prateeksha

What is this? Well well well...this is the famous signal of the Juhu junction where the residence of the Indian Film Industry's Superstar stands! Yes - the bungalow right behind the traffic signal is Amitabh Bachchan's home, which is named "Prateeksha" which means "the wait".

I couldn't really take a great shot of the bungalow as majority of it is covered with fences. But, what really fascinates me whenever I pass by this place is the tall building which has been built right behind Prateeksha. Earlier, Amitabh Bachchan managed enough to keep the land behind his bungalow vacant but now, some builder bought the land and built up this tall building right behind the bungalow. The residents of the building can very nicely have a look at Prateeksha and all the famous lawn that lies at the backyard...imagine the top duplex flat in the building!

As soon as this building got built, Amitabh Bachchan covered all the sides of his building with extra roofs. I'm sure that despite this, the residents must be peeping everyday hoping they would get a small glimpse of the man.

For the prateeksha of his million fans...

PS - This building is really special as 3years ago when it was getting built, there were no walls, grills etc but just plain slabs. I had gone up to the top floor to get a shot of the number of people gathering around his bungalow on Sundays to catch a glimpse of the man! The shoot was super exciting as I had great shots but had I put one step forward, I would've landed straight at Amitabh Bachchan's bungalow!! Here is a trailer of that documentary film, Advitiya, that I had directed!

security

I recently heard people talking about security somewhere. People were talking about how secure their lives could be, how they could actually avoid circumstances completely, how they could just avoid death and live and thus ignore the fright.

This is a shot of the Dheeraj Solitaire building located at Malad, which recently came in the news all thanks to three young people whose lives changed after a particular night. You could check out the story here.

Security is highly unpredictable. Let's not wait and fear and thus get security and then feel secure. Life keeps unfolding new chapters, new scripts, new lines every moment. Simply live it fully without the fear. Live it so that you have no regrets when you reach the full stop. Live it so that you can add the three dots to your last word.

For the feeling of security, which I'm trying to come out of...

penalty charged!

I recently read about taxi and auto drivers being fined if they reduced to go to places, when asked by the customers. What many taxi and auto drivers do is, they refuse out many customers when asked, depending on where they have to go. The reasons could be traffic problems which they want to avoid or simply their mood doesn't allow them to go to the asked destination.

Lately, all such taxi and auto drivers are charged a fine of some amount in case they refuse any customer to go to any place. I feel good about it as it becomes very easy for customers. But, when I think of it, if they don't get the chance to refuse, how are we democratic? Don't they have the rights to accept or reject just like we do? They would go to locations on compulsion but what would their mind say throughout? They would simply curse the customer, the government, the law, the people, life...and the list would go on.

Who would really get charged a penalty in that way?

For the democracy that we exteriorly possess...

for sale

I walked out of the office today and I found this man standing outside selling vegetables to all the residents of the locality. It was amazing to see how all the house-wives gathered to check out the vegetables and bargain with him. The best part was when our boss, Meghna, came downstairs and was ready to head towards her car but her eyes got fixed to this vendor and she got excited to see the vegetables. I never thought Meghna could be the bargaining kinds at all but...I was shocked!

It was amazing to see how efficiently this man was doing his job and pleasing all the ladies. That reminds me to share a funny new thing about me - I am the worst guy to ever go and buy vegetables! Once, my mom asked me to go and get onions (which she obviously mentioned in Telugu) and I very smartly went and got potatoes! Well, don't ask me the reason...probably, I thought the Telugu word that she used was for Potatoes or simply I was tempted to buy the potatoes as I love them! Since then, she insists or rather doesn't even bother considering me to go down and buy the vegetables.

For all the vendors and their charm with the ladies...

return

I took this shot at around 8:30pm today. Its amazing to see a large number of people heading towards their final destination. Some walk alone, some walk in groups...some have their headphones feeding them some music, some play around with the keypads of their cell phones, some simply walk ahead. But, what is common in all of them is that all are going home.

This cycle amazes me. We keep saying we don't go out on journeys and expeditions. But, is that really true? Sit and think about it. It is just a matter of realization. For me, I am on a journey everyday...every moment.

For returning...

this time, that day

I came across this amazing clock today! And, I bet you can't imagine this at all!

This is how the old train schedule clocks used to look. There used to be a clock and the stations on which the train would stop used to be shown below the clock. There is also a section to show on which platform number the train would be coming. I am guessing, the platform number would have been marked by chalk, then!

Amazing, isn't it, to see how things change! Imagine how things have transformed! I love seeing change happen as it takes me to an infinite world of possibilities.

For this transformation...

govinda aala re

Today, mostly all the streets of the city were crowded and blocked in the afternoon. It was the Janmashtami / Gokulashtami festival today! Everywhere, you would see the dahi-handi pillar being made! It is a big ritual in this city to have this event every year on this day. It pays tribute to Lord Krishna as today happens to be his birthday. The best celebrations of this entire dahi-handi process that you get to see is at the small lanes of the city where the lower-class people enjoy this to the fullest. This is an important festival for them where the entire locality comes together and celebrates by dancing, by getting colored and just being with each other.

This event has been covered in many films too, the best out of which were the evergreen songs in Bluffmaster and Khuddar. These songs have been associated with this festival and the dahi-handi process for years now! I guess somethings just remain with us forever...and somethings are loved just about that way...

This shot was taken today when they made a dahi-handi at one of the streets of Hiranandani. The dahi-handi was tied at a height equivalent to around 6 floors of a normal building! Imagine the crowd that gathered to cheer these white shirted guys who were to form the pillar!

For the coming of Govinda...

children

I love to watch children play! It just completely takes me back to my childhood days!

I was passing by the Kailas Complex area at Vikroli today as I saw these bunch of kids who were playing in the middle of the road at an extended divider. On asking, I realized that all these kids had got an off today from their respective jobs, due to the Janmashtami festival preparations!

The smiles on these kids' faces were just worth stilling! Imagine how they would feel when they actually get to taste their share of rights...to play around, have fun, live every moment and base their desires! Wow, I loved being a kid! Even today, as I look back, I feel lucky to have the childhood that I lived. I just wished all could live the days that they want to...how wonderful life would be, then, for all!

For all the innocence in children...

flight, up high

Vishal, our in-house filmy, strikes yet again with a brilliant shot!

Talking about breaking the rules yesterday, imagine there being no rules! Imagine a life of complete freedom, when you could simply fly up so high, breaking the heights which you felt were the highest!

This shot was taken in the evening today at the Dadar area. Its amazing to see these birds fly in making their lines, knowing that they would be going back to their nests. I wonder - in the evenings, when crowds head back, do we, humans, have a clue of where we are to go?

Love this feeling of freedom that I think of...

For the flight, up high, that I want to experience...

break the rules

This is what I love about us, humans! We never follow the rules!
I took this shot as I was coming back home and was at the traffic signal. The red car was way ahead of the end of the crossing line and so were the other cars in the other lanes.

The rules say, we should not exceed the end of the white streaks on the road during a signal so that the other cars can move easily but, the humans that we are - the more we say no to something, the more we want to do it!

This behavior of us really amazes me! We love making rules but we hate following them. We don't want to break the rules but

For breaking the rules...

wait

...Just thought of this to be a good shot for today. After so many days, it has finally started to be a bit sunny in the city. The showers are taking rest, and honestly I'm liking it!

We always tend to keep cribbing or cursing at the time of crisis. We get furious and begin to lose our focus completely thus not really completing the work completely. My simple, humble request to all at such times is - breathe! We land in crisis situations only to see the light after the mess. It all boils down to the patient wait, that we must live in...

For the wait...

acceptance

I was to post another shot for this theme today but then Vishal sent me this snap which I found to be his best, till date. The 3rd gender is what they are called or the eunuchs.

Honestly, I was very afraid of them earlier. Whenever they used to come to the cars and other vehicles to ask for money during the traffic signals, I used to either roll up my windows or simply pray to God that they shouldn't come to the vehicle in which I am. But, this changed post we made a film on them titled "I am That". My way of thinking towards them totally changed. And, what I'm glad about is that the change is not to bring in a feeling of sympathy but rather an emotion of acceptance, which is all that they seek to ask for.

Even today, we speak of democracy, but they are still looked at, laughed at, cursed at. But, the simple question being, why can't we just accept them. They have every right to live just the way anybody else does...because, if you say they don't, then your words are applicable to you too! I feel thankful to have been associated with "I am That" because surely, if not for anybody else, I know one more person has accepted them and I feel good about it.

For their acceptance...

swastik

I was getting back home today and realized that the film studio behind my building has been bought over and is soon going to start again!

Earlier it was called the "Chitrarth Studios" which was a very famous studio for all the television serials and a few film shoots. Now, it is called "Swastik Pictures" and I've heard it would be hired out primarily to all the television productions. Sounds great to a person like me because this is one studio which doesn't stop visitors from coming in...sense my tone!!

I'm looking forward to the functioning of this studio! May it deliver some GOOD television series now...

For swastik studios...

work

Well, this is one thing I don't like about this city. The roads and the overall infrastructure. There is absolutely no planning! And, we all know there is a problem yet nothing gets done about it!

These people were digging a perfect footpath...really don't know why! I really wouldn't want to write much as if I do, I'll go on and on and on...I just wish someday, the roads will improve and the construction and work would make sense!

For the work that needs to be done...

bond

I hope this shot is clear enough!
Well, today is a very important festival for siblings (brother-sisters) in our country - it is Raksha Bandhan!

Raksha Bandhan is a day where we celebrate the bond and relationship that a brother and a sister share! The sister, whether younger or older, ties this thread (called a Rakhi) on the wrist of her brother. In return, the brother has to promise to protect his sister and take care of her throughout his life. A few pointers to remember is that this always happens during a full moon day, normally in the month of August. The sister is supposed to feed the brother with delicious sweets while tying the rakhi, which the brother loves. And, the brother HAS to give a gift to the sister at the end of it, which the sister loves!

For some, this is a very important and big occasion, for some, it is just a normally routine as every year this is normally done at all homes, for some, it might not happen. But the truth is - it is surely special...it is one day when the two siblings surely know that they are special as they have each other.

For the bond that this day reminds us...

PS - Meghna, missed you today!:)

azaadi (independence)

We complete 61 years of Independence today! Everywhere one would find the balloons, flags, decorations which would have the tricolors! It felt great!

I took this shot at a mall that I went to today to catch a film. Really loved the sight from the top where we could see all of us, the countrymen, and these tricolors above us! Surely, felt like a great moment to capture!

Talking about Independence, the Indian Independence Movement is now pretty famous throughout the globe. What I particularly like when I think of Independence is the national anthem of our country and this video which was composed by none other than A.R.Rahman (the musical maestro) and was shot by one of my favorites, Bharatbala!

I love this day as I love the expressions that all have on their faces on this date!

For our azaadi...

allah, ishwar, almighty

Yes, it is very much the same city! This is the Bandra Mosque. It is one of the few religious places in the city that also has a school. What is more interesting is that the school is an Urdu High School, which I haven't seen a lot in the city.

I love passing through this place in the evenings. In the late evenings, the prayers begin at this mosque and you can hear them very clearly as you stand at the bus depot right behind this holy place. Something within me feels pure and good when I hear their chantings.

But, then I also wonder...if different people go to different places to worship and are happy about the same, why do they fight over the same with the others. If Ishwar, Allah, and the Almighty were all one, then why fight over the same one. If all the three - the Bible, the Koran, and the Gita - say the most important thing - everybody's creator is ONE - then why do we still fight? Some answers are just not meant to be given, I guess...or maybe we just don't want to find them.

For the creator (be it Allah, ishwar or the Almighty)...

balance

Surprised? Well, don't be...it is very much the same city!

Shazeen mailed me this shot today that she took in the outskirts. I had to include it to show you guys that this city has the right balance always! Where there are fast moving cars all around, finding this mode of transport is pretty rare...but it does exist in the outskirts where people do farming!

I'll keep it short today as I need to hit the bed soon. More interesting shots coming your way in the next few days!

For the balance...

alfredos

I'm coming back to what I love to do - keep going to new restaurants! But this one isn't new...this one is my favorite Italian restaurant in the city - Alfredos.

Located in Juhu, right next to the Prithvi Theatre, Alfredos has been here for quite some time. Be it weekends or weekdays, this restaurant is always packed! But the best part is that the service is fast and the food is delicious...thus, the wait is totally worth it! I completely recommend this restaurant to anybody who loves Italian...especially the nachos with cheese (my favorite and must-eat here). For those of you who aren't, still go ahead and check out the place!

For Alfredos...

droplets

Its been raining non stop here. All I can see from any window are these droplets falling on the ground. For a few minutes, it really seems as though the God of Rain is angry and is pouring his thunders down on the floor.

The rains are enjoyable, but I guess we need a balance now! Waiting for the dryness to come back. Weird isn't it - when its dry, I want it to be wet and when its raining, I want it to be dry! I guess all of us and confusion go hand in hand...but, I love this confusion too!

For these droplets...

ekaant

Sometimes, I guess it is necessary to just be with yourself, with the person you like being with...away from the crowds and faces...away from this traffic...away from everybody...in ekaant (loneliness).

I took this shot today at the Powai Lake. Many a times, crowds of people gather around here aimlessly staring at the lake. But, what fascinates me is that when you look at it, it seems like a crowd, but when you think carefully, everybody is lonely. And I feel that is important. At times, it is necessary because it is then that you realize who you are, what you are, and where you want to walk from here. And, this just helps you get closer to your close ones.

The Powai Lake often offers us the spot for such thoughts. Its amazing how after a few minutes of standing here, you seem to get cut out of the traffic noise from the road right behind you. All you seem to get immersed in is nothing but yourself.

For ekaant...

dharavi

Yes, this is one of the biggest colonies of this city - Dharavi! This is just one portion of the many which combine together to form the second biggest slum area of Asia, after Orangi Township, Karachi, Pakistan!

Dharavi has a great economic revenue to it. The best of leather in the city is available at this area. The main occupations of the people staying here are pottery and textile. Recently there was a plan proposed to break down the slums and develop a 30 million sq feet area having schools, housing, parks and roads to serve the existing 57,000 families residing in this area along with 40 million sq feet residential and commercial space for sale. There has been significant local opposition to the plans, largely because existing residents are due to receive only 225 square feet of land each.

All said and done - this area is where one of the majority of the working lower class population of the city stays! And yes, they get their water-body view from their houses too...if that really matters...

For this area...

service

Sometimes, you wonder how you can make a difference in the lives of others. Sometimes, you strive hard and think harder to come up with "great" ideas. Sometimes, you just feel like going out on floor and serve! And...sometimes, above all these thoughts, when you know this is what you have to do, you don't really need any of the above...you just do it!

This shot was taken at this NGO called Apne Aap located at the Grant Rd area of the city. Apne Aap has had a long association with us which lasts for almost a year and a half now. Apne Aap is an NGO which seeks to provide education to the children of marginalized women. And, they do their "job" to the T. Raheen, the representative volunteer of the organization, I'm sure is the favorite for all at MAM! What really moves me when I look at this organization is the work that they do. Today, when I look at the film that the girls of this organization made for SHE Creates, I honestly wonder if I could make a film like this.

I salute to all the people at this organization for doing such a brilliant job in constantly realizing and nourishing the lives of these kids and in the process giving the society kids who will surely create a society that we would want to live with.

For this service...

change

Yes! Finally we have completed a century of shots...and here you go -

Bombay Talking is now Bombay Clicks, on this occasion of completing 100 shots today! All the shots, henceforth, could be accessed on
Bombay Clicks! This will be the official logo of Bombay Clicks (brilliantly designed by Meghna dearest)!

We will always continue to keep showing faces of this city through the lens in the most interesting ways. Let the journey continue..

Keeping it short due to the excitement.

For the change...

feeling

It is going to be a bit of a complete personal post today!

Today, "Veerappa" got screened on a big screen theatre! Yes, it was screened at Cinemax Theatres, Mumbai as a part of the
"I am the CHANGE" Film Project Social Film Festival 2008. All the films made as a part of the project will be showcased over 3 days (yesterday, today, and tomorrow). Today, "Veerappa" was the concluding film that was shown. The audience seemed to love the film. What was loved by me was the feeling of being able to hear the clapping of hands only...accompanied by seeing my name roll up on big screen!

They say, you would feel different when it happens to you...it surely did, today! And, I know this feeling is not going to end till I keep seeing this happening with many more projects being showcased like these!

For such feelings...

PS - Please note that the web address of this site would be www.bombayclicks.com from Wednesday (6/08/08) onwards.

dahi handi

This festival is known as the Dahi Handi, which is a very popular festival celebrated on the streets of this city and Pune!

This enthusiastic festival is in fact known as Janmasthami in other states. It is when Lord Krishna was born. It is celebrated with enormous zeal and enthusiasm. Various Handis (in this context, a Handi is a clay pot, suspended high above the ground, containing prizes) are set up locally in almost every nook and corner of the city, and groups of youngsters, called Govinda Pathaks (Troupes of Lord Krishna) travel around in trucks trying to break as many handis as possible during the day.

Many such Govinda Pathaks compete with each other, especially for the handis that dole out hefty rewards. The event, in recent times, has gathered a political flavor, and it is not uncommon for political parties, and rich community groups to offer prizes amounting to lakhs of rupees.

Watch out for this festival this year...

For the dahi handis...

PS - Please note that the web address of this site would be www.bombayclicks.com from Wednesday (6/08/08) onwards.

the link

I guess, it is just a watery weekend!

A few days back, I had posted a shot of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. It was half complete then. Today, Maithili took this brilliant shot of the sea-link which is almost complete now!

I can't wait for this sea-link to get started. It is going to cut down a traveling time of otherwise 1.5hours to just about 20minutes!
Imagine the imagineering, as my Dad keeps saying!

I keep wondering how every time in life links start getting made! It is really strange. Did you know that each person knows any other person by a maximum of seven people in the middle? It is amazing how we keep thinking we do not know people but if thought of, we do...we actually do! All we need to think of is the link that leads us to all.

For the link almost getting completed...

evening

And we are back to Juhu Beach today! I took this shot in the evening as I was waiting for Sheetal to go out for dinner. I just couldn't resist the smell of butta (corn) that is sold at the beaches here very often! Since it is the peak of the season, its a lucky day for these stall-owners as they get to sell quite a lot of corn per day!

This man here is a corn-stall owner too. He just got a few minutes of time for himself where he was grabbing a corn himself. I wonder, though, if they would really like to have those few minutes off too as each and every minute counts for them! What fascinated me all the more was when I was returning back I saw this stall owner feeding his 8 year old daughter with corn as he was probably narrating a story to her looking at the sea. The daughter seemed pretty enthusiastic about the story and was coming up with doubts too! Surely, it seemed like a sight worth seeing.

Sometimes, when you look at relations, they seem so simple and I wonder why we love complicating them ourselves...

For this evening...

i live

Today, as we premiered the top 15 films of the "I am the CHANGE" Film Project 2008, I could see the various initiatives taken by people to try and make a difference in the society by serving in their own small little way! What was really good is that people who did not come with any expectations also enjoyed a lot!

This photograph, I thought was perfect for today! A common lower class man staying in this city who works from morning 8am to evening 8pm as a mechanic at an Industrial area behind our office. He repairs people's cars nad fixes their problems in a few minutes. Watching him work, and being an "engineer" myself, I was really wondering if the people and brains behind the big brands of cars could fix the problem as quickly and efficiently as him! Some people don't really get their due credit...it saddens me.

As I was watching the top 15 films today, this is what was going through my mind. There are thousands of people out there who do such good work...who serve and make a difference but hardly anybody knows about them! I thank the one above to give us an opportunity to showcase a the works of a small percentage of such people! With the overwhelming response that we got today, I am only thankful to all who came and supported!

For survival and existence...