhosle and meeting stars like Rishi Kapoor which otherwise they would only see onscreen. Thirdly, it propagated peace and promoted talent and fourthly it was a show which ran on talent and an overwhelming message and not on controversies, drama and sleaze. Yes, it was high on emotions but in the right way.

The show not only gave a great opportunity to the young singers to showcase their talent but also showcased Pakistanis in the right light in India. For a change Pakistani’s weren’t looked down upon but were looked at in a positive light. Finally, most Indians realised that yes, people there are not terrorists or fundamentalists like they are made out to be, they are nice, they too have emotions, they are friendly basically they are the same as us and extremely talented too. Also when the voices of both the countries met in unison the songs just sounded more soulful and melodious.

On the other hand you have Veena Malik and Begum Nawazish Ali entering Bigg Boss. Now, firstly anyways Veena Malik is scandal ridden, and secondly, for your personal interests I hope they realise they are putting an entire country’s reputation at stake. Unlike the other contestants who are just representing themselves, these two have an extra burden of representing their country. Yes, for 2 weeks it’s easy playing Mother Teresa, but putting up a farce for 90 days is kind of difficult. And to top it all one small even genuine mistake of theirs will be lapped up by the media like there is no tomorrow.

Unfortunately, thanks to the relations between both the countries, not many Indian’s get to visit Pakistan and vice-versa; hence the level of misconceptions about both the countries amongst the masses is quite high. And television rather a show like Bigg Boss is catering to the masses, who will believe everything they see. So at the end of the show most will turn around saying that Veena Malika and Begum Nawazish Ali represent the general Pakistani. Well, I don’t know how they or any common Pakistani would take that, but as an Indian, who has friends and relatives there and has visited Pakistan, its so not true.

For once I would say Colors please listen to Shiv Sena and get those 2 out of there soon. Okay maybe that’s going a bit to far, no I don’t support Shiv Sena, but the reason I want them out of there is not because they are Pakistani but because Colors, with your editing skills, and want to catch eyeballs and TRPs you may just end up straining relations, not at a diplomatic level but on a people to people level. I agree the two are there for their personal gains, like maybe getting into the Indian television industry and so on but hello, you are kind of maligning the image of your country in return.

On one hand you have people like Wasim Akram, Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and so much so Pakistani kids creating a positive image and on the other hand the two of you in Bigg Boss which is known for sleaze and controversies. Till now no one has exited the show with a positive image, not even the winner, so what makes them think they will.

So, kudos to shows like Chotte Ustaad and hope many more such shows are introduced to build people to people relations.

Bigg Flop - 4

It’s been almost 3 weeks now, and one of Indian televisions most over hyped and much speculated shows – Bigg Boss 4 turned out to be quite a damp squib compared to the previous editions. Yes, one expected Salman Khan’s magic to work just like Dus ka Dum, well actually that’s the only thing which works for the show – considering the lacklustre line up of inmates who gave an even more lacklustre opening to the show.

Those expecting Shakti Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Shiney Ahuja, Chunkey Pandey, Sangeeta Bijlani, in return got a dacoit, a thief, a cross-dresser, a lawyer, two television actresses, two out of work actors, some Bhojpuri tadka and a supermodel. Talk about diversity.

So we had a terrorist’s lawyer, rather ex lawyer Abbas Kazmi, who thankfully like he was thrown out of the case was also thrown out of the house, and later on from a few circles in his personal life. Well seeing him roam around in sleeveless tshirts, complaining about less food wasn’t entertaining anyways. Then you have former bandit queen Seema Parihar, who not only looks scary but its difficult to understand what she says that when she does (and I think she too finds it difficult to understand what others say). Then you have a scandal-ridden star son Rahul Bhatt (apparently David Headleys gym buddy) who seems to be on a maun vrut of sorts most of the time. A former thief Devinder Singh or Superchor Bunty who couldn’t even last for a day thanks to his excess usage of expletives also made his presence felt. Suddenly, Bigg Boss’s house seemed more like jail in the literal sense.

Now coming to the list of entertainers - we have a traumatised divorcee and once upon a time soap queen Shweta Tiwari, who seems to be busy smothering everyone. Then there is Pakistani TV host Begum Nawazish Ali, who is sometimes referred to as Begum and sometimes Ali, I am pretty sure if she stays in that house a bit longer she will come out of there turning schizophrenic. Adding to Shiv Sena’s furore is another Pakistani actress Veena Malik who is better known as a world famous controversy queen especially after blowing the cover of Mohammed Asif. So basically one episode she spent crying about him, the weekends she spends trying to flirt with Salman Khan and the rest of the days either fighting or flirting with Hrishant Goswami. One minute, who is Hrishant Goswami??? I know a model but his claim to fame? Well talking about wannabe’s they even had Splitsvilla winner Sakshi Pradhan in the house for a while. Doesn’t speak much about the reputation of the show even when you have a Salman Khan hosting it.

With his endearing smile and pearls of wisdom is Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari whose favourite song seems to be Munni badnam hui (Doesn’t he know it’s the audience he has to impress and not Salman Khan). Besides that there is Mr super calm Sameer Soni. Yes, his nomination last week was quite surprising, but he seems like one of the only sane people in the house besides Anchal Kumar. Supermodel Anchal Kumar, sweet and helpful and has a great wardrobe too, but why exactly did she cry so much once Abbas Kazmi was evicted, and why was he praising her so much on all radio channels once he was out of the house?

When it comes to speculation though the only thing which managed to grab if not many a few eyeballs was Sara Khan and her damsel in distress act which is highly irritating and her proximity to the jobless Ashmit Patel who loves talking or flaunting his six pack abs but still complains that he is fat. Well, their closeness has surely left her boyfriend actor Ali Merchant stressed out and left him with a lot of questions to answer on his personal life. He even went on record saying “Sara treats Ashmit like a father.” Really now? Yes, Ali we believe you. And last but not the least the latest entrant 7 feet 3 inches Khalli. Firstly, how is he fitting in that house, and secondly how is this otherwise down to earth, shy wrestler going to stay in that house? Well, at least we know his reason for entering – he hurt his foot and can’t wrestle so let’s make some money instead.

With a line up like this, you don’t need to be Einstein to figure out why the show hasn’t been able to generate enough fireworks to sustain viewership. Then if you didn’t have Shiv Sena causing a black out of the show for a week, you had Amitabh Bachchan coming back with KBC, and for the weekends Akshay Kumar with Master Chef, and if that’s not all soon Rakhi Sawant will be giving them competition with Rakhi ka insaaf (this has just got to be the heights of stupidity on Indian television). Even a unisex bedroom hasn’t been able to add any masala, which separate ones could in the last 3 seasons. Well, the only saving grace is the weekends with the aakhri salaam with Salman Khan. His antics and jokes, which sometimes border on being crass managed to raise the TRP’s and also keep the viewers interested. Till now three weeks have been quite boring and sitting through one entire episode is a drab, and there are still 70 more days to go. Sigh.

Aisha – Slick and stylish but lacks substance

My sole purpose of watching Aisha, was to see how someone (Sonam Kapoor) who claims to be an avid Jane Austen reader, recreates her master piece ‘Emma’ on the silver screen. Alas! Aisha is no ‘Emma’, though it’s an adaptation of it, but it could very well be touted as the desi Sex and the City.

Aisha Kapoor (Sonam Kapoor) is the archetypical uptown girl from super rich Delhi. She's smart and sassy, spending her time on animal rights, art exhibitions, polo matches and shopaholic sprees along with her newly found obsession – matchmaking. The film takes us on her journey on finding a suitable match for small town Shefali (Amrita Puri), by trying to hook her up with the mithai scions son Randhir Gambhir (Cyrus Sahukar). But first she must transform this behenji into a diva with the help of her BFF Pinky Bose (Ira Dubey). This challenge of hers just gets a tad bit difficult because of her childhood friend Arjun Burman (Abhay Deol) who terms her new social work projects as a meddlesome mess is always on an ‘Aisha’ criticising spree. Well, he doesn’t seem to be the only hindrance, the entrance of NRI bombshell Aarti (Lisa Haydon) along with feelings of jealousy, pride, ego and love seem to create quite a flutter and send our protagonist into a scurry. So are marriages made in heaven or can they be stage managed and does Arjun’s opinion really matter and most of all does Aisha succeed is what forms the crux of the story.

Firstly, the film completely dazzles with its style quotient. Rhea Kapoor comes across as quite a benevolent producer with each frame being picture perfect. Secondly, welcome to the life of the high flying rich young Delhi chicks that are sweet, svelte and stylish. Thirdly, finally we have one fun youth oriented female centric film wherein the concerns seem so recognisable and rib-tickling for anyone who has been through the match making game. And then, there is your distinct social divide of the uptown dude and dudettes and your downtown bhenji’s and bhaiyyas.

Along with this you have a brilliant soundtrack from Amit Trivedi which sets your feet tapping instantaneously and some memorable performances. Abhay Deol is a charmer throughout the movie and churns out another impeccable performance. Sonam Kapoor plays the role of a rich spoilt brat to the T minus her nasal tone which proves to be quite a hindrance when it comes to the dialogue delivery. Funny man Cyrus Sahukar manages tickling your funny bone as always, as the rich mithai scions bhaiyya type son, while Lisa Haydon and Arunodoy Singh provide the eye candy. Though the surprise package are Ira Dubey and Amrita Puri who give a power packed performance as the bindaas city babe and the behenji trying to turn mod respectively.

However, there is a flip side too. Unfortunately, the film is treatment oriented and not substance oriented and hence relies heavily on the dialogues, performance and the styling. The storyline remains untouched but the depth is missing. Though the film looks great it lacks substance. The love story though simple, the characters are complex and that was the highlight of the book. However, at times Rajashri Ojha (Director) makes the characters seem superfluous and overly obsessed with the L’Oreal’s, Chanel’s and Ferragammo’s along with the story taking a bit of the backseat. To add to the woes of those who have come for some meaningful cinema, well the film rides slowly in some portions on its high heeled stilettos.

Well, anyone who did go to see the movie (mind you it got a good opening) obviously went to see it for the wardrobes, the styling and the latest fashionista in tinsel town Sonam Kapoor. So for those expecting a dose of glamour and glitterati well you wont be let down, but those expecting a brilliant film full of soul and life, well, maybe you should give this one amiss, however, it’s a good time pass chick flick, hence a one time watch only for the girls.

Why

Sometimes life takes crazy twists and turns,
Days which are supposed to be your happiest, end up being your worst.
Things which are supposed to give you pleasure and joy
Leave you in despair and utter turmoil.
Why cant things be simple and straight
Happy when you want them to or just pass away?
Or why can’t we be as solid as a rock
Let nothing affect us and move on without any blocks?
Why do we let our emotions carry us away,
Into thoughts of misery and dismay?

Can’t we be happy all the way
Singing and dancing and have a merry stay?
Is it necessary to have these ups and downs,
Constant mood swings, laughter followed by frowns?
Why can’t we be there when someone wants us the most
When we want to be helpful but are helplessly lost?

There is nothing we can do but sit and stare
Watch life gamble away, with our emotions at stake
Bringing sadness to happiness and happiness to sad
Is that one statement - that this time will also go away.
The only thing constant, the only thing which will not stay
Which will play with our feelings, our situations, our states.
Why can’t we let time standstill just for awhile?
Till we solve all our problems and absorb the happiness that’s there…