Nicholas Sparks’ MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Ever since I have read his three fabulous novels, I have been tempting to write regarding one of his novels as well as about him. He is one of my favorite authors of all times and his novels no need to tell touch every reader’s heart and are always achingly moving. Many of his novels are multi-million-copy international bestsellers and the stories have been adapted in to screenplays for major Hollywood movies. He is Nicholas Sparks. Some of his well known novels are
1. A walk to remember, 2. The Notebook, 3. The Choice, 4. The Wedding, 5. The Guardian …
Well today it’s about the novel that I just finished reading. ‘Message in a bottle’. I have actually fallen in love with novel.
Theresa Osborne, a columnist, middle aged divorcee with a young kid accidentally finds a message washed up on a Cape Cod beach. It intrigued her.
The message (in the bottle) read “My Darling Catherin, Where are you? And Why, I wonder as I sit alone in a darkened house, have we been forced apart?”- Garrett.
The whole letter included how much the author missed Catherin, the woman to which the author was addressing all the letters before throwing them trapped in a bottle into the Ocean. Her friend convinced her to publish the letter by changing the original names in her column to which she got a tremendous response. She even found out that one such letter has already been published by some local paper. She succeeded to get 2 such other letters written by the same author Garrett to Catherin, washed up at different shores through her readers, who had found out them accidentally as she did.
She found unaccountably drawn to these people and their secrets. She decided to find out more about the author and woman Catherin. She embarked on a journey which was going to turn her life upside down. Happiness, longing, and lot of other such emotions…… and….. sorrow…….
It’s a must read for every person with a tinge of emotions…. And not at all recommended for the people who can’t relate to human emotions…
NO NEED TO TELL I AM ALSO IN LOVE WITH THREE CHARACTERS:- GARRETT, CATHERIN and of course…
THERESA…

Cheers
Anand Pethe.

A special Letter of Appreciation

This is a letter sent by my friend Mr. Amol Mali after he completed reading 'just another LOVE STORY' . Regarding Amol, He is a senior research fellow in Food Division of UDCT pursuing his PhD. I dedicate this letter to all the Maharashtrians who know Marathi

प्रिय मित्र आनंद..

कसा आहेस..??? तुला एकदम आश्चर्य वाटेल एकदम असे मराठीतून मी का लिहितो आहे..?? अरे तुझे पुस्तक 'Just Another Love Story' आजच वाचून संपवले..एका फटक्यातच सलग वाचून काढले...'अप्रतिम' या शिवाय दुसरा शब्दच नाही..!!! काय कल्पनाविष्कार आहे यार तुझा..? त्याला खरंच काही तोड नाही..! सगळ्यात पहिली गोष्ट जी मला जाणवली ते तुम्ही वाचकाचा प्रवास वर्तमानातून सुरु करून भविष्यात घेऊन जातोस आणि परत अगदी योग्य वेळेस वर्तमानात त्यांना घेऊन येता..!!! यु.डी.सी.टी. तसेच दादर मध्ये असताना चे पण जे प्रसंग वर्णन तू केले आहेस ते पण मस्तच एकदम..सर्व जागा, ठिकाण, बस थांबा सर्व जे जे कुणी यु.डी.सी.टी.शी संबधित आहे...ते तो प्रसंग सहजपणे डोळ्यासमोर आणू शकतात आणी त्यातच खरी त्याची मजा आहे. वाचकांना तुम्ही त्यातच अगदी मंत्रमुग्ध करून टाकता. माझ्या बाबतीत पण अगदी असेच घडले, प्रत्येक प्रसंग अगदी त्या ठिकाणी तुम्हा दोघात काय झाले असेल हे चक्क मी visualise करत होतो. सर्व बाकीच्या जागा पण माझ्या एकदम ओळखीच्या आणि काही माझ्यासाठी पण एकदम खास आहेत..(ग्रीन्स, वरळी सी फेस, शिवाजी पार्क, इत्यादी). मला तू लिहिलेले quotes पण भारी आवडले..खास करून " 'It is very difficult to find a best friend in your husband....', 'Why we had gaps in our fingers...' and many more. सर्व प्रसंग आणि क्षण या सर्वांची एक मस्त सुरेख अशी गुंफण तुम्ही केली आहे, जी वाचकांच्या मनाला फार भावून जाते. वाचकांना तुम्ही किती आणि कुठपर्यंत तुमच्या कथेत गुंतून ठेवता यातच तुम्हा दोघांचे यश आहे आणि त्यात तुम्ही दोघे अगदी १०० % यशस्वी झाला आहात यात तिळमात्र शंका नाही..!!!
तुमच्या परवानगीने मला या पुस्तकावर आधारित अशी एक मराठी एकांकिका करायची इच्छा आहे. सध्या मी आय.एन.टी. मृगजळ, इ. एकांकिकेसाठी बाहेरून काम करत आहे, खास करून प्रत्येक नाटकाच्या संहितेवर..पुढ्या वर्षी कदाचित जर योग्य संधी मिळाली तर हि एकांकिका मी या स्पर्धेसाठी करू इच्छितो बघा तुम्ही विचार करून..तुमची परवानगी घेऊनच मी स्क्रिप्ट लिहायला सुरवात करेन..!!! मला खात्री आहे तुमची ही Love Story जास्तीत जास्त वाचकापर्यंत पोचेल आणि तुम्ही देखील फक्त या Love Story पर्यंत मर्यादित न राहता आम्हा वाचकांसाठी साठी अजून काहीतरी घेऊन याल..!!! पुढील वाटचालीसाठी तुम्हा दोघांना माझ्या मनापासून शुभेछ्या..!!!

आपलाच मित्र आणि पुस्तकप्रेमी
अमोल माळी

Needless to say, any type of creator loves a word of appreciation from another Creative person.

TIP TIP BARSA PANI…

Accidentally, I came across ‘tip tip barsa pani’ song While I was surfing through the channels. It had just started at that time and Akshay Kumar (the honest police inspector) was entering the arena with his umbrella, as the rain keeps pouring down heavily… unknown of the fact that Raveena, ( the reporter) girl he liked, would be there in that sensual look. At that moment the song starts. I don’t know how many of you would know the music director’s name but he has given such a beautiful and sensual music to make this song worth. I loved three things about this particular song. 1st. Gorgeous Raveena in her most sexiest look….(believe me.. she hasn’t shown anything.. yet she showed everything… ).. in fact that’s the most important reason why I love this song. There is always a charm in hiding everything yet conveying the thought.
2nd would be the atmosphere in which the song has been shot. Wow… and third.. the combined effect of Viju Shah’s music, good lyrics and lovely dance steps.. It simply made me feel like dancing in rain with ….
I completed watching the song and then I watched it again and again on the internet.
It had an engrossing effect on me. I just loved it. Among the few songs shot which had a sensual effect on audience, ( Madhuri’s’ Dhak Dhak karane laga’ or Sushmita Sen’s Dilbar Dilbar or Bipasha Baus’s Jadu Hain Nasha hai, or Kareena’s ‘ Ye mera dil pyar ka diwana’) that I like..Raveena’s Tip Tip Barsa Pani had a different place. (I am not talking about item songs here by the way.. these all songs have been filmed on lead actresses.)
Originally Divya Bharati was the lead. She was replaced by Raveena due to her sudden death. The film (Mohra) was a huge hit (year 1994). Still remembered mainly for the popular songs, like tu chij badi hai masta masta, tip tip barsa pani etc.
Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan’s lovely voice, Viju Shah’s effective music, Rain Dance with apt lighting by the cinematographer Damodar Naidu, Akshay kumar and Raveena Tandon’s on screen chemistry , effective dance steps made the song extremely popular.
The song keeps lingering on my mouth and Ravishing Raveena (in her sexy yellowish Saree only showing navel) keeps on appearing in front of my eyes each time I whisper.. tip tip barsa pani…..
Cheers
Anand

We are responsible…for the mess aren’t we?

From today onwards, I guess he would never throw a remaining bud of cigarette on the road, at least not near Dadar TT I hope.
It was a usual evening like any other, people were returning from work. The Dadar station was very much crowded. We reached dadar station by 7 o’clock. Vishal had to buy some sweets for some personal reason so he and I were walking towards dadar TT. We stopped at a ‘TAPARi ‘near the station. Vishal is a chain smoker by d way. He asked the person to give him his usual brand. He lighted it and started pumping his lungs.
“Why do people smoke? What kind of joy smokers get after putting chunk of smoke inside their body and then throwing it outside, creating passive smokers?” I asked.
“Start smoking and you would come to know” Vishal said with a little arrogant tone. I shrugged.
We were walking towards Dadar TT’s famous Mithai Shop. It was a beautiful evening.
We were completely engrossed in talking regarding our office politics and didn’t realize that someone was standing few centimeters from us, closely observing us.
Smoky smokerson was about to finish his 6th cigarette for the day. He puffed the last turn and threw the cigarette bud on the road and as usual put a left feet on it. The moment he did it, two guys who were closely observing us till now, came to us (as if they were waiting for this) and said,
“Sorry dude, we are government officials on duty. Our job is to catch persons who are making Mumbai dirty.”
At first we thought, it was a big joke but then later we realize that they were not kidding. They showed us their ID’s and rules and regulation sheets etc.
“You have to pay fine for doing this. What’s your name?” One guy said and started scribbling down my friend’s name and his address etc.
“How much is the fine?” Vishal asked.. Now in bit worried tone.
“Only 200 Rs. Sir” He said. Shit hell… 200 bucks for throwing a bud on the road. This was first time, I was hearing it happening in India. Vishal had gone to Singapore and he knew the strict rules. So he obeyed them there. But when it comes to India, Look at the attitude of a person.
“Here is 200 bucks. Give me official receipt that I had broken the rule.” Vishi said.
“Sure Sir” The guy filled in all the details and gave it to Vishal.
“What were we supposed to do with the bud of cigarette? Should we carry it to our home? Vishal asked sarcastically while giving 200 bucks to that guy.
“Sir, you are supposed to put it in dustbin. There are lots of dustbins we are trying to provide. Also, you can smoke the cigarette near TAPARI from where you purchased it and throw it in dustbin near Pan Tapari.” He said coolly while giving receipt to Vishal.
He took it and we started walking towards sweet shop.
My friend LOST 200 bucks for simple mistake. But it was necessary. I hope he learned his lesson.
We all should become responsible citizens now and make INDIA a proud country.
After all we are responsible for this mess, aren’t we?

Erich Segal’s Man Woman and Child & Shekhar Kapur’s Masoom.

Almost 70-80% of the movies are inspired either from a novel or from a short/long story. But when we start comparing the two, it becomes evident that almost in majority of the cases; novels justify the basic idea of creator much more than films do. Hence people who have read the particular novel and have watched the film based upon the same novel, in majority of the cases tend to say that Novel is far more better than the movie. Take Da vinci Code or The Godfather or Primal Fear for example, now all these films are excellent, no doubt about this but those of you who have read the novel would say, “ya , but the novel is better” that is because, you could not get the feeling of satisfaction after watching a movie as compared to reading the novel. Anyway there are few exceptions and Shekhar Kapur’s MASOOM is one of them.
I have seen Masoom thousands of times and recently I also read the novel upon which Masoom is based. Erich Segal’s Man Woman and Child. I adore Erich Segal and I respect every novelist and I always try to take a side of Novelist when it comes to the battle between writers, as Novelist against Screen Writers.
No two products can be compared in any case but the sense of satisfaction that I got after watching Masoom, Man Woman and Child failed to produce it. I would not here tell the End cause it would spoil the whole idea for future readers of the book and audience as far as the movie is concerned. But I have to say that Shekhar Kapur (Director) and Gulzar (screen writer) had given justice to the brilliant idea of Erich Segal’s. For the idea, no doubt, the credit goes to only one man, Erich Segal himself.
Anyway both the creations are fabulous and I strongly will recommend for all the people who haven’t still watched Masoom or read Man Woman and Child to do the same.
I always cry during R D Burman’s two songs “Do naina or Ek kahani” and “ Tujhse Naraj Nahi Jindagi- Female Version”. In fact the great Latabai also could not hide her emotions and have made a little mistake while singing the song, listen to it and those who are good in music would be able to recognize it. Everyone liked it so they decided to keep it as it was looking natural and not artificial. The last scene in the film, the Gun on head (as we say in screen writer’s language) was so much dramatically shot that even audience feel some pressure. I think novel has failed to build up this pressure. End in both art forms are different and I loved both the Ends.
This is pure magic. Those of you who want to see magic, please read Erich Segal’s Mman Woman and Child & Watch Shekhar Kapur’s Masoom.

Cheers
Anand

PARINDA

It was Sunday evening and after few hours of reading as a case study, I decided to go for an evening walk. After coming home, I was willing to watch a good Hindi Movie. (free of cost-off course through Idiot Box)Sometimes I wonder why they call it an Idiot box anyway. I don’t know if it’s everybody’s experience or not, but when you have time and you want to watch something good, it decides to show programs of useless quality. (I guess due to this people started calling it an Idiot box)
Anyway, it was an exception today and there were few good movies to watch on TV. 1. Three Idiots (which I have seen from start to end for like millions of times and even studied it during my script sessions.) 2. Akshay Kumar;s Khiladi (good movie I must say, it was a good effort.) 3. Vinod Chopra’s PARINDA.
No need to say, I decided to watch Parinda and ther were several reasons for taking that decision. 1. Vindo Chopra’s awesome script and film making. 2. Madhuri Dixit. 3. Every character looks real in this film. Nana Patekar. I have great respect for him. If you want to see his real work, See Marathi Play “Purush”, Nana has played –ve role in it. Wonderfully played, what an actor and for that matter even I loved Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor in Parinda.
It was the first realistic Gangster film in Hindi Cinema. It’s a story of two brothers trapped in a Gang War. There struggle, family issues, Main Mafia Anna (played by Nana). Parinda was a critical and commercial success, and the official Indian entry for the 1990 Academy Awards.
I will recommend this film for everyone who is interested in seeing quality and serious film. I had a great time watching it and writing about it.
Cheers,
Anand Pethe

Honest Comments on my debut novel 'just another LOVE STORY'\

1. Ashay Javadekar (my UDCT batch mate now pursuing PhD in USA and already produced and directed two short films)

Dear Anand
I read your book. Congrats!
Some more dramatic moments in the relationship between Anita and Anand
would have enhanced the story more. You should try making a film out
of it.

Regards
Ashay

2. Nihal Parkar (brilliant Scientist, My friend.. with mind of guys like Newton and Einstein etc..you get the picture,,)

Hi Anand,
I got the book by mail the very next day after I ordered it, and as soon as I got up today, I read it.I liked it a lot. It took me through many emotions. I kept laughing out loud at many moments, and felt sad at others. It was a very entertaining read. It also reminded me about life at UD. I could visualize it like a movie.
how much is fact and how much is fiction?
Thank you for writing the book. It added something positive to my day today :)
Regards,
Nihal

3. Amar Pethe (Engineer by profession, working with JET Airways)

Hi Anand

I completed reading your novel and it was kinda good effort.
If you could digest my FRANK opinion, I felt like CONTENT are according to its name "JUST another (COMMON) love story". My expectations were too high.It should have been some exciting love story, kind of entirely different, "NA BHUTO NA BHAVISHYATI" kind of.
There are several Bollywood movies having this kind of story so readers like me (again I am not good reader, I admit), who likes something NEW, did not get that out of your novel.
Again sorry if I demoralized you, but thought of giving you FRANK opinion so you could consider this in your new writing.
Regards
Amar

4.Krishna Jarag (Pursuing PhD in Chemistry from Dyes Division, UDCT)
dear aanad, i read you novel.gr8 work yar
wachayla ghetlyavar zopach yet navati
tula patnar nahi, rahileli mi dusrya divshii sakali pahte 4.30 la uthun vachat baslelo.
pethe sala mast lihalays. mhantat na je n dekhe ravi te dekhe kavi
imagination mast aahe karan story dhopatmargane jat nahi madhale twisthi mast aahet

i really feel proud yar ki mazya javalach mitra sundar lekhak hi asu shakto.
i will try for publicity in ICT.
WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.
Krishna

5. Dr. N. Sekar (Professor-Dyes division, UDCT)

Dear Mr Anand
Your novel gave me a live reading. Well done. All the best for future endeavors.
N Sekar

First launch ceremony of my life:- My speech during the pune launch (Part2)

I dreamed of seeing me as an author and today I am one.
Four years ago, when I had returned from US without anything in my hand, without MS {the degree}, without respect, without anything but guilt of failure. I felt like everything around me, my whole life had been demolished. Even after joining for M. Tech. at UDCT, I was very much unhappy and down in confidence. At that very moment, I started writing my experiences, while in he US, after coming back to India, my failure, reasons, cause etc.
I used to write before as well but this time around I started taking it extremely seriously. Infact while connecting the DOTS, today I can say, I joined and completed M. Tech. just to prove myself again after B. Tech. as though it was due to my bad health and physical conditions that made me come back to India from USA, I consider it always as my biggest failure.
Also while connecting the dots, I can say I was destined to come back to India and write a novel and published it in India.
While doing M. Tech. I gathered all the confidence back and I even started doing things that I liked passionately and loved them doing from bottom of my heart, writing, creating.
They say that creation happens when everything around the person has been demolished or shattered. The girl I used to love very much during my B. Tech. days and even during M. Tech. had said “NO” to my proposal, so there was a reason to start creating a LOVE STORY as well.

No.. seriously, I have even thanked her in my acknowledgement for saying “NO” . Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to craft such a LOVE STORY. So Finally I wrote it.
Deepti is my B. Tech batch mate and when we met during our batch reunion, I accidentally came to know that she was also interested in writing. I showed her the entire 1st draft of this novel. And then she started working on elaborating and editing of it. For 2nd , 3rd and.. till 7th draft.
Finally when we felt that the material is ready for approaching publisher, we started finding out the one. Eventually after 2 and half years of hard work, we got success in seeing our names as Authors.
Currently, I am working on 2 ideas for my next novel which we will discuss probably after a year or so during the launch of that particular book.
Right now I am pursuing a course in Screenplay writing and Direction. Today I am dreaming of writing my own script and directing my own film.
For all this, I really want to thank my parents who stood behind me all the time and supported me and my crazy ideas.
I thank my all relatives, friends all of them who supported me always. I thank Sham kaka, rahul dada, Sudhakar dada. I thank my sister madhura and her husband who is like brother to me, Mahesh. I thank my cousins, koutuk, sarang, akshay etc.
I thank my Co-Author and Editor, Deepti. I thank all of you for coming and supporting me.
Thank you very very much.

First launch ceremony of life:-My speech during the pune launch (Part1)

Off all the questions we leave unanswered the one that comes back to haunt us the most is
What if….
What if I had married my college sweetheart?
What if I had been born rich?
What if I had planned a little less?
What if I could write a novel?
What if I could make my own movie?
What ifs are never idle fantasy. These are our hopes dreams and desires. Logic and reasons are the “Naphthalene balls” we use to pack them away into a sandook called ‘someday’ but when that day comes, we are too poor, too old, too tired or too lazy.
This is what Steve Jobs said during his commencement address at Stanford University,
“You cannot connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust...in something…your gut, destiny, life….karma whatever. This approach has never let me down and it has made all the difference in my life. Believing that dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path and that will make all the difference.”
So, anyway what exactly I wanted to tell was if you dream and dream big and take the necessary action to follow it, you can achieve it at some point of time.
As famously said by Walt Disney, “ If you can dream it, you can do it.”
I dreamed of seeing me as an author and today I am one.

FINALLY POSITIVE OVERCOMES NEGATIVE

Sometimes unexpected thoughts visit us, our mind gets crowded with them and we have to make some special efforts to throw such negative thoughts out and warm up the mind with the energy of positive thoughts. I never expected that when I would see my name in the print form on the novel….
Just another LOVE STORY
A novel by- and then my name
Instead of becoming jubilant and enjoying the scene, I started doubting myself.
(BY D WAY I HAVE TO MENTION HERE THAT SEEING YOUR NAME AS AN author makes you feel very proud of yourself no doubt .. BUT.. )
By the way, today in the evening, I got a call from my publisher saying that they have sent my share of books to me and they will soon sent the novel to distributors and it’s the time that I should start preparing myself as my novel’s gonna hit the market soon for Post production activities and promotions etc..while this conversation was going on.. a courier guy came in and droped my books… (What a timing I thought)
And to tell the truth for the first time in this journey, I became bit scared. I don’t know what hit me. I started asking myself hell lot of questions.. Whether my efforts give me some kinda reward back?
Whether novels gonna reach to lot of people. Whether denying the paid publicity is a wise option? Whether .. how why when what ….
You know.. hell lot of questions made my evening miserable which should have been the most memorable evening as I saw my name as an author for the first time in the print form.
Again , you know people around you make your life miserable too. Everybody these days ask me for a free copy without even realizing the efforts I have made. Everyone gives me different suggestions especially to promote the book and the funny part is the suggestions many times are so opposite of each other that I became confused…
Anyway, you get the point. I ruined my memorable evening in to dark night by thinking about my future.
Well, that’s LIFE| You need to pay for everything.
I remember one of my engineering professors used to say, In life there is no free lunch.
Tomorrow I need to start up fresh again feeling all the positive points in my head and vomiting all the negatives.. Finally I am novelist. Finally my dream has come true Finally I saw my name in print on a novel Finally…. Finally and Finally….. HOPE FOR D BEST.

Accepted, I was partly responsible but …

A bizarre experience that I underwent today was to lose a credit card. I have never gone through this till today so it was kind of novel experience and not to tell that I completely freaked out.
Anyway, it was not a stolen thing though; it was partly my fault and partly the machines fault that I used to remove the cash. I wanted to take out some cash so I went in to a ATM of a reputed nationalize bank which is near my institute. Not to tell there was no security guard around and there was nothing written on the door about machines ability to process the order…
I went in relax mood and came out exhausted. (No, don’t think ‘exhausted’ in that manner but somewhat worried and sad manner..) I inserted a card and after putting a correct pin... (I am saying correct as machine recognized it.) Which was accepted and I put the amount required and press the continue button. After few tries (Machine, if alive would have said..”abbe mere under kuchh cash nahi hai mein kahase tereko cash du..???” and would have given me a standard GALI.. anyway) I guess ATM machine gave up and without returning me my card it gave a receipt saying ‘Transaction failed’ and screen flashing ‘thank you for using..bla bla bla..’
So I lost my card, I did not get a cash and I had only receipt which said useless thing. A guard came in and said, “ sahib ye machin to chalu nahi hai?”
I (in agitated voice) “ tum kaha the? Or darvaje pe bhi kuch likhha nahi hai, mere ko kese pata chalega?
Abhi kya karu bolo? Paisa chahiye, card machine ke andar chala gaya..”
“ Me ek minute ke liye pan lane gaya tha ..”
I understood that there was no point in arguing with him and I would not get my card back through this hopeless discussion.
So I called up one of my friends who had gone through same, few days earlier and I knew it as I was with him at that time. Incidentally our cards are of the same bank so he had the toll free number So I got the number and called up and blocked the card immediately so it can’t be miss used. I felt bit relax then and I started walking towards bus stop rearranging my time schedule of tomorrow as I have to go to bank.
Consequences: I had no card with me right now. I need to go to the bank tomorrow and re apply for it which will take another 10-15 days to process and get back to me…
Conclusion: - Before going to ATM make sure that the machine is in use and not out of order…..

Kites taught me a BIG lesson

Kites: Taught me a BIG lesson
All Roshans failed to roshan their name in their just released movie. It was a big disaster. First to start with the name.. what was there in that name? Kites??? Why? Asked myself Why? And the explanation given in the first two lines of the starting of movie did not make any sense..
I had read the reviews and had decided to not go with any expectations to watch it, but I have to watch it as it was one of my favorite directors who directed it, anurag basu.
The last three films of this man who had managed to come successfully out of blood cancer were huge hits. He had directed films like Life in a metro, gangster and murder etc etc..very good and more over very logical films. So why he made such an illogical disaster..??? I am clueless…May be a good director sometimes can’t give justice to some scripts I guess…
Though there were no technical faults in the film, it failed to attract any audience. Why?
Movie makers should keep in mind that audience should not feel cheated after coming out of the theater. That’s exactly what happened with kites. It had tremendous budget, facilities etc etc but unfortunately film had no sole. I am sorry to say but it failed to catch audience’s attention.
If a guy who is watching a movie could not put himself in the place of a hero or girl in the place of heroin, in other words if people failed to identify themselves with the characters in the movie, it is bound to fail/fell. Why we like Three Idiots so much? As we can identify ourselves with the characters in the film. This did not happen in this film.
The story was ok much as same like “Ek Du je ke Liye” of Kamal Hasan and Rati Agnihotri. Some what a similar plot but….
This but says it all…. It was hyped too much, people had too much expectations and it failed to attain them.
Barbara Mori looks cute though, I felt like I paid 100 bucks just for watching her for two hours on screen.
Lessons: Big budget, Very Good star cast and decent plot can’t survive if not screen played & directed properly.

Thank GOD… errr.. why.. thank me…|||

In the process of novel publishing, once publishing house signed a contract with the author, they ask for the whole manuscript of the novel for professional editing. (at least in my case.. as my English language is not that powerfulllll….) So about a month before my editor in rainbow publishing house started editing my novel. Few days back I started getting the edited chapters for my consent and review as author. They also gave me deadline which was very close.
“ I had some other work as well so I needed to finish it in two days” I thought.
She sent me 3 chapters the day before yesterday and sent the remaining 8 chapters excluding prologue and epilogue and asked me to review and give the script back for the second time editing and proof reading.
Few days back I used to think that writing is heaven but I got to know that its not heaven but it’s the place exactly half way between earth and hell if there is any…
It’s the most boring job ever to read over and over again and again whatever one has written. (My respect for the editors has increased enormously since yesterday.)
And at this point of time I realized that I enjoy conceptualizing plot and scripting a story but I am not quite enjoying this job of reading the same story that you yourself have written.
Anyway but I had to do it.. as I have taken the responsibility of being a novelist now..
Yesterday I decided to devote full day for this review and get it done by tonight. But..
I woke up late as I slept at 1 30 AM yesterday.. (was busy doing 1st writings for my scond novel..). So today I woke up at 10 o’clock. I had my coffee and sat for review.
I did completed two chapters and my comments till 1 PM and had lunch..then I sat again for review at around 2 30 PM .. but was feeling extremely sleepy.. so I slept and woke up at 4 13 PM..
I had tea and decided that I need to change the place so that I can concentrate fully on the work.
So I went in to shivaji park Shee Shee Dee for coffee along with my note pad and laptop. It’s a place where one can sit and enjoy the atmosphere, girls and what not..
So I sat and ordered usual coffee and started working. There was no crowd in there just a few couples. But man.. they were acting horribly…
The first place where I sat, there was one couple right in front of me. And they were fighting in public place.. not literally but cat and mouse fight.. they were having an argument over what to take to eat. Then that girl smoothly shifted the topic to his smoking and started throwing at him some bad words.
I could nt concentrate and I changed the place which was a complete corner of the shop. But my fate and me. I still could see one couple. And the thing was, they were sitting in the corner just in front of the table that I had chosen as my next spot. Boy .. that girl was HOT like …(opps.. this is public place I can’t express my inner feelings here .. can I?)..
And the boy was Punjabi stud types. And the funny part was.. when I was approaching the place, they were in the middle of passionate KISS…... (I guess they had no shame..It was they who should have felt embarrassed and stopped the act then and there itself but in reality they kept doing it.. )
I sat and started working. The kiss ended after a long time.. Then that girl started crying and was telling him how she missed him and bla bla bla..
My concentration went off just seeing that hotti…(In my defence.. I would say it was my moral responsibility to see that hotti in act of making… so..I don’t have to blame myself for not completing the work.. DO I?..)
Anyway so I returned home at around 6 PM without doing anything…
After Gym and dinner I sat for the work of review at around 10 Pm and finished it at around 4 AM , I sent the email back to the editor with my consent and changes and review…It was 5 AM and then I thought why to sleep now.. there was actually no point in sleeping for like 3 hours.
So I wrote this blog and reviewed it as well….
Oh.. GOD finally… FINALYYYY.. I completed the job required. .
Thank GOD… errr.. why.. thank me…|||… It was I who completed it…..

Cheers\
Anand Pethe.

Come On Screw it, Let's Do It- Branson

Come On Screw it, Let's Do It.
I have added first two words in one of Richard Branson’s favorite sayings.
Anyway let me tell you today about somebody who I consider one of my IDOLS.
He was born in Hyderabad and Film crazy kid I guess from the start itself. He went on to study Chemical Engineering at Osmania University, Hyderabad. No surprises there but here come the biggy, he went on to pursue M.S. from one of the top notch universities in USA. He completed his graduate studies from Georgia Institute of Technology in Chemical Engineering. Then he worked as an Environmental Consultant . Along with that he attended workshops in Film and Television. He soon Co-produced and directed short film called ‘One culture at a time’.
Soon thereafter, he decided to come back to India to pursue his all time dream to become film maker.
I think this was the first bold and risky step to leave everything in hand, JOB, settled life, corporate career, and most Important Money. Here is a difference between common man and extraordinary person. For me, whether or not he become successful is irrelevant. When he decided to follow his dream and took (which so called “idiotic”) decision of leaving everything and coming back, he became hero for me.
But he realized afterwards that he didn’t have enough money to make a film. So guess what, he again went back to USA and worked for few years and then returned to India in 1998. He stayed in Mumbai for a year and realized that his style would not suit the bollywood milieu.
So he decided to produce his own film by investing the money he made from his engineering career. He made his first film on the flat budget of just 17 lakhs. He shot the film in just 17 days. He Co Produced, Directed and acted in it. It became most successful INDEPENDENT FILM in India. And it is known as “Hyderabad Blues” and the Film maker I am talking about is one of my Idol s in the entertainment industry NAGESH KUKUNOOR.
He has never looked back since. He has made some wonderful films and most important intelligent and different films from all those bollywoodish kind of movies.
Few examples being,
DOR, ROCKFORD, HYDERABAD BLUES 2, IQBAL, Bollywood Calling, 3 deewarein etc.
He is today acclaimed and successful famous and rich director and producer and actor. Believe or not his decision of coming back and follow his dream was an extraordinarily risky and bold one. Its one thing that he got success in what he did. People would say he was lucky. I can’t imagine what would have happened, had he got failed in what he did? What would have happened, had his film did not become successful?
But that’s the way it is. There is no free lunch. One has to pay for it. One has to take risk in pursuing his dream. Hats OFff to this unusual talent and my IDOL.

Dare To Be Different

I have decided to start writing my blogs as a first step for putting up the news that soon i am bringing my first novel- Love story in printed format. The process in going on and My first novel will be getting published may be in three to four months time. I have decided to do something different. I have decided to follow my heart. I took this decision about 4 years ago. Before that I used to say myself that i should be in the entertainment business and not in technical education.
But at that time i decided to complete my B. Tech. and then pursue my dream. But then after B. Tech. I lost my two golden years in something else. You will know it soon but not at this point of time. So then around about four years ago, while starting my M. Tech. I decided to start writing. Some of my close friends and my cousins who knew that I was a good writer always used to tell me that i should start writing. I always knew that I had that thing. i had a flair. I can conceptualize a story plot and put it in to the story. So I took it seriously and here I am after almost three years of hard work with my Co- Author ( Don't worry You will get the name soon) will be publishing it.
I have decided to be different.
Remember- If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary