Ladakh Calling

Its my second day in Leh. God! This place is beautiful! Landed at the Leh airport on the 21st morning at 7 am and gosh I woke up just before landing to witness what easily is a nature at its best. The airstrip is surrounded by beautiful mountains, someof which are snowclad. I hav'nt been to a place with temperatures below 10 degress in some time now and it felt good.

The airport though is quite a small tin shed, slightly bigger than the airport at Port Blair (of what i remember since my time in A&N islands in '92). Got to Hotel Rafica, that's where I am put up by 7:30 ish and instantly i felt slight breathlessness which I was prepared for. Though headache is not something I anticipated. Its the second day, yet this uneasiness and heaviness of the head has not left me. The first day was spent entirely in my room, slept a lot, saw a bit of 'Pursuit' (I can watch this movie again and again). Ate light and drank tons of water. It's a must to survive your days in Ladakh with comfort.

Today, I finally got out of my hotel, went to the local market, did some shopping, people are sweet and speak good hindi. Met a man named Michael, who happens to be my taxi driver and guide on demand (his demand) ;-). He is amazing. Pretty much knows everyone around, got me into the Leh Palace after its closing hours and shared great anecdotes. I like him already. Have shot some great footage. Looking forward to viewing it when back.

Shopping is not bad actually. A lot of Thai-bangkok stuff and some tibetian jewllery which is quite fascinating.
Can't wait to get on floors. Looking to start shooting by the 25th, that is 3 more day. I think we are headed for something special, can just feel it! Looking forward to a memorable shoot which will make Leh all the more special...

JULLEY! (Namaste in Ladakhi)

Ramblings of an abstract mind...

I remember reading this not too long ago, 'where you'l be five years from now will depend on two things... The people you associate with and the books you read'.

Infact I have a corrollary to that. The people you 'associate with', will to a big extent be determined by the kind of books you like/patronise, because books give you thoughts/ideas/dreams, thoughts/ideas/dreams make us cultivate habits and habits become the choices we make as people and that in turn affects our decision of welcoming people in our lives.

In the alternative, the people we associate with influence us in our choices, thoughts and our growth, which in turn determines the books we read. Get it!

I have always wondered, how do you classify people you meet in your life. Its very easy to be generic and call them 'friends' but is that really what they are.

I believe you meet tons of people in day to day life.

• Some faces stay with you and you might just acknowledge them with a smile or a tilt of the head.
• Some faces you recall but cannot place them, so you let them pass (but they ring a bell in your head, maynot be strong enough)
• Some faces which for no strong reason you do not particularly like and choose to ignore. (But even in that ignornace is the awareness of their existance)
• Some faces which you end up exchanging pleasantries with and it continues but with no real motivation or inclination of getting to know them better.
• Some faces you strike a conversation with and realise that they are potentially people you would like to be in touch with. May or maynot materialise.
• Some faces who you want to be in touch with but may not reciprocate and hence, you loose a potential friend.
• Some faces who just come by in your life and grow on you, leading to friendship.
• Some faces, which the moment you see you know that there is a vibe/connect and you go on to be great friends.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, lot many permutations & combinations are possible. But coming back to the core of the issue. How does one decide on who really is a 'friend'?

Friends are people you need to invest time, energy and emotions on. Three very rare and draining resources. Everyone in their heads have a sort of a flowchart or graphic illustration or so I think, about their relations with people.

I operate in a circular fashion. Wherein there is Core, the Auxillary and the Perepherial circle. Its more of a mental note and basically helps you put your priorities in perspective. Its extremely important to know who your CORE is... Though the 'CORE' and 'AUXILLARY' have a semi permiable membrane wherein there is not a major difference and both really could be classified as 'friends', yet very few people form the 'core'.

Perepherial are the people who do not feature in the Core or the Auxillary but are people who form a part of your outer circle, yet are connected to you at some level. So are they friends? Again, some of them could be 'potential' friends or people you are friendly with but majority is what you call 'acquaintances'. Now acquaintances is not really a poor cousin of being a friend but it really is not a 'Friend'.

But what the hell, you would only be richer by acquiring people in either of the three circles.

As a great man once said, 'There is nothing in this world more valuable than friendship. Those who banish it from their lives remove as it were the sun from the earth, because of all of nature's gifts, its is the most beautiful and most pleasing.'

Predictions can go wrong..sometimes completely

Ok. I had predicted that the Kangaroos are not going to win the 'cup'.I also predicted that India and WI will make the cut for the semi's. But my strong feeling that SL will be special this world cup, did come right, only if they had another opposition in the finals!

When the Pepsi's and Coke's of the world can go wrong by betting millions on the Indian cricket team, I am only an ardent fan of the game, NO nostradamus.

But what really got me thinking was the way the aussies play this sport. Undoubtedly they are a very talented unit, but what makes them an absolutely non-chancey/fierce/dominating to the extent of burying the opposition is their 'extreme self belief' and their 'attitude' which can be extemely humbling for any opposition. Their body language on field refects their respect for the opposition which could range from absolute disdain to mockery. You can see in a Hayden's or Symond's eye's, what they feel about the opposition bowlers.

Not probably the best ambassadors for the sport but maybe this is where modern day cricket is heading. It sort of reminds me of how the astro-turfs and the super quick european/australian hockey player's changed the face of modern day hockey, leaving 'us' miles behind. I only hope this will not be the fate of Indian cricket in time to come.

What we can definately learn from the aussie's is their superb homework, great self belief and killer instinct. This does not mean we need to ape what has worked for them cause then we'l only be following them and Australia being the great side it is, will by then have moved on to setting newer benchmarks/strategies and leaving the rest of the teams with a lot of catching up to do..

Personally I love the aussies for what they stand for on a cricket field. It's a battle out there and they have the belief to win every time!

1st sched.. It's a wrap...

30th April'07 is a day I'll remember as the the day I wrapped up my first schedule, which also means that the work i've done in the past month has been saved and printed and I c'nt go back and change anything, which can be a scary thought.

It has been a 21 day sched spanning the entire month of april, starting with the muharat on the 27th of March'07.

How do I feel... exicted/dissapointed/satisfied/.. Its tough to put an exact feeling to the entire experience. When I look back now, I realise its been a process... a process of learning (how to cheat light, to keep my ears open to the man behind the camera),a process of self discovery (shit this is how I sit/walk , shit this is how my hair looks, shit what are my hands doing,or cool that smile works, cool I like that improvisation, cool i like that expression), a process of trying to find comfort and ease in the situation, a process called being in the moment/acting.

I ve begun to realise that two things which drive me to work besides the fact that I want to be on the big screen. Its the simple joy of giving that good shot, its a sweet feeling which is hard to describe, you know it when it happens between 'action' and 'cut'. Getting your director's approval is an added motivation. I find that peace, calmness everytime I deliver that 'good' shot very addictive. I have started to enjoy being in that state.

Besides that, the second most important thing which makes me go do this job, is the happiness/joy which people around you, on the set transmitt. Its this positive vibe of being on a set where everyone looks forward to seeing you every morning, be it your sound recordist or the light man or the spot boy. This feeling makes you want to go out and do your best..

Its been 21 days of good work and I hope it gets better from here. Looking forward to doing even better work :-)

In studios... h-e-d..oye-hoye

The best part about shooting in your own city is that you come back home, to ma's dinner and your own bed. (no pun intended) I hate watching tv aimlessly in a hotel room till your eyes are ready to shut, which I end up doing most of the times. So its indeed, very refreshing to be back in Bombay.

I like the set, very close to the real thing, designed by LC. Day 1 on studios, we spent shooting a scene. I thought it went smooth, I liked a couple of improvisations which I did. I try and avoid thinking of how it went or was it very funny, because it's very easy to fall in this trap of liking what you are doing and thinking that is the correct path but in actuality the audience is not going to go by that one joke/nuance, it has to work in the entirety for them to like it and you cannot predict that (unless you have been around and worked for a while). I've decided to do it with my best abilty and honesty at that very moment and forget about it.

Day 2, we started working on our first song shoot, which might be my first song in the film. Again, it very easy to like your own song, but that is because you connect with it instantly and see yourself in it. But a viewer does not feel the same attachment for a movie song at the first instant. A lot of film songs, that i did not think much of, watching them for the first time and subsequently really liked them once i saw them as a part of the entire movie. In that sense, I am happy that this song has been growing on me and the entire unit every time it's played. When the light men, the spot boy's start humming it, it is probably an indication of good song.

Coming back to the first day of picturisation, it's not a day i would like to remember very fondly. I guess, I just was'nt in form. It's like when you batting, you hit the ball but it does not come from the middle of the bat, you dn't hear the sweet spot on your bat. We packed up early and I went for my reharsals. Did not get much sleep that night. Nervous/anxious to start my next day. I have to add that GA has been very patient, motivating and has some real cool choreograpghy worked out. Made a nervous start next day, but quickly got back to form. Worked till 10 pm and I am satisfied, if not thrilled with the day's work. The more I shoot, the more I realise it's all a game of self belief and how well you can translate that to the camera.

Today is a 'chutti', much needed. C'nt wait to head to the studios tommorow and kickass!

Day 2,3,4,5,6,7,8... h-e-d (Apr 10-17)

The look...its taken forever.. Finally got some clarity on the costume late evening on the 8th, i.e. just a few hours before I left for Panchgani. Well, the costume actually deserves a seperate blog space just for the amount of time and patience it took to sort of put together what Shekhar would wear.

Well, we sort of have it now. Anil and shivani in consulation with the entire team of ADs, director, cinematographer and moi worked over time to okay the look. I think its the best we h've got after brainstorming and rejecting tons of ideas and colours. I like it!

First day - first schedule - first movie! Tensed, hell no! 'Anxious', I think would be an appropriate word! I guess it's normal to feel that way. M.T. (love the energy of the man) shared his experience and felt the same at the start of every film. I conclude it's a good feeling. First day in the jungle was probably the most tiring day of the sced. Shot in the jungles of mahabaleshwar for 3 days before we went to Wai and Satara.

Food on set has been great. Satisfied with the routine i've made for myself. shoot, some work out, some dinner, some tv,sleep. It's been consistent. Lessons learnt... need to be consistent all the time, every time, every take! Its tough but that's what great actors do effortlessly. Second, no effort! Third, again which M.T. shared, to be shamless and fearless..

The ride has just begun!

Day 1...h-e-d

27th March'2007... My beggining!

I finally get a sense of things to come. 2 months on to h-e-d, it's been very normal until this day! I feel the excitment, numbness and high of being on 'my' set. Cannot get bigger, when you have Kajol on the camera, santoshi on the clap, bharadwaj on the left of camera and kashyap on the right and my parents visible from the extreme corner of my right eye. It was overwhelming! The last time I had this feeling was, shit..never! Its my first and I sure this one will stay with me forever.

In between the madness of action and cut it just seemed forever. My strategy of being calm and composed seemed to elude me. Its this strange feeling where your legs dont feel strong and you want your heartbeat to slow down, but it refuses to. Luckily it did not last long and I heard the golden 'cut' and 'taaliyaan'. Wuuup..I was back...Back to being me, could feel my heartrate returning to normalcy.

Cut to Lunch and vanity- getting ready for the shot. Shot the first scene post lunch and it felt absolutely normal. Relieved at the thought that those symptoms were momentary and I could be my cool, composed self. This is the real action. Wrapped up in couple hours. A good day at office...

Of great films and brilliant actors...

'The pursuit of Happyness' and 'Angoor'... Two radically different films, from different world's, of different actor's, yet achieved one common goal. Made me smile!

Lets begin with the Pursuit... This is where Hollywood scores over us. They can make films with huge stars without going over the top and sticking to the basic requirement of the script. The beauty of the film lies in its simple yet heart wrenching tale of a single parent who tries his level best to keep his family afloat while trying his best to get a 'real' job and take care of his five year old son, Christopher.

Very few films which show you the grim side of life, can be inspiring. The pursuit is truly very inspiring. It works at various levels. One, it shows the great american dream as achievable. However grim the situation gets Chris Garderner never once shows selp pity or lack of action. He does everything he can, use's every possible way to market himself to work his way up.

There are great father-son bonding moments. One line which sort of summarises the film, when Chris tells his son, "Don't ever let somebody tell you you can't do something. Not even me. All right? You got a dream? You gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you you can't do it. You want something, go get it. Period."

And that is excatly what the film leaves you with. A sense of hope, the WILL to fightback against all odds and to survive.

The climax where WS finally triumphs is absolutely hair raising. Have not seen a more emotionally charged scene ever. Its superbly enacted. WS is brilliant. My oscar/iifa/filmfare goes to him, undoubtedly! One of the very few movie scenes which choked me.

Also saw this week, Gulzar's - 'Angoor', starring Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma. Its one of the best comedies made in Indian cinema. Wonder why I never saw it before. Right from the story, to dialogues, to performances, to the subtle humor, to direction and the beautifully crafted lines. It's a great comedy of errors. Now I understand, why SK is considered one of the best actors in Indian cinema. SK and DV have a great great comic timing, which sets the tone of the film. Extremly hilarious! I wont be suprised if it's remade in the coming years!

WorldCup 2007.. My prediction

For the record, its only the second day of the world cup and here go my predictions. Ive been intending to put them down for a while now.

Final four:

Australia
West Indies
Sri Lanka
India

Australia will not win the cup!

As on 14th March'2007.

Of new car and 'our' customs...

First of all...congratulations dude.. got a new car today! It's an aqua blue swift. Looks smashing, could'nt help smiling, when the guy at the petrol pump said, ' saab gadi ka colour mast hai'. Also the fact that I have'nt seen swift in this colour on the road yet, makes me love it all the more! Infact saw a girl on the pillion of a bike checking it out, was confused, is it me or the car...You see, I am just happy!

It was the first time, I took delivery of a car and what really got me in the entire handing over ceremony (quite elaborate) was the 'puja' of the car starting with aarti, breaking of the coconut, swastik on the engine, the works... Made me wonder, it's a car, not a family member coming home. But then again, I remembered the famous govinda song, 'It happens only in India'...Cnt imagine, this happening in any other part of the world. Imagine buying your brand new lexus in the united states with the priest handing over the car after his little prayer and saying, 'and Now you may drive the car'...(from 'now you may kiss the bride').

But then again, I liked the thought behind the ritual. To treat it like an extention to the family. To make sure it drives you safe and sound. and above all, help you prosper and grow! It also instills a sense of respect in your handling of the vehicle at some level. Whatever it is, the idea is sweet and makes the entire buying process more personal.