Endnotes!!!

• Poor Hrithik Roshan!!! He has to dance even to sell biscuits. Dont get what i am saying?? You will have to watch the latest Bourbon Biscuit tv advertisement. Saw him gyrating to his histrionic moves fervently for some few seconds... and then suddenly from nowhere emerges a biscuit packet from his hand... and he mutters something... it happens really quickly to even register anything. What hits you though is that poor Hrithik is being typecast as a dancer... and he has to break into his fervid item everytime he endorses a product. Come on Bourbon ppl... you guys can do much better... so can Hrithik. Spare his flexile body.

End Note: Has anyone seen Hrehaan??? He is Hrithik's elder son. Recently saw him perched in his mumma's lap at some award function. Cute is the word. But think no further.... Have booked him for Aara. Aara too broke into giggles when i put Hrehaan's photo in front of her. She broke into her little chiggy wiggy dance as soon as she set her sight upon him. Double thumbs up!!! :)

• Irrespective of all the hype and hoopla that surrounded Jaswant Singh's book 0n Jinnah... its a delight to read it. Its a well-researched, well thought out and well spaced book that documents how Jinnah went onto become Quaid e Azam of Pakistan. This well researched book has been put together with great care too. It has references to several books and has brief explanation on various events and people who made history as end notes. Someone who enjoys reading history and is curious about India, should read this book.

End Note: Just as a precaution... dont hold the book with one hand and lie on your back, while you read it. Its heavy. My wrist is furious with me and is making its feelings evident since two days.

• Just as Ishrat Jahan encounter case grabbed the headlines, driving both the central and the state government into a frenzy... stories from all quarters started coming in about various other fake encounters carried out by police officers across India. While Gujarat Government dug out records to show.. how poor seventh or eighth Gujarat fared at killing people in encounters, compared to UP or Rajasthan, Chidambaram took the matter on international stage. Made a comment on Gujarat Government and Ishrat killing in the Washington. CNN and BBC which hadnt bothered so far, too took attention. Better late than never, CNN too has reported about it now. Its an interesting report from an international point of view. Can be read at: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/11/india.shooting.probe/

Talk about going international Mr. Modi!!!

End Note: The encounter feeling engulfed the city to such an extent that even local cable operators put up 'Ab Tak Chappan' - a hindi movie on the backdrop of encounter killings by police officers, featuring Nana Patekar, in their prime time movie slot.

• And when the encounters, war and crimes are grabbing headlines all over the world... and one is tired of listening to all the noise that comes with the chaos... here's a break. Photographs by Emilio Morenatti. He has travelled extensively in the middle east and has captured Afghanistan and Pakistan for Associated Press. He has also been conferred the award of Newspaper Photographer of the Year 2008. Once while on an assignment in Gaza, he was kidnapped by gunmen but later released without any harm. The reason why i am building up so much is because the photos that he took left me spell bound. These are riveting photos... something that will linger on even as you move onto the next one. "A picture says a thousand words." - it was never so true before. You can take a glimpse of his work at http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2009/03/23/photographer-collection-emilio-morenatti/

End Note: Its 12th September. My Momma Jani In Law's birthday. But even as we set out to celebrate her birthday today evening... Amul just mentioned in the car today morning saying: 'Mos, exactly three more months to go." 12th Dec is nearing. The countdown is drawing close. :) The room is under construction. Clothes and venue and functions are decided. Navarati is approaching and Diwali will be here soon. And within no time... it will be time to get invitation cards printed..... phew.... God!! Be there!!!

Till the next post.... tata!!!