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Monday, September 5, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
The Matchmaker Aunty
Picture this: You are dressed to the nines, reveling in the razzmatazz of a swank wedding with your mommy, checking out the oh-so exclusive guests and digging into some lip-smacking starters. A middle- aged aunty, decked up in a gorgeous silk saree, accessorized with a toothpaste smile, walks up to you and your mommy and breaks into an animated ‘Hello’! Looking at you, she gives a ‘Oh my God’ expression and tells your mommy that how you have grown so much, you were only a baby when she last saw you and so on. And then its time for some regimented interrogation. It starts with –‘What are you doing these days’, quickly followed by ‘What are your plans for the future’ and you find yourself incessantly fielding her volley of queries. And then she throws her trump card question: ‘When do you plan to get married?’
Before you could answer her inevitable question, she turns to your mommy (as if dismissing your presence) and says XYZ are looking for a homely girl for their only son. As she goes on revealing more details about the ‘suitable’ boy, you find your mommy seemingly interested in the conversation thus making you feel a slight squirm of discomfort about the whole thing. You curse her (in your mind) for spoiling your mood at the do. You stand there puffy-eyed and dispirited and wish you had a magic wand that would make the pesky aunty vanish. As she trails off with a broad grin, you heave a sigh of relief.
All of us know them. Meet the matchmaker aunties, who wield colossal power as matchmakers in the lives of young men and women who plan to walk down the aisle or who fit into that ‘I do’ age. Not to forget their parents (especially the mothers), these matchmaker aunties have a profound impact on them so much so that the mommies end up succumbing to them. Whether it’s a wedding, a funeral or any occasion, you will find them snooping everywhere looking out for their ‘prey’. They are faster than the social networking sites and they relentlessly network with their clients- (desperate mommies with their single sons and daughters) and give them the required updates. That apart, they remind the 25-year-old and beyond girls and their parents that their biological clock is ticking, thus thrusting her agenda of “once they get older, they won’t get such a good proposal.”
Recently, a very close friend of mine chanced upon an annoying matchmaker aunty at a birthday party. After some introductory conversations and informal chat, Aunty dearest asked her with a distressingly beaming smile, “You must be 25, aren’t you?” My friend managed an unconvinced ‘err’ and forthrightly revealed, “No, I have just turned 28.” To my friend’s astonishment, Aunty dearest gave her a prized ‘OMG, You still didn’t get married yet’ look and exclaimed in disbelief, “Twenty-eight!” For a fleeting moment my friend felt as if she was a sinner to have crossed the ‘so called marriageable’ age limit. Sensing my friend’s uneasiness, aunty dearest hurriedly muttered, “I had a few proposals, but…..Anyways, I am getting late, I have to go.” She sighed and then came her words of comfort, “May God bless you and help you find a suitable match.” The matchmaker aunty sashayed off, perhaps, in search of a new ‘prey’, and in a hope of exercising her matchmaking skills.
Before you could answer her inevitable question, she turns to your mommy (as if dismissing your presence) and says XYZ are looking for a homely girl for their only son. As she goes on revealing more details about the ‘suitable’ boy, you find your mommy seemingly interested in the conversation thus making you feel a slight squirm of discomfort about the whole thing. You curse her (in your mind) for spoiling your mood at the do. You stand there puffy-eyed and dispirited and wish you had a magic wand that would make the pesky aunty vanish. As she trails off with a broad grin, you heave a sigh of relief.
All of us know them. Meet the matchmaker aunties, who wield colossal power as matchmakers in the lives of young men and women who plan to walk down the aisle or who fit into that ‘I do’ age. Not to forget their parents (especially the mothers), these matchmaker aunties have a profound impact on them so much so that the mommies end up succumbing to them. Whether it’s a wedding, a funeral or any occasion, you will find them snooping everywhere looking out for their ‘prey’. They are faster than the social networking sites and they relentlessly network with their clients- (desperate mommies with their single sons and daughters) and give them the required updates. That apart, they remind the 25-year-old and beyond girls and their parents that their biological clock is ticking, thus thrusting her agenda of “once they get older, they won’t get such a good proposal.”
Recently, a very close friend of mine chanced upon an annoying matchmaker aunty at a birthday party. After some introductory conversations and informal chat, Aunty dearest asked her with a distressingly beaming smile, “You must be 25, aren’t you?” My friend managed an unconvinced ‘err’ and forthrightly revealed, “No, I have just turned 28.” To my friend’s astonishment, Aunty dearest gave her a prized ‘OMG, You still didn’t get married yet’ look and exclaimed in disbelief, “Twenty-eight!” For a fleeting moment my friend felt as if she was a sinner to have crossed the ‘so called marriageable’ age limit. Sensing my friend’s uneasiness, aunty dearest hurriedly muttered, “I had a few proposals, but…..Anyways, I am getting late, I have to go.” She sighed and then came her words of comfort, “May God bless you and help you find a suitable match.” The matchmaker aunty sashayed off, perhaps, in search of a new ‘prey’, and in a hope of exercising her matchmaking skills.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
The 'Last-minute' syndrome
Mr X: You just can’t turn creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.
Mr Y: What mood is that?
Mr X: Last-minute panic.
I often find myself trying to wriggle out of this ‘last-minute panic’ situation and sometimes end up botching things. And it is quickly followed by adrenaline rushes, a fluttering heart, bountiful amounts of sweat and a realisation ‘Oh shit, I am late, I need to do it now’! For instance, I have been itching to write this piece for quite sometime back, but I kept putting it off until my dad, one fine day, asked me with a giggle, “Hey Pressy, did you finally get into a right mood to finish that article of yours?” I could feel the tinge of sarcasm in his voice and wished that I could blithely do a ‘Ctrl+Alt+delete’ in my memory. But the cursed thing preyed on my mind for days and I eventually decided to get into that ‘Just Do It’ mode to pen down this piece of mine.
Purists term this ‘last-minute’ syndrome as procrastination or the art of postponing things till the eleventh hour and the raging epidemic is known to take a toll on many young people who are in the prime of their lives. There is an unappeasable feeling of a short-term reprieve that comes with dodging arduous tasks. (Some may be not that taxing). You must have realized by now that I am no exception when it comes to holding off things. Whether it has been my homework or housework , (my professional work can be discounted as the aftereffects of putting things off can be quite deadly), I hardly recall that these things have been done in a composed and calculated manner. And then I discover myself frantically devising means and ways to grapple with the undesired situation.
My electricity had been cut off, not due to paucity of funds but due to lack of my remembrance to pay the bill that has been sitting on the desk for weeks. My height of procrastination came to the fore, when I picked my telephone to call the electric company only to discover that the phone has been shut off too.
Yes, the list of my procrastinating tales is ceaseless and it would not be out of place to say that I am a professional procrastinator. My father, a strict task-master, told me to renew my passport owing to some urgent official requirement. I delayed it for so long only to realize that the last date for submitting the required documents came in a jiffy. No wonder, I was at the receiving end of my father’s fury and I soon found myself in a headless chicken mode, running from pillar to post to get the damn thing done.
I am sure, just like me, the small world is teeming with procrastinators. So I ask you-Does it only affect people like me or is it an all-encompassing disorder? And what does one do about it? And yes, please don’t procrastinate to answer the above queries of mine.
Mr Y: What mood is that?
Mr X: Last-minute panic.
I often find myself trying to wriggle out of this ‘last-minute panic’ situation and sometimes end up botching things. And it is quickly followed by adrenaline rushes, a fluttering heart, bountiful amounts of sweat and a realisation ‘Oh shit, I am late, I need to do it now’! For instance, I have been itching to write this piece for quite sometime back, but I kept putting it off until my dad, one fine day, asked me with a giggle, “Hey Pressy, did you finally get into a right mood to finish that article of yours?” I could feel the tinge of sarcasm in his voice and wished that I could blithely do a ‘Ctrl+Alt+delete’ in my memory. But the cursed thing preyed on my mind for days and I eventually decided to get into that ‘Just Do It’ mode to pen down this piece of mine.
Purists term this ‘last-minute’ syndrome as procrastination or the art of postponing things till the eleventh hour and the raging epidemic is known to take a toll on many young people who are in the prime of their lives. There is an unappeasable feeling of a short-term reprieve that comes with dodging arduous tasks. (Some may be not that taxing). You must have realized by now that I am no exception when it comes to holding off things. Whether it has been my homework or housework , (my professional work can be discounted as the aftereffects of putting things off can be quite deadly), I hardly recall that these things have been done in a composed and calculated manner. And then I discover myself frantically devising means and ways to grapple with the undesired situation.
My electricity had been cut off, not due to paucity of funds but due to lack of my remembrance to pay the bill that has been sitting on the desk for weeks. My height of procrastination came to the fore, when I picked my telephone to call the electric company only to discover that the phone has been shut off too.
Yes, the list of my procrastinating tales is ceaseless and it would not be out of place to say that I am a professional procrastinator. My father, a strict task-master, told me to renew my passport owing to some urgent official requirement. I delayed it for so long only to realize that the last date for submitting the required documents came in a jiffy. No wonder, I was at the receiving end of my father’s fury and I soon found myself in a headless chicken mode, running from pillar to post to get the damn thing done.
I am sure, just like me, the small world is teeming with procrastinators. So I ask you-Does it only affect people like me or is it an all-encompassing disorder? And what does one do about it? And yes, please don’t procrastinate to answer the above queries of mine.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
OH! THESE NAMESAKES
What’s in a name? Talk of names and the immortal lines of William Shakespeare will be thrown at you. But, try asking those who share their name with the celebrities and they may beg to differ with the bard. They may like it or loathe it, the fact remains that their names are going to stay with them forever. While working with The Times Of India in Nagpur, I caught up with a few city youngsters who have a name identical to that of a celebrity and wrote a piece on it. I just tried to find out whether their namesakes are infusing humour in their lives and spicing it up?
Read on....
Juhi Chawla, a student of Tirpude College, who shares her name with the bubbly Bollywood actress, says, "When I rattle my name, they come up with, 'Oh, is it so? Now, come on let us know your real name.' On the first day of college, when my professor was taking a roll call, he actually thought that my name had been misspelt in the attendance register. And giving a rather surprised look, he said, 'Yeh Juhi Chawla kaise ho sakti hain'? Ask her if she was named after the actress and pat comes the reply, "Yes, but that happened later. When I was kid Juhi Chawla was a heartthrob, but initially I was named Jaya. When I accompanied my father to get admission in a kindergarten, I gave my name as Juhi Chawla. When my dad went on to tell my real name to the teacher, she said, 'If the child likes the name, then let it be Juhi." Juhi comes up with yet another interesting fact. "My father's name is Kishore Kumar (as he doesn’t add Chawla to his name) and mother's name is Rakhi. We are often called a family of celebrities!" says she.
Farha Khan is a Final year student of SFS College. When she introduces herself, avoiding her last name, people often jokingly say, 'Farha Khan' not realising that they are hitting the bull’s eye. "It is indeed a funny situation. When they get to know my full name, some go a step further and ask me jokingly, 'Oh, so are you planning to go the Farha way? A choreographer, film producer and then a mum of triplets," says Farha smilingly. She
adds, "I was not named after Farha Khan. My father's name is Farhat and the last letter of his name was dropped; and I was named Farha. That's why I am called my father's daughter."
Nitu Singh, an executive working with a travel agency, feels that Bollywood effect undoubtedly plays a major role when it comes to naming a child. "My dad was absolutely smitten by the lovely actress and he decided to name me Nitu." The one question everybody loves to ask me is ‘Hey Nitu, Where is Rishi Kapoor?' I don't mind it as the name of Rishi Kapoor naturally follows that of Neetu Singh. Thank God, my parents didn't name me Katrina or Tsunami!" says Nitu having a hearty laugh at her own expense.
Sharad Pawar, a final year engineering student of YCCE, who shares his name with the union minister, says that when people ask his name, they are often stumped with the answer. "My name brings a smile on many faces and I am happy about it. Sharing my name with the BCCI president and a veteran politician is just a coincidence. But, I do agree that at times it also helps to get an edge over others. I recently went for an interview and my name created such a buzz among the interviewers that I was immediately called inside," says Sharad. Narrating an interesting incident, he says, "I had mentioned in my resume that modelling is my passion. The interviewers were in splits and asked me, Sharad Pawar and modelling?"
Wasim Akram, an engineering student of Raisoni College, also shares his passion for cricket with the former fast bowler from Pakistan. "Though I share my name with Wasim, I am a great fan of Sachin Tendulkar. I even represented my school in a cricket match. For bad or good, having a name identical with that of a celebrity definitely makes you famous. Though sometimes it is a bit embarrassing too," says he.
Digvijay Singh, another student of Raisoni College, says that his professors call him 'Chief Minister' because he shares his name with that of the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. "It's really funny and sometimes embarrassing when people call me chief minister. Agar mere parents ne naam rakhna hi tha, toh Yuvraj rakh dete! That sounds so cool," says Digvijay with a smile.
Read on....
Juhi Chawla, a student of Tirpude College, who shares her name with the bubbly Bollywood actress, says, "When I rattle my name, they come up with, 'Oh, is it so? Now, come on let us know your real name.' On the first day of college, when my professor was taking a roll call, he actually thought that my name had been misspelt in the attendance register. And giving a rather surprised look, he said, 'Yeh Juhi Chawla kaise ho sakti hain'? Ask her if she was named after the actress and pat comes the reply, "Yes, but that happened later. When I was kid Juhi Chawla was a heartthrob, but initially I was named Jaya. When I accompanied my father to get admission in a kindergarten, I gave my name as Juhi Chawla. When my dad went on to tell my real name to the teacher, she said, 'If the child likes the name, then let it be Juhi." Juhi comes up with yet another interesting fact. "My father's name is Kishore Kumar (as he doesn’t add Chawla to his name) and mother's name is Rakhi. We are often called a family of celebrities!" says she.
Farha Khan is a Final year student of SFS College. When she introduces herself, avoiding her last name, people often jokingly say, 'Farha Khan' not realising that they are hitting the bull’s eye. "It is indeed a funny situation. When they get to know my full name, some go a step further and ask me jokingly, 'Oh, so are you planning to go the Farha way? A choreographer, film producer and then a mum of triplets," says Farha smilingly. She
adds, "I was not named after Farha Khan. My father's name is Farhat and the last letter of his name was dropped; and I was named Farha. That's why I am called my father's daughter."
Nitu Singh, an executive working with a travel agency, feels that Bollywood effect undoubtedly plays a major role when it comes to naming a child. "My dad was absolutely smitten by the lovely actress and he decided to name me Nitu." The one question everybody loves to ask me is ‘Hey Nitu, Where is Rishi Kapoor?' I don't mind it as the name of Rishi Kapoor naturally follows that of Neetu Singh. Thank God, my parents didn't name me Katrina or Tsunami!" says Nitu having a hearty laugh at her own expense.
Sharad Pawar, a final year engineering student of YCCE, who shares his name with the union minister, says that when people ask his name, they are often stumped with the answer. "My name brings a smile on many faces and I am happy about it. Sharing my name with the BCCI president and a veteran politician is just a coincidence. But, I do agree that at times it also helps to get an edge over others. I recently went for an interview and my name created such a buzz among the interviewers that I was immediately called inside," says Sharad. Narrating an interesting incident, he says, "I had mentioned in my resume that modelling is my passion. The interviewers were in splits and asked me, Sharad Pawar and modelling?"
Wasim Akram, an engineering student of Raisoni College, also shares his passion for cricket with the former fast bowler from Pakistan. "Though I share my name with Wasim, I am a great fan of Sachin Tendulkar. I even represented my school in a cricket match. For bad or good, having a name identical with that of a celebrity definitely makes you famous. Though sometimes it is a bit embarrassing too," says he.
Digvijay Singh, another student of Raisoni College, says that his professors call him 'Chief Minister' because he shares his name with that of the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. "It's really funny and sometimes embarrassing when people call me chief minister. Agar mere parents ne naam rakhna hi tha, toh Yuvraj rakh dete! That sounds so cool," says Digvijay with a smile.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Zero Power
When the concept of 'zero' was first discovered, little did anyone comprehend that this discovery would send ripples across the entire globe. Anyone would have hardly realised that the aftereffects of this invention can be so critical! Who knew that from time to time, the 'zero' which appears to be simple and which in fact means "nothing" would keep on victimising and lingering in the minds of the students' community as a 'dread'? Who knew that this "nothing" would form an exclusive terrain of mystification?
Confusion emanates from early days itself when you start off with your fundamentals of Mathematics. Zero before any number has no value and the significance of the same zero augments when placed after a number? Oh, what a confusion! You are already flummoxed. And to add to your perplexity and woes, the same 'zero' smacks you hard when it appears in your mark sheets. God, who knew that zero when solo can be so deadly? By the time, you come out of your mental fog, you realise that you have already been inflicted with 'The Maths phobia'.
Yes, Maths phobia! It's something that can really numb your thoughts and haunt you before your exams. This phobia grips most of the people and hey! I am no exception. Maths was just like an ordeal I never wanted to undertake. But Maths is a favourite theme of my father's conversation. He is a Matho –philic (has a strong affinity towards Maths). One could see a glee in his eyes whenever he got an opportunity to talk about his pet subject. He feels that just like tea, Maths is addictive. Both inspire deep commitment.
Come exams, and I would always be at the receiving end of dad's fury before my Maths paper. Mathematical formulae, shapes and their properties, signs, conventions etc would dizzily spin around my head. But my dad's philosophy: 'Put on your loyalty chords and practise your sums as if you are infatuated with them. Then only you can win over your phobia.' Only if he could understand, that Maths is not everyone's cup of tea!
Everything apart, he sometimes uses it as a weapon to shoo me and my brother away whenever we pester him by our gibberish talks. He immediately comes up with a question. " Okay, come on tell me, what is 1 percent of 1?" 1 percent of 1? What an eccentric question, one might wonder. Though the answer is as simple i.e. 0.01, the question at first baffles you and makes you feel as if you are mentally bankrupt. Alas! And then there we are, me and my brother, trying to find the remotest corner of the house where we can duck in to stay away from his further questions.
I pause to recall an incident, which always gives me reason to tickle my funny bone. My cousin studying in class two once got a 'star' in his Maths paper for excellent performance. Seeing this, his younger sibling commented, "So what? Even I have got a moon in my Maths paper." Hardly he knew at that time, the moon on which he was exulting was none other than a 'zero'.
I love to talk a lot, many say. But if they are nurturing any such notion, then hold on! Whenever my father invites answers for his Maths questions, I strongly feel that 'Silence is Bliss'. Don't you feel the same?
Confusion emanates from early days itself when you start off with your fundamentals of Mathematics. Zero before any number has no value and the significance of the same zero augments when placed after a number? Oh, what a confusion! You are already flummoxed. And to add to your perplexity and woes, the same 'zero' smacks you hard when it appears in your mark sheets. God, who knew that zero when solo can be so deadly? By the time, you come out of your mental fog, you realise that you have already been inflicted with 'The Maths phobia'.
Yes, Maths phobia! It's something that can really numb your thoughts and haunt you before your exams. This phobia grips most of the people and hey! I am no exception. Maths was just like an ordeal I never wanted to undertake. But Maths is a favourite theme of my father's conversation. He is a Matho –philic (has a strong affinity towards Maths). One could see a glee in his eyes whenever he got an opportunity to talk about his pet subject. He feels that just like tea, Maths is addictive. Both inspire deep commitment.
Come exams, and I would always be at the receiving end of dad's fury before my Maths paper. Mathematical formulae, shapes and their properties, signs, conventions etc would dizzily spin around my head. But my dad's philosophy: 'Put on your loyalty chords and practise your sums as if you are infatuated with them. Then only you can win over your phobia.' Only if he could understand, that Maths is not everyone's cup of tea!
Everything apart, he sometimes uses it as a weapon to shoo me and my brother away whenever we pester him by our gibberish talks. He immediately comes up with a question. " Okay, come on tell me, what is 1 percent of 1?" 1 percent of 1? What an eccentric question, one might wonder. Though the answer is as simple i.e. 0.01, the question at first baffles you and makes you feel as if you are mentally bankrupt. Alas! And then there we are, me and my brother, trying to find the remotest corner of the house where we can duck in to stay away from his further questions.
I pause to recall an incident, which always gives me reason to tickle my funny bone. My cousin studying in class two once got a 'star' in his Maths paper for excellent performance. Seeing this, his younger sibling commented, "So what? Even I have got a moon in my Maths paper." Hardly he knew at that time, the moon on which he was exulting was none other than a 'zero'.
I love to talk a lot, many say. But if they are nurturing any such notion, then hold on! Whenever my father invites answers for his Maths questions, I strongly feel that 'Silence is Bliss'. Don't you feel the same?
wacky filmi titles
Bollywood movie titles are moving away from the sundry dil, pyaar, ishq, rishta or mohabbat mode to wacky arena. While working for The Times Of India, Nagpur few months back, I happened to write this piece and titled it as Title kay peechhe Kya hai. With another movie with a wacky title Ajab Prem ki ghajab Kahani releasing recently, I thought of posting this article of mine.
William Shakespeare might have dismissed the momentousness of a name, but Bollywood begs to differ. And this is evident from the way the titles of the movies are picked up. A lot does depend on the name of a film, that’s why in tinseltown the film's title does matter. Since experimentation is the flavour of the season, Hindi movie titles are also moving away from the sundry dil, pyaar, ishq, rishta, mohabbat mode to wacky arena. No wonder, you have titles like DilKabaddi, Aaloo Chaat, Horn 'Ok' Pleassss, Oye Lucky!Lucky Oye! and Jack N Jhol to name a few. Besides the above mentioned upcoming films, we have also seen zanily-titled flicks like Bheja Fry, Ugly Aur Pagli, Mixed Doubles, Khosla ka Ghosla, Maan gaye Mughall-E-Azam, Cheeni Kum, Pyaar Ke/Side Effects-Watch Love crash in this season, God Tussi Great Ho, etc. in the recent past. NT explores Bollywood’s fetish for unusual names. Encapsulating movie's theme With a title like Bheja Fry, the movie and the protagonist Vinay Pathak (who is a simpleton) did successfully manage to wrack one's brain in a humorous manner. No wonder the small budget film did wonders at the BO and garnered huge profits. Director of the movie Sagar Ballary says that the thumb rule for choosing a title is that it should describe the content of the film. "We were looking for a short, crisp title, which would hint at the content of the film. My writer came up with this title while our film was on the verge of completion. Initially, I didn't like it and was quite apprehensive about this 'out of the box' name. But, it instantly brought smiles on everyone's face, and my producer Sunil Doshi immediately approved of the wacky title; and asked us to get it registered," says he. Unusual generates interest Along with being descriptive about the content of the film, the title should also arouse the interest of the viewer initially and drag him to movie theatres, says Robby Grewal, the director of forthcoming film Aaloo Chaat. "We have had enough of those clichéd, monotonous names beginning with dil, pyar and most of them have been exhausted. If I had named my movie 'Mera Pyaar', people would think that it is just another romantic film and wouldn't bother to watch it. Today, a film title is a part of film’s packaging and it is important to generate curiosity amongst the audience with the title," says he. Ask him why did he choose such a title, and he says, "It is not the right time to divulge details about my film, but it has nothing to do with the literal meaning. Once you see the movie, you will come to know." Good title with good content Dibakar Banerjee, the director of Khosla ka Ghosla, who is coming up with yet another hatketitled film, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye, says that it is not just the bizarre title that makes a film's fortunes, but the content that ultimately works in its favour. "There are many flicks with unusual titles, but not all of them have been hits as they were poor in content," says he. Narrating the title tale of Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, he says, "The film revolves around a lovable thief called Lucky operating in Delhi, and in Delhi one does not address others merely by their names, but adds an oye to it. So, those who know this philosophy, will understand that the movie has something to do with Delhi. But, I was not happy with just Oye Lucky. The shooting of the film was complete, but we still didn't have a substantive name for our film. And one day, I started crooning the title song of the movie and Eureka! I got the title from the title song." All about comic genre DilKabaddi is yet another flick, which appears odd and funny at first glance, but director Anil Senior justifies the choice. "The story tells how the characters of the movie flirt with each other, and how their flirting creates a series of mini-disasters. In a nutshell, it is all about how one's dil plays kabaddi with other dils. Initially, we came up with a title like Bubblegum, but when my lyricist suggested DilKabaddi, it was okayed unanimously and we zeroed in on it," says he. The director goes on to add that movies with weird titles generally fall into the slapstick comedy league. "Serious movies generally do not have weird titles," says he.
William Shakespeare might have dismissed the momentousness of a name, but Bollywood begs to differ. And this is evident from the way the titles of the movies are picked up. A lot does depend on the name of a film, that’s why in tinseltown the film's title does matter. Since experimentation is the flavour of the season, Hindi movie titles are also moving away from the sundry dil, pyaar, ishq, rishta, mohabbat mode to wacky arena. No wonder, you have titles like DilKabaddi, Aaloo Chaat, Horn 'Ok' Pleassss, Oye Lucky!Lucky Oye! and Jack N Jhol to name a few. Besides the above mentioned upcoming films, we have also seen zanily-titled flicks like Bheja Fry, Ugly Aur Pagli, Mixed Doubles, Khosla ka Ghosla, Maan gaye Mughall-E-Azam, Cheeni Kum, Pyaar Ke/Side Effects-Watch Love crash in this season, God Tussi Great Ho, etc. in the recent past. NT explores Bollywood’s fetish for unusual names. Encapsulating movie's theme With a title like Bheja Fry, the movie and the protagonist Vinay Pathak (who is a simpleton) did successfully manage to wrack one's brain in a humorous manner. No wonder the small budget film did wonders at the BO and garnered huge profits. Director of the movie Sagar Ballary says that the thumb rule for choosing a title is that it should describe the content of the film. "We were looking for a short, crisp title, which would hint at the content of the film. My writer came up with this title while our film was on the verge of completion. Initially, I didn't like it and was quite apprehensive about this 'out of the box' name. But, it instantly brought smiles on everyone's face, and my producer Sunil Doshi immediately approved of the wacky title; and asked us to get it registered," says he. Unusual generates interest Along with being descriptive about the content of the film, the title should also arouse the interest of the viewer initially and drag him to movie theatres, says Robby Grewal, the director of forthcoming film Aaloo Chaat. "We have had enough of those clichéd, monotonous names beginning with dil, pyar and most of them have been exhausted. If I had named my movie 'Mera Pyaar', people would think that it is just another romantic film and wouldn't bother to watch it. Today, a film title is a part of film’s packaging and it is important to generate curiosity amongst the audience with the title," says he. Ask him why did he choose such a title, and he says, "It is not the right time to divulge details about my film, but it has nothing to do with the literal meaning. Once you see the movie, you will come to know." Good title with good content Dibakar Banerjee, the director of Khosla ka Ghosla, who is coming up with yet another hatketitled film, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye, says that it is not just the bizarre title that makes a film's fortunes, but the content that ultimately works in its favour. "There are many flicks with unusual titles, but not all of them have been hits as they were poor in content," says he. Narrating the title tale of Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, he says, "The film revolves around a lovable thief called Lucky operating in Delhi, and in Delhi one does not address others merely by their names, but adds an oye to it. So, those who know this philosophy, will understand that the movie has something to do with Delhi. But, I was not happy with just Oye Lucky. The shooting of the film was complete, but we still didn't have a substantive name for our film. And one day, I started crooning the title song of the movie and Eureka! I got the title from the title song." All about comic genre DilKabaddi is yet another flick, which appears odd and funny at first glance, but director Anil Senior justifies the choice. "The story tells how the characters of the movie flirt with each other, and how their flirting creates a series of mini-disasters. In a nutshell, it is all about how one's dil plays kabaddi with other dils. Initially, we came up with a title like Bubblegum, but when my lyricist suggested DilKabaddi, it was okayed unanimously and we zeroed in on it," says he. The director goes on to add that movies with weird titles generally fall into the slapstick comedy league. "Serious movies generally do not have weird titles," says he.
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