sitanshu

Merry Christmas! :)

2011-12-23T16:29:00.001+05:30

Mountain Forest

2011-07-30T17:16:00.000+05:30

Shelock Holmes - Illustration in pen

2011-07-30T15:05:00.003+05:30

Car

2011-07-30T14:49:00.001+05:30

Bombay: Around Town - Bicycle Seat, Typography & an Insight!

2011-07-30T14:23:00.002+05:30

Hero Bicycle seat without padding

The 'bum'wrecker!

Street TYPOGRAPHY - Sterling, Bombay.

Show Change! busy spelling it out...

BO = Box Office

Insight @ Khane Khaas, Bandra. [have to try out their "arabi ke toook"!]

Retro Goggles

2011-06-02T21:02:00.001+05:30

Bearded Old Man - Pencil

2011-04-22T18:06:00.000+05:30

Windblown Tree - Pencil

2011-04-16T15:20:00.000+05:30

Original - pencil sketch

Treated - (background) Night

Telephone - Pencil

2011-03-22T19:27:00.000+05:30

Tree - Pencil / Pen

2011-03-22T19:24:00.000+05:30

Kala Ghoda 2011

2011-02-28T18:15:00.000+05:30

Rajasthani Folk Dance at the Kala Ghoda Art Festival, 2011. (9th Feb)

India Design & Innovation 2 & Food Typograghy

2010-08-31T12:10:00.008+05:30

For the second part of what I hope is a series of updates, I found the sign painter at work on a wood board sign. After having drawn the guide-lines and a rough sketch of the letters, he painted them in with utmost diligence and very good precision. The board by itself looks beautiful, with the wooden texture and grains as background for the pure white type.

(please turn the volume on the video to mute unless you enjoy listening to bombay traffic)

On the very same day, a passionate typographer & devanagari typophile, Girish Dalvi dropped in at the office. "He teaches Typography and Cyberculture. Since 2006 he is pursuing his doctoral research at the Industrial Design Centre in IIT Bombay. His areas of focus in research include the history of Devanāgarī typography and Classification Theories. Currently he is working towards the development a conceptual model for the structural analysis of Devanāgarī typefaces."

Girish had just delivered a lecture at Sir. J.J.School of Art & Architecture, and the students had gifted him a box full of - devanagari letter shaped savouries.

Of course we demolished it immediately after these snaps were taken.

Bombay: Rainy Night

2010-07-15T20:50:00.001+05:30

walking alone, the footsteps behind are raindrops
a splash of trickle, running down the back,
grip the ground, slip not...

Blog Header Design: rough type sketch

2010-07-15T20:35:00.000+05:30

preliminary sketches...which led to the blog header

Bombay: Around Town

2010-06-22T15:56:00.000+05:30

Bombay Rains

2010-06-19T12:08:00.007+05:30

twilight at 5 in the evening.
great big cloud sitting on the sky-line.
transformed city.
transformed city-folks.
love along the 'queens necklace'.
bhutta (corn).
chai.
useless umbrellas.
respite from may.
look up, crinkle up your eyes and smile at god!

India Design & Innovation 1

2010-05-31T14:09:00.010+05:30

As it says on the Design Observer article The Subtle Technology of Indian Artisanship by Ken Botnick and Ira Raja: "From saris to hand-painted signs, design thinking is an unacknowledged force in Indian craft."

My plan is to document the various instances of design innovation or just plain visual quirkiness that happen to come across my path here in Bombay and also hopefully anywhere else in India if and when I travel.

I choose not to offer any kind of prejudiced views or analysis on the content simply because I cannot claim to have either the expertise or the experience to have an informed or enlightened point of view on the material.

Here is a video of a signage maker who works across the road from my current office.

The very dangerous yet comfortable 'Seat-Belt' adjustor which is a simple clip:

There is also the often observed but hardly documented art found on the local transport service vehicles.

Besides ofcourse the very intentional 'art-smart' like the following found in the Horniman Circle Garden.

200!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-02-24T18:21:00.002+05:30

DOUBLE is here!!! SACHIN SACHIN SACHIN!!! :D awesomeness!!! jump jump...thump the table...sing the tune !!!

SACHIN aaala re aaala!!!

2 bloddy hundred...and jumping in the office! superrrr

this ones for all the sachin fanatics!

and HE scored it exactly 22 years from the day he and kambli scored the record 664 runs!
:D

Celtic Knot

2010-02-06T18:23:00.002+05:30

retroTAXI TAXI TAXI: fiat padmini

2010-02-06T18:06:00.001+05:30

pencil & ink

2010-02-06T15:30:00.004+05:30

Tiger Tiger Burning Bright!

2010-01-05T11:01:00.014+05:30

The Tiger Hotel and its patrons slept peacefully. It was the 1st of January 2010. The peace was testimony to the fact that the entire city of Udaipur had spent it's energy celebrating and ushering in the new year only the previous night.

The Thursday night saw everybody in the City of Lakes stay awake till early morning. Gangaur ghat was a potent cocktail of music and revelry. Every terrace, window and house that overlooked the lake and the ethereal Lake Palace was lit with thousands of strings of light. The cold only helped to increase capacity for food, wine and laughter.

As the eye travelled across the ghat, one admired the dazzle and shimmer of the new dress that the city had draped. Beyond the ghats, the Lake Palace stood as a reminder of a time that had managed to seep into the 21st Century. It sent forth it's emissary to make sure the guests and the citizens are greeted on time and with love.

The white open boat glided across the mirror surface breaking it into ripples of dancing light. It was a royal time call. The hour struck and the night sky which had waited with unconcealed eagerness burst forth with light. Millions of man-made stars twinkled for a fleeting instance and faded away leaving a wispy cottonball of smoke, only to be immediately followed by a million others.

A warm hug from a dear friend was the reminder that a new beginning had commenced in every personal life. An opportunity to accomplish goals, a ticket to a beautiful life, a chance to right previous wrongs. A new year indeed! And because of the immenseness of hope and discovery, a happy one too!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!

sorry for the low-res shots...taken with a vgs camera on my old 1st gen camera phone

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL :)

2009-12-23T12:02:00.003+05:30

Chat Register 2

2009-12-23T11:23:00.002+05:30

me: lol love ur gtalk status msg

!!!

lol
[DeeSee's Gtalk Status:
Slowly Robbing Kalkals when no one is Looking !]

Dennis: its true

me: hahahahahahaha

Dennis: the bloddy thing is hidden !

can u believe it ! HIDDEN

me: i can picture u doin it also

lool

rofl

Dennis: cause there is a fear that it will get over before christmas

me: with u around i'm not surprised at all!!!

wow what a laugh early morning

Dennis: yeah, and i think my mum is also not surprised

hence the hiding

me: :D

B-)

Dennis: but if she wanted to hide, atleast she should have put some more thought into the hiding palce

it was sooooo easy to find.

me: lol why she hid it behind the pickles? lol

Dennis: arrey... hid it in the drawer where all the biscuits and all are kept.

me: wait on the top most shelf and totally forgot u 7 feet 9 inches tall

Dennis: She should have realised that when i didnt see the sweets, i would go to eat biscuits...

me: lol

HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA

duuude

Dennis: and so i did... and when i went for biscuits... VOILA.....

me: hahahahahaah

oooof

bas

cant laugh

anymore man

even i want kalkals

Dennis: hahaha

when was rohans wedding btw ?

me: think shaun is not getting his share this year

oh 27th

Dennis: oh ok... think steve's is next day

me: u be coming?

ha ya it is

damn everyone marrying man

is something wrong with them or us?

Dennis: today is steve's Paani, wish i could go, but my next door neighbours wedding today. so gotta go there

something is wrong with us i'm thinking. Earlier i thought something is wrong with them

me: :)

yeah man

Dennis: but all of them cant be wrong. a more possible explanation is 2 of us are wrong

me: agree so weird

we becoming middle aged

and u have flabs too!!!

Dennis: yes.

sad sad.

me: :D

lol

duude why have u stopped blogging?

Dennis: arrey i've written more than u

i wrote on my last trip down

me: oh yeah true B-)

Dennis: offshore everything is blocked

me: i have stuff that i wanna write abt but too lazy man

blocked!!!

why?!

Dennis: yesterday was adrians wedding

u remember adrian.. Logs OC before me

me: adrian!!!

yeah yeah

hahaha

duude this is an epidemic!!!

Dennis: yes it is

this is far more lethal than H1N1 or any of that crap. Atleast that, u wear a mask and ur realtively safe

me: and the bloddy rubber has a 3% failure percentage
!!!!

Dennis: one of my pals announced engagement a few months ago. Within a week.... almost like it was a race, another pal announced marriage date only !

me: hahahaahahahahahahahaah

lol

hahaha

Dennis: its a competition

me: hahahaha

fuck dude i think i'm gonna put this conversation on the blog!!!

Dennis: i once met them both and went for a drink.... and i was mindfucked. thruout the drinking session they were discussing what Photographer they are using and fuckin COlor theme and fuckin how lavender is sooo cool !

Bhenchodh

me: lavendar and mauve...dont exist man!!!

its pink and light purple!!!

Dennis: yes yes Mr arty farty fucker. it exists for us Aam Janta

me: duude i am not being arty...lavendar?!?!?

lol

Dennis: next ull tell me the photoshop color code from the palette......#221453

me: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH

Dennis: ahahahhaha

me: lol

ohhh fuckk duude i've laughed too much...i'm gonna cry for sure today...ppl in ofc have joined in and started giggling looking at me

Dennis: good men

but i heard laughing makes u fat

so take care of ur abs

me: what shit lol

hahaha

the six pack flabs as u once said

Dennis: yeah, there is a saying " laugh laugh and become fat... "

me: hahahahaahahah

what arbitrary shit dude

Dennis: arrey

wait

lemme google

me: sounds like a 'confucius says...laugh laugh and become fat!!!'

lol

rofl

Dennis: http://www.englishbaby.com/forum/LifeTalk/thread/254929

me: hahahahahaahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahah

lol

rofl

Dennis: i told u !

me: hoahahaohahahaaoaoh

Dennis: ahahahaaa

me: and check the comments they are hilarious

amany7

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh SealedI don't wanna grow fat

MATRIX_07

So don't get laugh Laughing

Dennis: aaaaaaaaaaahahhaa

me: hahahaahahahahahahaahahaha

duude this one is classic

desi called devindER pal

says

'Dear NabilaSh,

Hi again,

By laughing we become healthier but not faty.

When we laugh deeply,

the whole carbondioxide of our lungs is ehauled & is replaced with oxygen, our whole body gets rejuvinated.

Another phenomina happens that we come in 'this moment'. means thinkingless & it is great celebration in itself.

IT IS A GREAT VIRTUE.'

Dennis: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaahahaa

me: hahahahaha

ohhh HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH

Dennis: fuckin indian scientist. got all scientific and all

Carbon dioxide !!!

wtf !

carbio dioxide is exhauled !!!!

ROFL ROFL

Chat Register 3

2009-10-03T20:58:00.003+05:30

shauncoutinho: 2 GB is the single player version...

we want multiplayer!

me: yaaa

shauncoutinho: so we can KHILL u

kheeeeel uuuu

me: so we can killl alllllllllllllllllll

shauncoutinho: and kill some xerox machines also

me: eh why i like xerox machines

i'll settle for some typewriters tho

shauncoutinho: so the keys can fly out and spell something

me: and, i say, let them spell DHIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

oh but dont they have only one 'E'

shauncoutinho: there arent' so many eee

lol

me: ah knew there was a problem

shauncoutinho: no problem, we'll blow up a bunch of typewriters!

me: ah, Jeeves, u scinitillate today, what a brainwave...for brains you up there among the best

shauncoutinho: thank u sir

(i kno)

muahahah

or respectful cough?

me: like the distant bleeting of a diffident sheep on a mountain top!

shauncoutinho: baaaaah

me: but now to follow one of ur sayings, u put it so well i say, if 'twere done, it twere well done if it 'twere don quickly

there is a tide in the affairs of men, which when taken at the flood leads to good fortune

shauncoutinho: our fortune being the **** book?

me: lets serve a noll prosequi to work and test intra office network

me: so are we testing LAN

shauncoutinho: are we?

me: i think we should keep a regular tab

shauncoutinho: we can transfer files too and fro

me: ah...rem acu tetigisti...u've put your finger on the nub of the problem again

lets start

shauncoutinho: ok you copy files to the **** folder on my comp

and then i'll copy them back

me: eh?

shauncoutinho: lemony plan eh?

me: there seems to be a miscommunication somewhere

shauncoutinho: networks not workin as it should?

me: i think we need to choose teams

shauncoutinho: im on ur side, we'll fight isaax together

isaax has a better ring to it

than *****

me: yes now we've hit the nail on the head

shauncoutinho: nail to the heart

me: hmmm...maybe we petition his parents if he has any

and ask him to do the required changes to their product file

shauncoutinho: they probably want to be rid of him too

we'll be doin them a favour

me: ah...what better way to do that than rename him isaax and refuse to recognise him after

shauncoutinho: like the son they always had but wish they had a daughter in stead

yes all legal documentation shall be rendered invalid after that

me: only this daughter has a fungal growth on the upper lip

shauncoutinho: and sparse growth on the cheeks

me: i'm telling u he might have been interchanged as a kid by a wicked gypsy for a duck and he's been like that ever since

me: dudde **** is THIRTY bloody Five GBeee

shauncoutinho: thirty five ebbegeebees worth 3 rupees each

me: ah thats only 105 rupees shaun

shauncoutinho: worth rs 3 per MB

me: ah more like it...

shauncoutinho: lets tell him that

we're charging you ONLY rs 3 per MB

Chat Register 1

2009-10-03T20:54:00.001+05:30

shauncoutinho: the eagle is in the cage

me: eh?what what what what what

shauncoutinho: the rabbit is in thebag

the kangaroo is in the pouch

me: the what is in the what? are you alright my dear friend...you seem to be weirdly drifting back to your animal roots.

I say STOP! Stick around, life's bound to get better if not worse. Anyway why go thru life looking like an overdone beef chop...take it with a pinch of salt i say...one is not get out of it alive anyway...

shauncoutinho: fine, if you want me to spell it out for you (numbskull) the CD is in the TRAYme: ah...you weirdly interest me...is that the CD i might or might not have given you 5 min ago...i am not confessign to anything until i get more information before you accuse my dear lemon of being numb

Hydrophobics Poem - The waters chased him as he fled, by Emily Dickinson (* http://famouspoetsandpoems.com)

2009-09-20T11:10:00.004+05:30

The waters chased him as he fled,
Not daring look behind --
A billow whispered in his Ear,
"Come home with me, my friend --
My parlor is of shriven glass,
My pantry has a fish
For every palate in the Year" --
To this revolting bliss
The object floating at his side
Made no distinct reply

-Emily Dickinson (courtesy www.famouspoetsandpoems.com)

Bombay: Rickshaws

2009-08-10T16:34:00.012+05:30

Whoa...back again. I remember writing once before that its been a long time since I blogged. I'll say it once again. This time though the absence has been more than a year long (thankfully for the audiences. I can faintly hear the sighs and 'oh god! he is back' rising from the back of the hall, especially those dimly lit parts where one cant make out who is sitting next to you but one can definitely make out! AHEM now to get back to what I was saying...). I had forgotten how much fun blogging can be. Or for that matter how very cathartic, if cathartic is the word I am looking for. But the point is that if one is blogging, one definitely better have something to say. One cannot just blabber away, hit keys at random and generally create a nuisance.

So let me tell you about one old creed of Bombayites. They are normally called Rickshaw-wallas, but sometimes also 'bhaiyas' and other more opprobrious names.They tend to come in as many variations as there are rickshaws on our super highways. Each three wheeled contraption is supplied by a unique driver. Their uniqueness manifests in different forms. Its easier on the customer but dangerous for the traffic when the manifestation is physical in respect to their vehicles. Mostly this is seen at the back, just above the flimsy crash bumper (which actually is a strip of metal held on to the rick by a liberal application of glue). They are normally awesome vector arts of hindi film actors or actresses. Andy Warhol would definitely get an inferiority complex. This art, if I might call it that, reached the zenith, when one had a complete vector art set of all the characters of Sholay pasted all over the rick. Gabbar Singh would have been proud!

Besides this visual exuberance, one has to keep in mind, what Jeeves would call 'the psychology of the individual'. And you are bound to come across psychotic behaviour before long. Ranging from drunk ramblings to rickshaw seat shrinks to meter-pinging philosophers to road-rash romeos to...well I don't think there is a need to make a production number of it. I am confident that you get what is called the gist. P.G.Wodehouse would have found rickshaws to be an inexhaustible source of humour.

Rickshaws, like all historic inventions, have given rise to situations which would not have existed but for them. Getting a rickshaw to take you to your destination is an art one learns, or rather has to learn in Bombay. The following few true life instances should explain:

engaging of the mighty rickshaws -

true life instance No.1
me: khar chaloge?(dear sir would you be kind enough to take me to Khar...please??)
Rick 1: [bewildered expression] khar?(khar?!?)
me: ha khar (yes sir. you said it. Khar it is)
Rick 1: [ruminates...masticates...] Khar mein kaha janeka? (where in Khar do you wanna go?)
me: Khar west...S.V.Road
Rick 1: [frown on face] S.V.Road??? (is it in bombay????)
me: haan S.V.Road. (yes sir!!! you are scintillating today. correct...S. bloody V.Road)
Rick 1: highway se nikalneka? (do you want me to take the highway?)
me: nahin...linking road se (no sir. I would be infinitely obliged to you if you would kindly take the linking road)
Rick 1: time kya hua? (what is the time?)
me: [bewildered expression] eh? 12.30!
Rick 1: night charge lagega (will have to charge you the night charge)
me: abey din ka 12.30 baja...(Ha Ha...you crack me up...its 12.30 in the afternoon)
Rick 1: nahin...nahin janeka (bugger off...I shall not be moved from my resting place)
me: toh itna lamba interview kyon liya???
Rick 1: #^^@^#
me: $&@#&)@#&@#@#*%**&^^*(&(&)&()*()*)*)*(*)

true life instance No.2
Rick 2: kahan janeka saab? (where do you want to go sir?)
me: kahin nahin...road cross karneka hai (nowhere...I want to cross the road)
Rick 2: achcha...chalo baitho (oh ok...sit, i'll drop you)
me: abey yeda ho gaya hai kya? (have you lost your senses???)
Rick 2: arrey saab sabere se bhada nahin mila...aadha bhada de dena (sir, havent done any business since morning...sit...you need pay only half the fare)
BEST Bus driver: ayyy umitabh bachpan...kya re hema malini baithi kya andar???rickshaaa lene ka toh le nahin to nikal... (dear sir, you are holding up traffic. Please hire the rickshaw if you need to or let it pass so we may be on our way and everyone is happy as ever)
me: oi kishore kumar...awaaj band kar...ye yeda mereko road cross karne nahin de ra...tereko jaane ka to jaa iske upar se...(ah! I apologise for the inconvenience my dear public servant. I shall correct it as soon as I can.)
BEST Bus conductor: abey hero chal nikal nahin to bus chadata main (oh very good sir! we shall await developments. hope they are conducive for us to resume our onward journey)
me: abey Rajnikanth...ghanti baja (very good. I shall do the needful old pal)
BB conductor: chya-aila, rajnikant kisko bola re...ghe re yala...(kill the bourgeous...long live socialism...atleast long live mob justice....)
me: ackkkk!!! huff pufff hufff {to myself: run forest!!!!}

Note: Some parts of the above reminiscences might be a tad polluted / fabricated, owing to a lengthy passage of time between the time of occurrence and that of publishing. Any loss of information in translation is entirely due to the literary shortcomings of the chronicler.

guess...

2007-05-24T17:30:00.000+05:30

thumb thick stick,
used to beat ur chick,
treat her like a mule,
was the originator of this rule,
she's a human not a cow,
so it's a proverb now!!!

ps: someone used the term "rule of thumb" while discussing a design in the office today,
and this little lymeric flashed through my head concerning the "thumb rule" and how
it came about. By the way...tis my own handiwork :)

back!!!

2007-05-24T17:13:00.000+05:30

its been a while now...actually 5 months.
I heard people blog everyday...hmmmm. What do these people write about? Apparently their own lives, things they do, or anything thats going on in their head at the time they blogging. Oh! they also put up pictures. Verry nice...only some of them actually.
Many things have happened to and around me too, which I could have written about...but I doubt the entertainment value of such an endeavour. As in, I will be seriously worried about the sanity of a person who will come everyday to my blog just to check out what animal I resembled when I woke up in the morning or how I felt when the boss hit me over the head with the keyboard.
Besides, most of the time I hardly have anything worthwhile to say.
Like right now...I am just blabbering away. Why? Just because I felt like it. And whatever I am writing is not entertaining or interesting. So I think I should just stop.

HYDERABAD

2006-11-24T18:33:00.000+05:30

THE FLIGHT:
Landing at N.T.Ramarao airport I was a little apprehensive. My first time in Hyderabad. Had just got off my first ever flight (yes & yes I am 24…so?!). I know this is nothing eventful for the frequent flier whose Flying Miles register goes ding everyday. But for a novice it was an experience of a lifetime.

An early morning flight saw me getting up at 3.30 in the morning. Reached the domestic airport at 5. Checked in, had a coffee, waited for 16 years and finally it was time to go. Stepping on to the aircraft, I am greeted by an airhostess. A very cheerful “GOOD MORNING”. So cheerful that I started doubting the genuineness of the greeting. Nobody in their right mind can be that happy at 5.30 in the morning. Anyway, I let it go. I went and found my seat & deposited myself in my seat. AN AISLE SEAT!!! Yeah I know, I also know you know what I mean. It had been only two minutes and I was taking in my surroundings, admiring the back of the seat in front of me, perusing the very entertaining emergency manual, when a shadow loomed over me. I looked up to discover a 6 feet male smiling at me in a very sinister manner. Immediately I realized he had some hidden reason for smiling at me. Why, you ask me, did I suspect him and his beatific smile? My reason I have already given you. It was bloody 5.30 in the morning. How does anybody be so cruel as to wish people good morning or even smile at them.

HA! I know I had caught him. He knew I knew. The smile was gone and the real reason finally came out. “Please excuse me” he threatened, “the window seat and the seat next to you is mine” he concluded. Hmmm…a ruse to get me out of my comfortable aisle seat I deduced. Then his wife joined him. I was outnumbered. I had to give in so I got up grudgingly. They had some logistical problems but they finally managed to shove themselves in and ultimately I was allowed to gracefully plonk my ass on my seat.

And so started my adventure. 15 minutes later everyone was settled. The maniac next to me started snoring peacefully. His wife asked for ear plugs and resigned herself to admiring the wings and the beautiful engine. A couple and their children in the seat behind me settled into a very entertaining game of “crying-barfing-crying-pacifying”.
And then started the announcements. The guy on the address system hissed & lisped his way through an already confusing set of instructions and after finishing it in Hindi, he went on to show his oratory prowess in English. That done, the captain came online. THE CAPTAIN…Indiana Jones, Sean Connery and that man from “Gods must be Crazy” rolled into one. He enlightened us mere mortals on the temperature outside, the air-pressure inside, the wing span of the BOENG 737-800, the fuel capacity, max speed, year of manufacture and then concluded by informing us that the said aircraft is the one we are residing in and that it will take off from Runway No. 14 in ten – “Fiften” minutes. PIN DROP SILENCE prevailed. Not a word (or a snore). We were in awe of this enigmatic Captain. Anyway, so he finally meanders the plane to the runway (14). Everything and everyone in position. And then the burst of speed and we are on our way.

The aircraft reaches the intended height, stabilizes and the warning “deploy seat-belts” sign goes off. I immediately jump up to visit the loo. Anyway I get back to my AISLE seat and my left elbow is obligingly smashed to pulp by the over-polite stewardess. I glare at her, she gives me a saccharine sweet smile, a miniature bottle of water, a credit card enrolment form and coolly walks away. The rest of the flight was uneventful except when we hit turbulence. This was thanks to a middle aged gent at the back of the plane who had gorged on gujju farsans for breakfast. The gaseous cloud spread its deathly tentacles in the cabin…oxygen masks deployed… “deploy seat belt” sign on…fifteen minutes of prayer and everything is back to normal. High fives all around. HURRAY!

Finally its time to land. ALREADY?!? I enquire and as if he sensed it, the captain informs me from inside his cockpit that we are 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Everyone seems to be pleased by this piece of information. So even I plaster my face with a smile and flash it to everyone who cared to look in my direction so that they don’t think of me as a novice, a debutante. Frankly, I was very disappointed. I thought the daredevil captain will do a few 360 degree turns, a free fall and a steep ascend. But no, no show.

SUDHANSHU meets YEHANGIR:
I get off the plane in disappointment and a set mind to go and give some advice on “Inflight Entertainment” to the aviation minister. I am mulling over the draft of the letter when I observe a man standing at the reception with a placard proudly proclaiming “S-U-D-H-A-N-S-H-U” Shukla. Hmmmm. This is the 114th time these guys (Pragati Offset Pvt. Ltd.) have misspelled my name. I decide to avenge this slight. I walk up to the man, confide that I am the criminal whose “WANTED” poster he is carrying and in return I ask him to introduce himself, his post and his permanent account number. He says his name is “Jehangir”, then informs me that the rest of the questions do not apply to him. From then on I start calling him “Yehangir”. He seems unfazed, delighted actually. He thinks it is a very “cool” twist to his name. I can imagine him standing at a corner “chai-walla” and being introduced by his cronies to a newcomer as “Yehangir Jehangir, pathfinder & light bearer of Pragati Offset Pvt. Ltd.” We move on to concretize our friendship by having breakfast together at “KAMAT Hotel” The breakfast consisted of 3 idlis, 1 wada, 3 cups of sambhar, 2 cups of coconut chutney, 2 cups of garlic chutney, 1 tea, 1 coffee & 1 visit to the loo (mine). And finally I am deposited by him at the offices of Messrs. Pragati Offset Pvt. Ltd. I spend three and a half hours “working” and then am free to run amok in HYDERABAD.

CHAR MINAR:
Hail a rickshaw and divert it to “Char Minar”. Am a little disappointed by the structure. Photographs paint a very flattering picture of the monument. Anyway, I find my way up and into the monument. The guards there are very interested in why I am sitting on top of CHAR MINAR and scribbling in a book when I can behave like a normal visitor and write on the walls. I tell the interviewer that it’s not my kind of literature. It’s pretty emotional I tell him. The guard gives me a look he usually reserves for “out of town-ers” and correctly informs me that I am from BOMBAY. I smile my assertion and he smiles back. I smile some more (it’s OK….it’s 12.30 now). Emboldened, he confesses that he too is originally from the BOMBAY. From then on I am treated like a king by Mr.Pratap Singh and his guardian brothers. They shoo away anybody who surrounds me threatening to give a few pointers on creative writing or the kids who come pointing at my book attracted by the “JETIX”, “DISNEY” and “POWER RANGERS” images on it. But within half an hour it becomes pretty much like a circus, so the star performer decides to leave and go have some Biryani & Kebabs.

I get down the pipe I came up through. I hold on to the walls for dear life. People in front of me do the same. But the moron behind me decides I am a better support incase he falls. So after holding on to the ultra clean walls he goes on to wipe it clean on my white shirt. I come out looking like a poor, harassed human coming out of a Delhi Transport Corporation bus. Never mind I tell myself. Hail another rickshaw and ask the guy to take me to a Biryani place.

SALAR JUNG Museum:
After lunch I decide I need some history lessons. So “SALAR JUNG” Museum is my destination. Named after “Salar Jung III” the place is beautiful. Portraits of all the Hyderabadi Nizams, an English text book belonging to SALAR JUNG III himself to an ivory horse carriage are just a few things on display. 3 things that caught my attention and my fancy are:

1. An 11th century wood sculpture depicting Radha&Krishna on a swing under a tree.

2. The nizams clay fighters who had unique features of the real soldiers belonging to his personal troop.

3. An Italian sculpture called “Veiled Rebecca” by G.B.Benzoni made in 1876.

I waited for a few minutes (longer) in front of Ms.Rebecca, waiting for her to unveil herself, but being the snob that she is she did not oblige. So I took myself somewhere else. But frankly speaking she was beautiful…BEAUTIFUL…very lifelike.Besides the museum had the usual exhibits: furniture, weapons of war, textile, cutlery (sic), paintings etc.

The NIZAMS Jewellery:
I walked out of the Museum and visited the “Nizams Jewellery” exhibition. I was plain lucky to catch it in Hyderabad. It is usually displayed in Delhi. Mannn!!! Those jewels and the jewellery are so amaaazzzzziiinngggg! The best by a long way was the “Imperial (Jacob) Diamond”. This huge stone, 118 carats (I think, when uncut 300+ carats). Besides I read the entire history of all the Hyderabadi Nizams and forgot it the moment I stepped out of the building. One thing that I remember though is the amount of money the Indian Central Government paid the Nizam for the entire collection of 173 pieces. A whopping, STAGGERING 250 crores. Whoa!!! was my reaction and they say it was undervalued. OK!!! If u insist! Enough, I say, I am getting out of this place.

GOLCONDA FORT:
Outside one more rickshaw is hailed, and I find myself being driven to the “Golconda Fort”. Reach the place after traveling for half an hour. It’s around 6 in the evening and the sun is about to set. The whole place is glowing in the twilight. I decide I will go around the place on my own. But ofcourse that is a wrong decision, so I have to come groveling back to the “guide” who I asked to bugger off fifteen minutes ago. He is gracious enough to show me around the place. In the entire fort, the most interesting place is a passage where even the slightest of sound is amplified so Mr. King sitting in his room can hear who is coming into his concubines chambers and also so he can eavesdrop on anybody bitching about him. Weirdo!

ADIOS:
So that was the last place I saw in HYDERABAD. I am told that there is much more to be seen. True, but I had only a few hours in the city and I realized that the best thing to do was to be a proper tourist and let the locals guide you around. This way I was able to meet quite a few interesting/weird people, not to mention the other “out of town”ers who want to know where you are from and then want to speak to you in the MARATHI (in my case) just to form a connection.

Boat on a River

2006-09-22T20:51:00.001+05:30

was listening to Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds...

Himalayan Trek

2006-09-22T20:16:00.001+05:30

Khushkalyan Peaks, Garhwal-Himalayas

Base Camp, Garhwal-Himalayas

campsite, Stage 2, Khushkalyan, Garhwal-Himalayas

meeeeeeeeeeeee

2006-09-22T19:58:00.001+05:30

I am the Sun, the main actor...and i dont like it :) (by the expression on me face)

Thats meeeeee... :)

Of "Babies", "Babas" and "Ghodas"

2006-09-21T20:46:00.000+05:30

Bollywood - The Indian Film Industry. The largest in the world, with an output of over 800 movies a year. Where the only thing copied is the rhyme of its beloved name to Hollywood. Everything else is pure inspiration.
Where more than the kitch and gaudy costumes, it is the sound that will take you by surprise. You just need to be near a Bollywood shoot to understand.
The voices of more than a hundred people talking in different languages, and different dialects within those languages. The sibilance of the carpenters saw on wood. The “mike check - mike check - 1 2 3 - wooofphhh” of the sound engineers speaking & breathing into the mic. The multi-lingual abuses of the Light-wallas putting up the lights.
Where among all the confusion is the hilarity of the unique and onomotopoeic names given to every essential item, things, practises and people. Where “lighting-dada” (Light guys) will climb a “GHODA” ( horse, a wooden ladder) to adjust the “Baby” so that there is no reflection on the table on the set. Most probably it was “Camera-dada” (cameraman) who asked him to climb the GHODA. But “camera-dada” is still irritated because the “lighting-dadas” have dirtied the set and so he requests the “setting-dada” (set fabricators) to clean it, while “sound-dada” wires “baba” (the male lead) or “baby” (the female lead).

Sketches

2006-08-19T19:21:00.002+05:30

one of my very few colour sketches...usually prefer a normal pencil. Was sitting and doin nothing. There was a box of chalk-crayons and my hand in front of me...here is the result.

Had finished reading Salman Rushdie's " Shalimar-the clown" and had this image of a Kashmiri woman in my head. Dont know if the sketch looks like a kashmiri woman...i dont even know what their basic features are or what kind of clothes they wear, did not do any research on them...just sat down and drew this. After i finished this, I named it the "The Blue Valley" for some reason...

ah...the BEST bus of Bombay...mumbaichi parivahan seva...an illustration done for a book i was designing(along with other designers, thru Design Intervention for Tara Ultimo) on Bombay.
The process was too painfull and long for some reason...but i quite like the end result.

I shall write...

2006-06-22T21:12:00.000+05:30

This blog is for all those who love the spoken language, the written word and those who are too modest or too self-deprecating to write or put their thoughts down, and also to those who just cant find or make the time to write.
Whether you like what I say in the following few lines or not, this is how I feel about the subject...enjoy it if you can...

I hold beautiful thoughts in my mind,
their body; clear as a mirror, green as a perennial forest and pregnant with human feelings,
my thoughts embracing my personality,
procreating and producing the rules which I lay down for my future.
The fetters that I try to break, the heights that I try to reach,
It will be a long time before I reach the summit,
"Till then I shall write, write for the sake of writing."

I hold the beautiful world in my eyes,
I walk the the various revealing paths strewn all over,
accepting all the miracles I come across, headed towards my destination,
it will be a long time before I finish my journey.
"Till then I shall write, write for the sake of writing."

I hold a beautiful soul in my body,
it is breathing, throbbing with life, oblivious to its own immortality.
It will take time for it to understand the double crossing nature of its companion,
"Till then I shall write, write for the sake of writing."

I follow the upbeat rhythm of life,
dancing to its tune, flowing through its crests and troughs.
It will take time for me to loose the beat,
"Till then I shall write, write for the sake of writing."

I hear the cosmic queries of the divine,
questioning our motives, our aims and the very purpose of our existence.
It will take time for her to understand our nature,
"Till then I shall write, write for the sake of writing."

I scale the receding mountains of time,
trying to race it, before life flies by.
It will take time for me to see the other side of reality,
"Till then I shall write, write for the sake of writing."

I hold the beautiful secret of 'cipher',
its existence as obvious as the non-existing defination of its reality.
It will take time for us to realize, 'its the origin of all'
"Till then I shall write, write for the sake of writing."

HOW RUDE!

2006-06-22T19:08:00.000+05:30

Bombay, apparently is the worlds "rudest" city. Really? How do you know? I know because a few people from Readers-Digest are saying so. They conducted a survey, on etiquette and placed Bombay and its people 3rd from the bottom. NO ETIQUETTE, NO MANNERS, UNCOUTH, RUDE & DISPASSIONATE. That is, we do not follow the same rules on etiquette & manners in INDIA as they do in the place where RD originally hails from. I am told, in Bombay, no one (or hardly anyone) will care to help you if you happen to drop your books, papers or your bag. No one (or hardly anyone) opens the door for a lady to pass. Not the shopkeeper nor the person shopping, will say "THANKYOU" to each other after the business is done. HOW RUDE?!
Well, the shopkeeper, who most probably is from the local grocery store, is also most probably illiterate or at the most semi-literate. He will not know that he is supposed to say "Thankyou" or "Shukriya"(urdu) or "Dhanyavad"(hindi), if he is to be termed POLITE. But most probably, this shopkeeper, who has been around for a few decades (in the area), has watched some of his/her customers grow up, will most definitely, after the INDIAN custom/trend/fashion, ask the shopper how he is doing, or how his mother, father, sister, wife, daughter, son, grand-daughter, grand-son, in-laws etc. are doing, are they healthy? Are they married (yet), dead, afflicted, happy, content? I say "HOW RUDE?" again. Hasn't this shopkeeper heard of something called "Privacy"?
Now the shopper, depressed after not being thanked for shopping, is in all probability an Indian, a Bombayite. He does not have the TIME for social niceties. He is most probably worrying about himself, how his mother, father, sister, wife, daughter, son, grand-daughter, grand-son, in-laws etc. are doing? Whether they are healthy, dead, afflicted, happy, content?
Frankly speaking, in a city like BOMBAY, where people dont have the TIME (nor the energy, if i may add) to articulate their well-mannered intentions, a nod of the head or a smile is more than enough and more than necessary.
Now on the subject of "lack of willingness to help people in need", amply illustrated by the fact that nobody (in Bombay) came forward to help the person (doing the survey for Readers Digest) whose papers/books/bag had fallen down. RIGHT.
When I read this, the first thing that came to my mind was what happened on 26th July 2005. A tuesday, a cloud-burst above Bombay, record rainfall, the highest ever anywhere in INDIA. And the city came to a stand-still(according to many newspapers)...HARDLY.
Millions of people on the road, walking from wherever they were, covering the entire lenght of Bombay (approx 36 km) to reach a safe place, to reach home. I was one among these millions. Now along the way, there were people, many (and all Bombayites), standing in trecherous, chest-deep waters and distributing packets of biscuits, food, bottles of drinking water and other essentials to those walking back home, to those who they harldy knew. There were women standing at building gates and (politely) asking unknown people (mostly women, but i think that is understandable) if they wanted to use the loo in their houses. Local boys (most of them hooligans on a normal day) formed human-chains around a dangerous area so that others do not walk into them.
There are many more such examples that will tell you about Bombay and its people and the heart that they carry. But alas its not a survey, a hard cold statistical fact like the Readers Digest "information".
Bombayites as a rule are practical people. Practical, private and fun-loving. We will work hard, mind our own business and then we will enjoy the fruits of our labour. We will party, dance, watch movies, take our families out for dinner etc etc. But while we are doing that, please dont ask us to insult the able-bodied, spirited, beautiful and proud women of Bombay, by asking us to open doors for them.

oriental inspiration and copy-cat thinking

2006-06-19T18:50:00.000+05:30

am reading "The lady & the monk" by Pico Iyer and the following are a few lines that came to me...never been to Japan...and this is just an attempt in words to describe the image that i have of the place, in my head...

Oh you golden feathered country,
the dazzling plumage that you will shed.
Born from the flames of the burning sun,
Oh you phoenix of the August.