The Bollywood generation gap!

20 years back, somewhere in the 90's when I was in my teens..I popped a question at mom "Who's your favorite actor?"

"Rajesh Khanna" she replied.

Rajesh Khanna! Really? I was disappointed our choices didn't match. The Khans were ruling the 90's cinema and she had picked an actor from a completely different era. I failed to understand why. He didn't even act in movies anymore. Wouldn't a Salman or a Shah Rukh be a rather appropriate choice? I wondered!

Years have passed by since then. My fondness for movies and Bollywood remains intact. Salman and SRK have still continued their reign over Indian cinema with a long list of blockbusters under their belt. But times have changed too. Its equally evident how the newbie actors have entered. So popular and are doing extremely well. These are the same kids who were in school when DDLJ or MPK released. But are now sharing the same frame and fame in bollywood.

For the love of Indian cinema,  I do enjoy watching these new faces! Fresh out of the oven actors with enormous talent who have so much to prove and offer. Yet deep inside me those movies that I watched while growing up, those stars that I fell in love with in my teens...will always be the most special. Years down the line if I'm ever asked who my favorite actor is? I don't really know whom I'll pick, but I sure do know one thing: The generation from which he'll belong:))

And therefore Mom chose Mr. Rajesh Khanna, today I seem to know the reason why!

Last week DDLJ got recognition for completing 1000 weeks. I remember the effect it had on me when I first saw the movie in 1995. Every since, I've watched it umpteenth times. I'll watch it again in a heartbeat, feeling the same way I did for the first time. There can never be another movie like DDLJ, and there will always be only one Raj and Simran.

Below is the newly released trailer of the film on benchmarking 1000 weeks! I got goosebumps watching it. Let me know if you felt it too? What a movie, what an era, what romance! Agree?

Happiness!

There are these days...

when I feel so content with life. 

Its like a blessing,

as if i'm god's own favorite child.

No complaints, no hassles, 

just simple happy-state-of-mind.

Then there are few other moments,

where I question my existence!

What have I achieved so far,

What is it that i'll be known for? 

A fire within me ignites.

Gives me the power

and strength to fight! 

I know there is a long way to go,

before I can reach my goals.

Alongside I mustn't forget 

that a happy heart,

is what'll matter in the end. 

Old is gold

Who needs a time machine to travel back in time?

Just listen to an old song, 

and that'll be all!

Stuck in traffic and it's raining hard. It's going to be a long drive before I get to step out of the car. Also bit hungry, looking for an exit..I'm hoping to spot a coffee shop. Car journeys make me sick. The radio is making things worse by playing repeated songs. Let me grab my phone, pick a number from the playlist. Some good music to the ears will sooth all my other senses. 

There is something so happy about listening to old songs. Makes we wanna forgive and forget! Puts me in a state of trance. Reminds me of a younger me. The time that will never come back. But I've found a way to relive those moments, and it's as simple as listening to some good old songs:))

Few songs down, I had forgotten my hunger. Seated in that car, but I had travelled back in the past. It felt I could go on forever like this, but home was just a minute apart. These old songs are like vintage treasures. Classic, timeless and will never fade out. Lifting up the mood is what they're all about! 

What's your favourite old song!?

Quotes #8

Quotes #7

A special month!

November has almost reached its end. It makes me sigh. But it's been amazing to me like always. Did I also mention it's my favorite month!? Yes it is. It's my birthday month and I generally love this part of the year (in India and here too) 

While in India, it's the time that kicks off the weddings season and winter begins to set in. Nothing's more fun then attending winter weddings. Especially if it's a cousin or a friend getting married. Talk about it, and I begin to miss them already:(

November isn't too bad here either. It has its own charm. Thanks to Thanksgiving and shopping from Black Friday deals that makes it all worthwhile:) And when the first snowfall of the season happens to be on your birthday...it just makes it a lil more special:)

 If only I could add a couple more days and stretch the month longer. Anyways, b'bye November... Until we meet next year!

Hope you'll too had a fun November. What's your favorite month anyway!?

A break from reality!

This happened not too long ago (a month back if I recall correctly) It was a regular day except that it had been raining all day. The household chores were taken care of and I had just finished updating the latest post on my blog. Bored out of mind watching the regular stuff on TV, I switched to Netflix. Maybe a movie would spark my gloomy evening. Keep me entertained for few hours back in time for dinner preps. Hopping between options on Netflix for almost 20 minutes the search finally ended. I hit the play button and started watching the much popular tv series, Gossip Girl. 

Binge watching TV series is something I had only seen people do, never experienced it. After the first few episodes of GG, I knew that was going to change. Drawn away from reality I found myself swept away, completely emerged into the reel lives of these fictional characters. 

I stayed up with my iPad in bed until wee hours of the morning. Viewing episodes back to back. Shut my eyes to sleep only when the battery of the gadget drained. Fiction had obviously taken precedence over real life. All that mattered was what next would happen in the lives of people I didn't even know few days back (to top it they were not even real) Everything else was just so secondary and happening in the background.

 I enjoyed this time-out from reality! I really did. But also had to make sure I got myself back to the real world. It didn't worry me though. I knew it would happen as soon as the series ended.

Fast tracking my way season after season, here I am today! done watching the final episode and pouring my heart out onto the page of my beloved blog. My favorite couple (Blair and Chuck) got their happily ever after ending (just what I had wished for) Their love might have been a work of fiction, but I felt happy for them in real. 

Now its time for me to move on. Bounce back into reality. Doing everything that I should be doing. And I so look forward. :))

P.S : *Never knew I would obssess so much over the character of Chuck Bass. Now that the series has ended, Ed Westwick AKA Chuck Bass you have a die hard fan on Instagram. Please keeping posting! xoxo

Few of my favorite quotes from the series! 

Bittersweet winter!

Glancing through the temperatures for this week on my weather app I know winter is on its way and hear to stay. Soon the first snow of the season will wrap itself around the barks of leafless trees, busy roads and sidewalks alike. The lake nearby would transit to its freezing point and sun will start to disappear at 4.

I am already dreading this cold. After the kind of winter we witnessed last year and given the fact that the winters back in India hardly qualify for fall temperatures here, this season is definitely not the most awaited one. Nevertheless I've managed to establish a bittersweet relationship with it over the years.

That's because snow time also means sales time! My inbox already has email alerts for Black Friday deals and this time of the year becomes perfect for new wardrobe additions! After all we need weapons to fight the brutal cold. A new jacket, pair of boots, matching scarf and other winter accessories is what I mean:))

Thanksgiving and Christmas is round the corner too!  Malls, city streets and living room corners are starting to sparkle with decorations. Thats exactly what makes this season worthwhile and keeps the warmth within me alive. 

So while I snuggle with my blanket, sip on hot cocoa and watch the tiny snowflakes bundle up outside my window, something within me says its going to be a memorable one! I hope it is for you'll too! Stay warm:))

My First!

 On that note, delighted to share my first interview published as a blogger! :))

Interview

Desi food at Desi Galli

I am a big foodie, and Indian cuisine definitely bags the favorite spot. Always on a hunt to explore great Indian food I was delighted when PriaVanda Chouhan extended an invitation to come try the food at her restaurant Desi Galli (love the name)

A cozy little restaurant in NYC, it is thoughtfully designed reflecting elements of Indian decor. 

Their menu has so much to offer and when I was lost deciding between options of kathi rolls, chaats , biryanis and their sliders, Pria came to the rescue and helped me make a decision.

While we waited for food to arrive Pria filled me in with how she has carefully created her own recipes to make healthier, lighter and gluten-free versions of the Indian food. Healthy Indian food in a restaurant sounds too good to be true? I wondered the same until I took a bite into my meal. 

The pleasant surprise was that the healthier version was actually so flavorful and true to the desi taste!  This place definitely scores brownie points for breaking the notion that Indian food can't be enjoyed the healthy way. While we chatted away and I finished my meal, I knew I wasn't done yet...This is one of those restaurants where I'd want to try every single item on their menu and I am surly coming back for more!

Thank you Pria once again for inviting me over, your warm hospitality and the tasteful food. Next time when you peeps are craving for healthy yet yummy Indian street food, I hope you know where to make the pit stop! I sure do:))

The hidden jewel at the corner of Lexington and 27th.

 Indian decor against the NYC street view.. love the combo!

Palak patte ki chaat and aloo paneer tikki slider..yummm!

With PriaVanda @ Desi Galli after the lovely chat n yummy chaat.

https://www.facebook.com/DesiGalli

https://twitter.com/DesiGalliNY

An inspiring Fall

Lately I've been observing Autumn,

Almost like its my favorite season!

Trees around me grab the maximum attention,

each one as if has its own story narration.

Leaves turn orange and yellow, while others into red

then there are the stubborn ones who refuse to shed.

No set pattern they all are unique

embracing the season with such finesse.

The fall foliage make a beautiful sight

as we watch the colors with utter delight. 

Change is inevitable in all or lives,

to accept it gracefully is what the tree decides.

With the onset of winter ahead,

even the last leaf will shed

but I'll wait for spring to come
and watch you blossom under the sun.

Quotes #7

FamousFridays | Manaswi Jhala

Manaswi talks about her Jewelry line as we meet over a lunch date on a crisp day of fall in New York!

The passion for Jewelry comes from?

I fell in love with jewelry as a little girl playing with the jewelry my aunt inherited from the Maharani of Udaipur. Soon, I started designing pieces for the trousseau that my mum, like all Indian mums, started collecting the day I was born.

My designs are inspired by a childhood spent among the forts and palaces in Rajasthan and by the sophisticated vibrant women all around me in New York. Each piece is informed by the unusual stones I source from around the world- lavender quartz and morganitas on visits to my parents in Brazil, tourmalines from Thailand, conflict-free diamonds from Africa.

Your shopping destinations?

NYC- Barneys for the great mix of cool new designers and established ones and Bergdorf’s shoe department. Jaipur for all things Indian! With a 2-year old at home, I am now a voracious online shopper too.

Tell us about your favorite cuisine and a restaurant you love to dine at? 

Mum’s chicken stew is top of the list. While dining out, I love small plates of flavorful food. ABC Cocina, Ilili and Locanda Verde are favorites right now. I also love high tea at the Mandarin Oriental and Alice’s Teacup.

What compelled you to make that switch between a corporate job to Jewelry Designing?

I was an Investment Banker for close to a decade with a break in between for an MBA. I loved advising companies on their IPOs. Seeing entrepreneurs realize their dreams was inspiring. I was itching to turn my passion for fine jewelry into a career but it was tough to walk away from a promising career track. My mum’s breast cancer diagnosis was the impetus. While in India for her treatment, I began to put together a team of stone cutters and karigars, which quickly led to a small collection.

Owning a business is the ultimate challenge- there’s never enough hours in the day. I am everything from the face of the product to the janitor- and I am loving it!

Favorite Indian actress?

Deepika Padukone. She embodies the modern Indian woman. 

One thing you love about New York?

Everything! It’s been home for 12 years now. I love the energy and the interesting people one unexpectedly meets. Where else can you witness acapella in the subway and La Boheme at the Met, spend a summer afternoon slurping popsicles in Sheep’s Meadow and a winter afternoon at the Natural History Museum.

One thing you miss about being in India?

The happy chaos and crazy myriad colors and characters everywhere. The pav bhaji and vada pav on street corners and late night pizza at Trattoria in Bombay. My friends and extended family. So glad work takes me back regularly.

Reach her at Manaswi.jhala@gmail.com