Aamir -- Happy Birthday!

He is one of his kind.
He is a class apart.
he does not hesitate to speak his mind.
He walks the least trodden path.
He dares to listen to his heart... and his heart alone, when in doubt.
He is extraordinarily interesting as a person.....
though he can be simultaneously in conflict and at peace.
My his charisma continue.... may we stay enamored with him forever.
After all, he has shown the way, has been a guide, to many of us.
He is Aamir Khan.
And, mind you, the words above aren't mine alone.....
I collated the thoughts and expressions of so many of my dear ones.
We all are Aamir-lovers! Absolutely. Unabashedly.
Here's sending loads of love and good wishes on his birthday.
Quoting one of his greatest fans: May this be the dawn of a new beginning for Aamir.

Asha-ji.... happy birthday!

Asha Bhosle.... the name spells music for me, she enchants me with her mesmerizing voice, her magically melodious numbers....
Here's wishing her a very happy birthday.

Happy Birthday, Messi!

It's the World Cup fever in full bloom....
all the more buoyant hence,
the whole world wishes you the very best, Leo!

Happy Birthday, Dear Aamir!

Dear Aamir.......
This is an open letter to you.
Nothing too personal.
It's some thoughts that I want to share with all.
All of us have dreams. And many of us try to eke out a living by pursuing our dreams, and even selling dreams to millions. A few are successful in pursuing those dreams. But a fewer still are successful in selling dreams that millions don't just hold on to as ideals but also believe in the possibility of their fruition no matter how impossible that may be, judging by the parameters of reality.
You have not just successfully spun dreams on the celluloid for years, but have been a true inspiration for several more than the blind followers of a hero's antics on the big screen choosing to stay mesmerized within the darkened theaters where unreal is real all in the name of entertainment..... you have helped people sit up and take note of the hardcore realities, of the unsavory truths, and have made people genuinely charged up and energized to contribute towards positive changes in the society. You have helped people break barriers, overcome limitations and inhibitions, and continue to do so as the second season of your reality show Satyamev Jayate continues its glorious run on television.
I can't help but shun my acerbic apprehensions regarding tv-philanthropy and feel all zesty and optimistic.
May your goodness rub off on us, and may our society be blessed with more of your kind.
Here's wishing you a Very Happy Birthday!

a collage of film-stills

the many moods

'Ghajini'

an early photo-shoot

India's Biggest Feminist

Happy Birthday, Aamir Khan!
He turns 48, but he is a living proof of the adage that age is just a number.
He is evergreen, and his spirit is ever-buoyant.
Incidentally, just a few days back, he has acquired
yet another tag..... Femina has featured him on
the cover of its special Women's Day issue,
calling him India's Biggest Feminist!
We are not surprised.

Happy Birthday, Ewan!

Ewan McGregor is the birthday boy today! Hahaha.......
And here I am wishing him the very best, as I choose to gush about his greatness, the die-hard fan that I am, of this hugely talented Scottish actor.

Ewan McGregor, who turns 41 today, has acted in some of the most pathbreaking movies and has established his reputation as an actor of renown. He has bagged as much critical acclaim as popularity. His star appeal is largely because of the characters he has played on-screen, and not for his off-screen exploits which are known to provide some lesser actors an overnight popularity that is difficult to retain.

Here's a list of Ewan McGregor flicks
that I have seen till date:
Trainspotting
Emma
Brassed Off
Nightwatch
The Serpent's Kiss
A Life Less Ordinary
Little Voice
Rogue Trader
Moulin Rouge!
Black Hawk Down
Down with Love
Young Adam
Big Fish
Robots 
The Island
Stay
Stormbreaker
Miss Potter
Cassandra's Dream
Incendiary
Deception
I Love You Phillip Morris
Angels and Demons
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Amelia
The Ghost Writer
Perfect Sense
Beginners

Happy Birthday, Aamir!

It's that special day........

yeah, you guessed it right......

it's Aamir Khan's birthday!

Aamir is busy giving the perfectionist's touches

to a project that's close to his heart......

Satyamev Jayate, his foray into television.

Also eagerly awaited is his next big screen release

Talaash - The Answer Lies Within.

Here's wishing him a very Happy Birthday

and all the best for all his forthcoming ventures.

Happy Birthday, Aamir 'Babloo' Khan!

Happy Birthday to you, Aamir!
This time, you are rocking the small screen with your latest commercial for Tata Sky, where you have become Babloo - the cricket fan who watches cricket in HD clarity and does what can be described as 'remote umpiring'. It is a hilarious of yours, once again. And the commercial is a big hit not only on telly, aired along with the ICC Cricket World Cup telecast, but also on Youtube.

More power to you, Aamir-da...... keep rocking!
Here's wishing you a prosperous year ahead - you are surely going to be busy with your new films - and I wish you all the success for the years to come.

Happy Birthday, Dhoni!

Mahendra Singh Dhoni
(popularly called Mahi) has always been my favorite
amongst the contemporary Indian cricketers.
Here's wishing him a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
and also a happy married life... as he has tied the knot
with his childhood friend and girlfriend of two years, Sakshi Singh Rawat
just three days back!

And now,
for the readers of my blog, here's
looking at some of the Dhoni facts:

As a youngster, Dhoni excelled in badminton and football
and was selected at district and club level in these sports!
In his student days, he used to be the goalkeeper for his football team
and, as luck would have it, was sent to play cricket for
a local cricket club by his football coach.

Based on his performance at club cricket, Dhoni was picked
for Vinoo Mankad Under-16 Championship Trophy and he performed well.

He debuted for Bihar in 1998-99 season.

Subsequently, was selected to represent India-A in 2004,
as right-handed batsman-cum-wicketkeeper.

Made his India debut against Bangladesh in Dhaka in December 2004,
and, in 2005, against Sri Lanka, he set a world record for the highest score ever by a wicketkeeper.

He became No.1 ODI batsman on 20 April, 2006, replacing Ricky Ponting.

Was named ODI vice-captain of Team India, on tour of England in June 2007
and on September 2, 2007, he equalled Adam Gilchrist’s record
of most dismissals in an ODI (5 catches, 1 stumping).

He became the captain for Team India for the World T20 in Sept 2007,
and with his spirited leadership, boosted India to the ICC World T20 trophy, in South Africa, winning over Pakistan in an intensely fought final.

Mahi made his Test captaincy debut against South Africa in April 2008.

His latest cricketing triumph as the skipper has been
laying hands on the coveted Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, last month.

May he win many more laurels in the days to come.

And here comes more Dhoni trivia:
Dhoni was born in Ranchi, Bihar (now in Jharkhand), and his paternal village is Lvali in the Lamgarha block of the Almora district of Uttarakhand.

He has a sister, Jayanti, and a brother, Narendra.

Dhoni happens to be one of the most popular sports icon in the country whose popularity can only be rivalled by that of Sachin Tendulkar - the 'master-blaster', and Sourav Ganguly, in cricket, Leander Paes in tennis, and Vijender Singh, in boxing.

He has been hailed as a youth icon of the nation, and his flamboyant hairstyle gets special coverage in the tabloids!
Initially, he used to sport long hair, that received a special mention by the then Pak President Pervez Musharraf!

Dhoni has a great camaraderie with almost all his fellow teammates, especially Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, R. P. Singh and Zaheer Khan.

The tabloids went abuzz with the rumors of Dhoni dating actresses Deepika Padukone and Lakshmi Rai in the past, but it seems, in retrospect, that those matches were hardly meant to be.

He loves bikes, much like his current buddy John Abraham, the actor.
He supposedly has a Hummer alongwith the four cars, and 23 high-speed motorcycles, already parked in his garage in Ranchi.

He endorses about 20 brands - from clothes to soft drinks!
No wonder, he was named as one of the highest income-tax payers last year.

He is a self-proclaimed fan of Amitabh Bachchan and Lata Mangeshkar,
apart from his cricketing idols Adam Gilchrist and Sachin Tendulkar.

A renowned dog-lover, Dhoni is too fond of his pets.

Happy Birthday Asha-ji!

Asha Bhosle, the original & ultimate songstress-diva turns 76 today!
Being an ardent admirer of the singer, I wish her a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
May she enthrall us with many more wonderful songs in the days to come.
She is lucky to have been gifted with a golden voice, and has had a fantastic musical career, but we are luckier still to be able to listening to her for multiple decades.

She has not only been the singing voice for the gorgeous actresses of the silver screen - from Madhubala to Kajol - Dimple Kapadia to Aishwarya Rai - having done playback for more than 1000 Hindi films, but she has also had the rare achievement of singing in more than 14 languages. She is considered to be the most versatile South Asian singer of all times. She has a magnificent repertoire of songs spanning numerous genres - from pop to ghazal, folk to classical, qawwali to devotional. Being the younger sister of Lata Mangeshkar, an equally accomplished singing sensation, Asha Bhosle carved out a niche for herself way back in the late 50's, and she has never had to look back.

My personal favorites include hundreds of songs sung by Asha-ji (as she is fondly & reverentially called), most of them in Hindi, and some in Bangla too. Here, I am listing just twenty gems from that treasure-house of melodies, I have limited the listing only to Hindi songs from films, i.e. Bollywood. (needless to stress that I had to leave out many delightful numbers, it was indeed tough to sieve through more than twelve thousand songs to come up with this minuscule listing):
1) 'Mera kuchh saamaan...' [OST: Ijaazat; 1987]
2) 'Ab ke baras bhej bhaiya...' [OST: Bandini; 1963]
3) 'Tu tu hai wani...' [OST: Yeh Vaada Raha; 1982]
4) 'Raat akeli hai...' [OST: Jewel Thief; 1967]
5) 'Radha kaise na jale...' [OST: Lagaan; 2001]
6) 'Dum maaro dum....' [OST: Hare Rama Hare Krishna; 1971]
7) 'Roz roz aankhon tale...' [OST: Jeeva; 1986]
8) 'Dekhne mein bhola hai...' [OST: Bambai Ka Babu; 1960]
9) 'Piya tu ab toh aaja...' [OST: Caravan; 1971]
10) 'O meri jaan....' [OST: Manzil Manzil; 1984]
11) 'Jaane kya baat hai...' [OST: Sunny; 1984]
12) 'O mere sona re..' [OST: Teesri Manzil; 1966]
13) 'Chura liya hai...' [OST: Yaadon Ki Baaraat; 1973]
14) 'Bas ek baar merakaha...' [OST: Umrao Jaan; 1981]
15) 'Kahin aag lage lag jaaye...' [OST: Taal; 1999]
16) 'Tanha tanha...' [OST: Rangeela; 1994]
17) 'Kambakht ishq...' [OST: Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya; 2001]
18) 'Rang de rang de...' [OST: Takshak; 1999]
19) 'Sapna mera toot gaya...' [OST: Khel Khel Mein; 1975]
20) 'Do lafzon ki hai...' [OST: The Great Gambler; 1979]

Happy Birthday Saif!

Saif Ali Khan has been one of my favorite stars from Bollywood,
for reasons which are not even known to me!
He had received quite a flak from all quarters when he embarked on his acting career
in the Nineties. But since then, he has come a long way.
He has proved himself to be the proverbial dark horse
and has surprised us again and again with his amazing performances
in many a film lately.
He has been often described as a mercurial performer,
and I cannot agree more.
Saif is known for his apt comic timing in
films like 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari' & 'Hum Tum' has been appreciated.
His dramatic performances in films like 'Ek Hasina Thi' & 'Omkara'
have made us take note of his acting prowess.
His natural, affable charm in films like 'Dil Chahta Hai',
'Salaam Namaste', 'Kal Ho Na Ho', and in
the very recent 'Love Aaj Kal' has endeared him all the more.
His sharp, layered portrayals in films like 'Eklavya' and
'Parineeta' have won him the much deserved laurels.

Brief Biography:
Saif was born on August 16, 1970 in New Delhi, India.
He is the son of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, a renowned cricketer, and is the grandson of Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, who was the Nawab of Pataudi as well as an accomplished cricketer - having played for England and then for India as the captain of the team. Saif's paternal grandmother was Sajida Sultan, Begum of Bhopal, and his great-uncle was Pakistani general Nawabzada Sher Ali Khan Pataudi. Saif's mother is the famous actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba & Soha Ali Khan. Saif is privileged to be the heir apparent to the headships of both the royal houses of Bhopal and Pataudi.
Initially, Saif had studied at the Lawrence School Sanawar, but he later attended Lockers Park Prep School. He then followed in his father's footsteps by attending Winchester College, a famous independent school for boys in the U.K.
Saif made his screen debut in 1992. He had his first major successes with the 1994 films 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari' and 'Yeh Dillagi'. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in 'Hum Tum' (2004). After 'Parineeta', 'Omkara', and 'Being Cyrus', Saif is counted among the topmost Indian actors at present.
Ver recently, he has branched out into film production. He is the founder-owner of his production company Illuminati Films which has had its first release in 'Love Aaj Kal' that has been already declared a hit.

Saif has always courted controversies. From his liaison with Kamal Sadanah to his getting married to Amrita Singh, and then from his break-up with the latter, after thirteen years of marriage and two kids, to his romancing the Italian model-actress Rosa, Saif has been in the news often for the wrong reasons. Earlier, he was continually dismissed by his critics for being insincere and arrogant. He has recently been given a lot of focus by the film glossies and even by the mainstream media just because of his declaration of love for his present girlfriend Kareena Kapoor. Saif has her name tattooed on his arm and he is known to be earnest about marrying her soon. The gossip mills keep churning the juicy reports and he gets featured amply in this way too.

Select filmography:
[The films of Saif that I've seen.]
Parampara (1992)
Yeh Dillagi (1994)
Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994)
Imtihaan (1995)
Dil Tera Deewana (1996)
Hamesha (1997)
Keemat (1998)
Kachche Dhaage (1999)
Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan (1999)
Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999)
Biwi No. 1 (1999)
Kya Kehna (2000)
Love Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi Karega (2001)
Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein (2001)
Na Tum Jaano Na Hum (2002)
Darna Mana Hai (2003)
Kal Ho Na Ho (2003)
L.o.C.-Kargil (2003)
Ek Hasina Thi (2004)
Hum Tum (2004)
Parineeta (2005)
Salaam Namaste (2005)
Being Cyrus (2006)
Omkara (2006)
Eklavya (2007)
Nehle Pe Dehla (2007)
Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007)
Race (2008)
Tashan (2008)
Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic (2008)
Roadside Romeo (2008)
Love Aaj Kal (2009)

Happy 44th Birthday, Aamir!!!!

Aamir Khan, the most consummate lead actor in Hindi films today, never fails to create news and sometimes has had immense fan following all through. He has broken grounds with his films in the recent times, and some of his films have undoubtedly become trendsetters among the masses, while some of them will always remain the moot-point in the serious discussions on films. On this day, this star-actor turns a year older, and I salute his prowess & his proficiency!

Recently, Aamir Khan has been declared as the most powerful man in the Mumbai film industry, but Aamir, being Aamir, has commented:
“I am not really interested in power. I think it's important to know what one can really do with the power. According to me, power is how one uses it. I can be very powerful but if I can't use it for any good or can't contribute to the industry then I am actually powerless. I would like to use my power by working with new directors, giving new actors to the industry and making experimental films.” [Filmfare Power List, for the year gone by.]

Aamir loves to be the chameleon, playing diverse characters, in diverse get-ups, and here's doffing our hats to his latest avatar as an elderly Sardarji, for the Tata-Sky commercial.

Happy Birthday, Aamir! May all your dreams come true..... here's wishing you all the best for all your future endeavours!


[pics courtesy: indiatimes.com, google.com, Tata Sky, Titan Watches]