#bloggersofindia — Public Fediverse posts

Every Conversation Matters- 25 Years of Timeless Music

This 2026 World Music Day, there was another occasion to celebrate—the 25th anniversary of Lagaan. I sat down to listen to the conversation between the maestro A.R. Rahman, lyricist Javed Akhtar, director Ashutosh Gowariker, and producer Aamir Khan. They spoke about how the songs came into being in a time with no internet, no cell phones, no advanced technology, and no Dolby sound.

There was one discussion about Ghanan Ghanan, the first song that sets the storyline of the film. More often than not, it is interpreted as a call to the rain gods, filled with hope and a longing to rid the people of despair. Twenty-five years later, the song holds so much more meaning than just the wait for rain.

As I listened to the 6-minute-11-second composition, I was reminded of another song created by the same duo of A.R. Rahman and Javed Akhtar—Yeh Tara Wo Tara, which runs for 7 minutes and 11 seconds. Two iconic films by the same director, yet what stands out in both is the genius of composer A.R. Rahman and lyricist Javed Akhtar.

In the celebratory video marking 25 years of Lagaan, Javed Akhtar points out that what makes A.R. Rahman’s compositions special is their unpredictability. He uses Ghanan Ghanan as an example. In the same breath, I would also mention Yeh Tara Wo Tara.

Compositions like Yeh Tara Wo Tara stand apart because of the earthy feeling they evoke. Yeh Tara Wo Tara changes the chorus as the same was done with Ghanan Ghanan in Lagaan. This made me realise the magic of the music I grew up with, which focuses heavily on rhythm and a chorus that a regular listener can hum.

The song has been reprised over the years and arranged in different styles. But believe it or not, the majority of Hindi music lovers still go back to the original soundtrack.

It isn’t because they want to pay homage to A.R. Rahman or Javed Akhtar. The song, through its lyrics and melody, does exactly what its music video shows—it brings a community together. As listeners, we begin to realise the depth of its lyrics.

It definitely isn’t the Shah Rukh Khan fan in me speaking. Many people don’t like either film but absolutely love the music albums of both.

This celebration made me realise what A.R. Rahman and Javed Akhtar have been creating for us over the last 25 years. Five years after Lagaan, Swades was released. At the time, the film wasn’t fully understood. But what has remained timeless is its music.

Another aspect about the duo that remains special is that they didn’t dumb down or underestimate the listeners when it came to music. They flowed against the stream; they gave us song styles that are used to date, when it comes to composition.

Music Albums like these don’t just come one day. They have grown over many years of training, work, and well, staying honest to its core.

I am sharing the lyrics here of both the songs Ghanan Ghanan and Yeh Tara Wo Tara to understand what Javed Akhtar tries to say in this video.

Lagaan Music Album

Swades Music Album

Ghanan Ghanan Ghanan
Ghanan Ghanan Ghanan
Ghanan Ghanan Ghanan
Ghanan Ghanan Ghanan
Ghanan Ghanan Ghanan
Ghanan Ghanan Ghir Ghir Aaye Badra
Ghane Ghan Ghor Kaare Chhaye Badra
Dhamak Dhamak Goonje Badra Ke Danke
Chamak Chamak Dekho Bijuriya Chamke

Mann Dhadkaaye Badarwa
Mann Dhadkaaye Badarwa

Mann Mann Dhadkaaye Badarwa
Kaale Megha, Kaale Megha Paani To Barsaao

Yeh Tara Woh Tara

e taara woh taara har taara
Ye taara woh taara har taara
Dekho jise bhi lage pyaara
Ye taara woh taara har taara
Ye sab saath me jo hai raat me
Toh jagmagaya aasmaan saara
Ye sab saath me jo hai raat me
Toh jagmagaya aasmaan saara
Jagmag taare, do taare, nau taare, sau taare
Jagmag saare, har taara hai sharaara

his post is a part of ‘Mixtape Mood Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters blog hop series

Every Conversation Matters-The Unconventional drama!

We belong to a generation shaped by the early years of pop culture — Tommy Hilfiger shirts, chains with snakes or the word cool, and Bollywood families that looked perfect on screen. We grew up watching films like Hum Saath-Saath Hain and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, believing in the idea of the “happy family.” At the same time, we became the first generation to openly talk about toxic family dynamics, emotional guilt, and the damage hidden beneath those smiling photographs.

Families have always been complicated, but those films sold us an illusion — one big joint family where love conquered everything. And we swallowed it completely.

Now, twenty-five years later, we continue to recreate the same image online. Families pose together for reels, photos, and celebrations. Everyone smiles until the camera cuts. Then the masks fall off, and people return to keeping emotional distance from one another. We have learned to recognise who harms us, who drains us, and who truly cares once the performance ends.

Still, families are pushed together for appearances. We are expected to sit in the same rooms and pretend everything is fine so the world can see a “happy family.” In the process, we ignore discomfort. We ignore the aunt who body-shamed us throughout childhood. We ignore the uncle whose stare made us uneasy. We ignore the brother-in-law who borrowed money and never returned it. We ignore the teenage cousin making inappropriate gestures toward young girls.

We ignore all of it because family, apparently, must stay together.

I remember my own parents encouraging me, the elder daughter, to “hang out” with my cousins. I almost laughed. Part of me wanted to ask, “Did you check whether they even want to spend time with me?” I never said it out loud, and that hangout never happened.

Even now, whenever I see cousins online acting inseparable, I scoff a little. Sometimes I laugh. Sometimes I feel sorry for them. Perhaps some of them are genuine, but the internet has taught us how easy it is to perform closeness.

Words like family, bond, and connection are used so casually today that they are beginning to sound like corporate slogans. “We are one big happy family”, the popular slogan.

Everything feels transactional now. Every post, every story, every carefully edited video carries a price tag.

Reading this, people will probably ask, Who hurt you?

And my answer is simple: Who do you think?

Then comes the next question: Who is your family, then?

Perhaps my sister. Perhaps my mother.

That is my reality.

I have seen too many performative families — including my own — to believe completely in the fantasy sold by films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… or even Kal Ho Naa Ho. Still, I appreciate stories that dare to look beyond the illusion.

Every day, I wake up hoping my mother and sister are safe, healthy, and alive.

Perhaps that is my version of family.

Sordid, maybe. But real. Absolutely real.

This post is a part of ‘Fam Jam Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters blog hop series

Every Conversation Matters: Paani Mila, the new mock!

To be socially aware,to speak up,to stay charged is something I have been brought up with. Just like my mother was. My grandfather taught his children to stay curious, to question and to NEVER call themselves “apolitical.”

 So naturally,when I was in my formative years(read teenage ) there were a lot of debates,lots of fights with my parents,relatives about how WE should live our lives.

 I still haven’t stopped voicing my opinions and no one,I repeat no one likes a woman who is opinionated. (my opinions are not restricted to the internet,so mind you there aren’t many people who like talking to me)

Especially when in this era of Divide and Rule,which has been going on since forever. Please, let’s make one thing clear. I was 14,when I was told to go back to Pakistan. 

So,yes my voice might have mellowed down because it’s like they say “the hate needed a push,and ten years ago everyone was given a licence to hate.

 But, today I’m not going to talk about that. Let’s talk about what’s happening in 2026.

 Few weeks back there was a w**ar. I call it wa**r because that’s what it absolutely is. Two social media accounts start attacking each other on harassment,being casteist and calling out each other. Obviously,the internet was divided. Then another social media account got added to the debate. Naturally,everyone and I mean people who make content around casteism,social issues started talking about it as well. 

As much as it was fascinating to see the casteist people take off their masks, it broke my heart. It broke my heart to see a YOUTUBER, someone who calls herself a JOURNALIST,mocking at a protest. Do you know what her mocking question for the marginalised castes was?(which includes SC/ST/OBC) It was “Paani mila?”(Did you get water?).

A woman,a savarna woman thrusted a mic in the face of students in a protest asking them did they get water. No, she wasn’t concerned about their hydration. She was mocking the systematic casteism that had her ancestors deny lower castes and Dalit communities from accessing clean drinking water.

All of the headlines came rushing back to me. You think caste-based violence just cropped up suddenly? Every week,Dalit children,Dalit women,Dalit farmers are poisoned,beaten to death or cut up into pieces.

What’s the point of your “education” if that’s what you have reduced to. I remember when I took the newspaper seriously and I wouldn’t be fully awake before reading the newspaper and in that tiny space on the left hand corner of page 8,there would be news about a Dalit man killed. It would always be that tiny space. That was 2008.

In 2026, savarna people,irrespective of gender, are MOCKING. Still killing the Dalit and lower caste people and people are silent. YOU are silent. Even YOU know the clear Divide and Rule in play and yet YOU have not raised your voice. 

Have you spoken about how the downtrodden are getting attacked every day in some district,some village because they are not Brahmin?  

Then I understood. As long as it doesn’t happen to you,you are comfortable. You aren’t haunted because hey! You have a luxurious lifestyle.

Oh but a Dalit shouldn’t get the luxurious lifestyle. No. That you can’t digest. Like a poet  issesomeletters writes “of how far ,caste privilege was willing to go to defend itself.” It’s not because they are in danger. How many Brahmin deaths have you seen? Can you make a guess of how many newspaper articles have I read of Dalit women, children and men killed in the last 28 years?

Your protest ,your discussions in closed brahmanical spaces would have made sense if I didn’t have the statistics of every week when a person from a marginalised community wasn’t attacked.

Jaati hi nahi jatii.(caste is the one and only thing that doesn’t go away) 

 Aleena also says while acts like done in the student protests have been done in the past and will happen again because like you can see, OUR response to caste-based violence is “oh no! It’s still happening. It’s 2026.” and then we don’t give a f*uck. 

The anti-caste movement will be attacked again. I look forward to seeing what your response would be to that,reader. 

Because we love mocking “paani mila??” And that’s the entirety of your argument. 

This post is a part of ‘Echoes of Equality Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters blog hop series.

Every Conversation Matters : Unbroken- Who does she need the most?

Recently I finished a young adult book titled Unbroken by Nandhika Nambi. Few months back,I was introduced to this book by a known person who advocated for the book. It’s an old release but I’m glad I invested myself in the book and finished this book with tears in my eyes. What made me so teary eyed you may ask? No,it’s not Akriti who is a wheelchair user. It was so much more than that.

Akriti, a teenage girl, is bound to a wheelchair after losing mobility in the lower part of her body. Akriti is angry and feels that everyone around her is either pitying her or showing sympathy. What actually caught my attention in the book was the support this young girl receives from her parents.

Akriti’s parents don’t want to treat her any differently yet they support her in every way. Which got me thinking,had Akriti’s parents not supported her all the way her story in the book would not have ended the way it did. 

In real life too, girls, when born,never come into this world with the knowledge of the patriarchal setup or the terms and conditions the society has set up for them. It’s the parents who start a system into place. A system if a girl becomes entrapped in can never get out of.

I want to share the story of my parents who questioned,discussed and challenged the way normally girls life’s trajectory is decided specifically in her childhood. 

For a person like me who was naive or perhaps still is,my parents really went all the way in supporting every tantrum of mine. 

No one likes a girl who throws tantrums,but for me my tantrums were not about buying PRADA or the food I wanted to eat. 

My tantrums were about friends and having sleepovers,which in retrospect I realize were probably because I felt lonely or had faced abandonment by a friend at the young age of 7,I seeked validation of “having friends” rather than actually having them.

I’m grateful to my mother who drove me to every birthday party where I was invited to or my father driving on his scooter late at night to pick me up.

I never doubted that I was being brought up in an easy going household(we are not a liberal household. Never were) but to go out of their way, making time, giving me company to parties if needed  that is something I am eternally grateful for because I still see at 35,there aren’t many girls who can easily visit a friend’s house. Looking at the current scenario, girls’ freedom is getting more and more restricted. I had thought it would have become a better situation.

Coming back to Unbroken, Akriti is helped by her parents when they understand the young girl needed help. Akriti is wise,yet she too throws tantrums. She considers herself a monster but the first step of help comes from her parents. 

There would be a lot of space for young girls/women to breathe if they get their wings to fly from their parents.

Parents of young girls of today need to unlearn “log kya kahenge” because that’s what stops a girl everytime.Everytime she is reminded she is your honour. Everytime a girl wants to do something different,parents need to support what that young girl wants. 

The situation hasn’t changed much. There is danger but they need strength from their parents. Society will judge them either way.

You have to be beside them. Parents should be the anchor,not a relationship they remember in regret because I can count atleast 10 girls I know who have that sentiment in their heart and I can see Dil Dhadkne Do( bollywood movie) happening in front of my eyes almost everyday.

Give that choice to your girl. That she can return to her anchor and that anchor is you,dear parents!

Every girl’s silent wish always will be,please support us. Her voice says everytime,Please stand with us.

This Post is a part of Voices of Her Blog Hop hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters blog hop series

Currents Of Kindness Blog Hop-ECM: Where is the Writer?

After watching The Ba***ds of Bollywood directed by Aryan Khan, I came across Neeraj Pandey’s Instagram post, which sparked deep reflection. As a writer and someone who cherishes the impeccable craft of writing in books, I’ve noticed we often undervalue this skill in other media. 

Writers in industries like advertising, political campaign slogans, events, award shows, or theatre are often invisible, much like a burkha-clad woman. Even when we watch a theatrical play, we tend to remember the actor or dancer who stood out for us, but rarely the writer behind the script.

This made me question how inclusive our spaces are for writers outside the realm of books. Do we acknowledge the person who crafted the clever script of a tagline that’s on everyone’s lips now? Writers’ struggles are often dismissed, labelled as lazy or “not knowing how to write,” without understanding the reality of their challenges.

How can we create more inclusive spaces for writers? Every industry—be it a product campaign, event, or show needs a skilled writer who pours their creativity into making it seamless. Consider the writers behind a 30-second ad or a feature film. Are we asking about their pay? Are we recognizing the effort behind the finished product, or do writers remain invisible, just as they often do in movies or advertisements?

In the past decade, only a few writers, like Varun Grover and Neeraj Ghaywan, have gained mainstream recognition for their work, particularly for Masaan. They’ve become household names, but it took years for them to achieve this. Meanwhile, countless other writers toil daily, fighting to keep going without giving up.

Our spaces must become more inclusive and appreciative of writers in every industry. Their work deserves respect, and their pay should reflect their value.

In conclusion I would like to point out… I’ve noticed a troubling pattern: when writers are undervalued, recycling of ideas becomes rampant. When their hard work isn’t recognized, the potential for ground breaking creativity takes a backseat. We need to see the writer. Let’s make space for them. Let’s value their contributions and ensure their efforts are celebrated across all industries.

This post is a part of Currents of Kindness Blog Hop hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters blog hop series.

Ever feel like blogging’s golden days are over?
Everywhere you look, people are saying, “AI killed blogging.” But if you look closer, you’ll see something else—blogging isn’t dead, it’s transforming.

https://drchetandhongade.com/marketing/is-blogging-dead-due-to-ai/

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Dear Reader: Scribbled and Sealed Blog Hop-ECM

As an avid reader and occasional writer across various spaces, this letter is naturally addressed to you, my fellow readers—writers included, for I’ve yet to meet a writer who isn’t a reader at heart.

Beyond that, this letter is about the beauty of community, the shared passion that binds us to plots, storylines, characters, and the endless wonders of literature.

Today, though, I want to dive into a weightier topic that lingers in our readerly world. As the great game show voice once declared, LET’S GET POLITICAL!

Dear Readers,

From the moment I began reading, literature has been steeped in controversy—debates over what’s being read, what’s suitable for kids, or what’s deemed “appropriate.” It’s tempting to blame the internet or claim these debates exploded during the pandemic, but the truth is, they’ve always been with us. They’ve simply evolved as we’ve moved through different stages of life, where sometimes it all feels like too much because we’ve seen it all before. Back then, we didn’t have tools like ChatGPT to amplify the noise, did we? 😄 

Today, I write to remind you, dear reader, of the privilege we hold—the ability to read. Never forget that countless people across the world lack this opportunity or the time to indulge in the kind of reading you and I cherish. Never forget that many writers today can freely share their voices, but years ago, those same voices were silenced—by society, by laws, or by circumstance. This letter is a call to remember that access to books remains a pressing issue when we wonder why books aren’t being bought. It’s not just a problem in one country or a matter of choosing coffee over literature. There are people who forgo new clothes or small luxuries yet still can’t access books—and no, I’m not talking about myself. 😛 

When you hold a book in your hands, whatever its format, pause to honor the unsung heroes behind it: the editors, proofreaders, beta readers, alpha readers, early readers, cover designers, sales teams, and so many others who bring that story to life. And dear reader, when you open that book, remember the countless writer’s blocks each author has overcome. A block isn’t always just “imposter syndrome.” Sometimes, it’s far bigger—systematic, societal, or deeply personal. 

So, I urge you to pause and consider every piece of literature that crosses your path. I know, I know—I haven’t mentioned celebrity authors. But let’s be honest: don’t we all instinctively reach for a book when a famous name is attached? My politics in literature will always champion the voices we overlook, the books we don’t instinctively pick up. 

This letter is a reminder to give literature the chance it deserves. Don’t shy away from discussing the politics woven into a story, for not separating the art from the artist is a choice which is a political stance that I strongly believe in.

But my politics also compels me to encourage you to explore anti-caste literature, to amplify voices that are searching for readers.

This letter is for you, the reader who understands the power of a voice and who refuses to stay silent when the marginalized need support. 

Dear reader, don’t just stop to smell the flowers—question WHICH flowers you’ve been told to admire. Too metaphorical? 😏 Well, that’s part of the package. 😛 

I hope you feel the heart of this letter and share your own thoughts—your political pennies, if you will—in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

Always yours,  

The Reader Who Forgets to Read but Magically Writes Every Day 🙂

Operation Vijay and the Significance of Kargil Diwas: A Call to Understand the Kargil War #EveryConversationMatters #TricolourTalesBlogHop

Nobody craves war, yet geopolitical tensions often leave governments with no choice but to engage. The hunger for power, whether through war or genocide, has led to countless deaths, with soldiers bearing the brunt. When war is declared, every individual faces danger, regardless of their position. This makes Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed on July 26, profoundly significant. It honors the soldiers who prioritized the nation’s safety during the Kargil War of 1999.

Yet, how many of us have truly delved into a book or account to grasp what the Kargil War was about?

Operation Vijay, as the conflict is known, was a swift and resolute response by the Indian Army, in coordination with the Indian Air Force, to safeguard India’s borders.

In 1999, as a nine-year-old, I saw the nation rally around this cause, sparking my curiosity about its origins. “Why Kargil?” As a pre-teen, I repeatedly questioned why the Kargil War happened.

I sought to understand the politics of governance and the battlefield, but answers like “Pakistan needed to be attacked” felt inadequate. Today, through discussions with my co-host Manali and research for our theme, I’ve gained clarity.

The Kargil War wasn’t a random event but a calculated move by Pakistani forces to disrupt the Srinagar-Leh highway, a vital link to Ladakh. Their covert infiltration into Indian territory aimed to control strategic heights along the Line of Control (LoC). For the first time in independent India’s history, the Indian Air Force joined the Army in a high-altitude conflict, marking a historic escalation.

Conspiracy theories about the war’s motives abound, but they dilute the truth. Only those who served at the border—soldiers, officers, and their families—truly know the reality.

This is why we chose Non-Fiction, Memoirs, and Biographies for our winning prizes: to amplify authentic voices from those who witnessed the conflict firsthand.

A Special Hero: Gunjan Saxena

Commemorating Kargil Diwas in 2025 feels incomplete without honoring Gunjan Saxena, one of the few women pilots involved in Operation Vijay. She flew in the perilous high-altitude war zone, showcasing extraordinary courage and breaking barriers for women in combat roles. Her contribution symbolizes the evolving role of women in India’s defense forces.

What Should Not Be Missed

Operation Vijay marked a historic collaboration between the Indian Army and Air Force. Despite the intense ground and air operations, India upheld international diplomacy by not crossing the LoC, a decision that earned global respect. This restraint, paired with military success, underscored India’s commitment to peace while defending its sovereignty.

The Legacy of Operation Vijay

The Kargil War demonstrated India’s prowess in high-altitude warfare, with the Army and Air Force working in unison to reclaim occupied territories. It highlighted the sacrifices of heroes like Captain Vikram Batra, whose bravery remains etched in history, and introduced pioneers like Gunjan Saxena, one of India’s first women pilots in a war zone.

The victory restored the LoC and reinforced India’s resolve to protect its borders.

On this 25th Kargil Diwas, let’s go beyond social media tributes or fleeting homages. Pick up a book, read an article, or speak with a retired officer who stood at the border.

As writers and readers, we have a responsibility to make informed choices. We must understand the sacrifices that shaped our nation’s history. Let’s honor Kargil Vijay Diwas by seeking the truth and celebrating the courage of those who put India first.

This post is a part of ‘Tricolour Tales Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters

Every Conversation Matters:Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

This post is a part of ‘Embrace the Native Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters.

I am writing this towards the deadline. It shows that I initially struggled in writing this piece. Then I sat down. What’s the common thread in our house that binds the four people in my family? The answer was right in front of me. It was music.

 No, not just Hindi. Carnatic, Hindustani classical, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam songs and musicians also cross state borders. They join with folk songs of the north belt. 

You see, I have been living in Delhi for 30 years. My mother was born and raised here. My father spent most of his young and old life in Delhi. We would all speak majorly in the Delhi slang at home. This slang was an accumulation of Urdu, Persian, and Hindi. 

No, my mother tongue is not Urdu. No one speaks Urdu in my extended family. My grandparents on both sides have passed down the Uttar Pradesh dialect, if any. They too had been living in Delhi for so many years that we all spoke through songs. Music. 

I am today going to talk about how the melodies of my life have taught me many lessons. Whether in a Dravidian language or a North Indian dialect, these melodies have enriched my life. This music has connected to many more hearts. I looked outside my family and found another music-loving family in the various languages I listen to songs today.

1. Kuch Toh Log Kahenge

This song is from the ever iconic Rajesh Khanna starred “Amar Prem.” In it, the actress Sharmila Tagore is crying silently. She faces ridicule because of her profession. This song has healed me every time I have let others’ words affect me. My favorite part of the song is its first stanza and as a woman,as a person who has always taken decisions against the wave is this:

कुछ रीत जगत की ऐसी है

हर एक सुबह की शाम हुई

कुछ रीत जगत की ऐसी है

हर एक सुबह की शाम हुई

तू कौन है, तेरा नाम है क्या

सीता भी यहाँ बदनाम हुई

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6q7BVZXOUU

It is this part in particular that stops my tears because this is the essence of the song. It’s the literal translation of “ignore the noise.” The next morning they would have something to say “kyunki logo ka kaam hai kehna.”

1. Chaiyya Chaiyya

This song was one I would listen to before Shahrukh Khan started dancing on it at events or award functions. It helped me understand love. To understand passion, the junoon of an individual and how mad one can get in love. Before there existed the OMG look for the song, this song for me was especially the range Sukhwinder Singh provides to this part:

यार मिसाले ओस 

चले पाँव के तले फिरदौस चले 

कभी दाल दाल कभी पात पात 

में हवा पे ढूंदु उसके निशाँ 

सारे इश्क़ की छाओं चले

 छय्यां छय्यां

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PimKrn3XkuU

To find paradise in the feet of the woman you love. That’s a madness only shahrukh could understand which is why it is such a banger now. Also why I am such a huge romantic at heart. If you go back to the song,you will find yourself getting the same adrenaline rush at this exact moment. 

1. Vaseegara

Some ten years ago I found Vaseegara online and found my sister singing the song to herself and hook,line and snicker. I was addicted to the song. I couldn’t stop listening to the song. I played it again and again. The power of the Tamil version was so strong. I stopped listening to the Hindi version. The Hindi version is Zara Zara in the movie “Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein”. The Tamil Song is sung by Bombay Jayashri and composed by one of my favorites Harris Jayaraj. Attaching the link to the video of the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew1fKCWb_M4

1. Aa Chal Ke Tujhe 

When I must have been a 7 year old kid or even younger, my father used to sing this song. The sadness and joy from this song are breathtaking. They have touched us over the many years. The hope for love, a utopian world devoid of hatred. Perhaps that’s why I have never known hate in its literal sense. I grew up listening to lyrics that wanted to make love thrive. My favorite part of the song is the first stanza. Once you listen to it, there is no going back. 

सूरज की पहली किरण से, आशा का सवेरा जागे

सूरज की पहली किरण से, आशा का सवेरा जागे

चंदा की किरण से धुल कर, घनघोर अंधेरा भागे

चंदा की किरण से धुल कर, घनघोर अंधेरा भागे

कभी धूप खिले कभी छाँव मिले

लम्बी सी डगर न खले

The magic of this song is the authenticity. The singer brings you back from the trance of the utopian world. However, this song lifts me up to spread more love. It encourages me to give more hugs and always have my arms open to get love. 

These are just four songs. My native language is a mixture of so many dialects and languages. I connect only to people who know about these songs (just kidding) 😂 or these kinds of songs. My heart connects to so many other hearts because of the songs we listen to. 

If you want to know my playlist, let me know. If you want a song recommendation from the Dravidian languages, let me know. You never know our surs match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_8VmzWOsgs

Bookchatter JCB Shortlist-Maria Just Maria by Jayasree Kalathil

Maria Just Maria, originally written in Malayalam by Sandhya Mary and translated by Jayasree Kalathil, explores a woman’s perception of her world. Her perspective changes after her grandfather’s death. She thinks about how she perceives others. She considers how others perceive her. She reflects on how she is treated. She even ponders her interactions with the stray dog who talks to her.

Maria Just Maria offers an interesting take on random thoughts. These are the thoughts a person often experiences and cannot voice. Whether it’s something happening in your head or something that is happening in front of you.

Maria’s story begins with her sitting in the psychiatric hospital. From there, she takes us back to her childhood. She recounts her experiences in her youth and in her 30s.

But what strikes the reader in this novel is how the writer and translator work together. Their collaboration makes the bizarre and non-linear style of writing through Maria’s eyes make sense. Initially, the translation misses the humour.

This happens because the process started with writing in English. Then the Malayalam author rewrote it in Malayalam, which was translated again into English. There is so much Maria wants to talk about. She wants to discuss her Syrian Christian family. She also reflects on the concept of heaven and hell. Additionally, she talks about the country’s conditions in the 1960s-70s and the communist movement.

She questions the philosophy and the movement itself. Even today, it is prevalent in Kerala. The author and translator keep the political undertones alive throughout the novel. They explore the political being of the characters.

They also delve into what makes Maria, JUST Maria. At the end of the novel, it’s the socio-political commentary that a child sees. The perspective changes when seen through the eyes of an adult. Maria here being the child in majority of the narrative. The book’s strongest element is its humorous writing.

Initially, I couldn’t relate. However, once you get into the skin of the novel, you can smirk or laugh out loud at places. As the translator mentions herself this is a first of its kind format in which a Malayalam novel is written.

The book provides an opportunity as it helps one get acquainted with the cultures and lives of Keralites. These individuals come from the Syrian Christian community. They enjoy the extraordinary through the lens of the ordinary. Maria, Just Maria deserves to be shortlisted but I do believe that translating humor is really tough. It made me crave knowing the original language real bad. 🥹

This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program

Click below to buy the novel

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Every Conversation Matters: Festivals and Colours

We associate colours with festivals like Diwali, durgapuja, and navratri. The first colour that comes to our mind is orange. Sometimes it’s red. It’s never green. Why so? Do you know that Hariyali Teej is celebrated every year? The colour green is supposed to be worn on this day. It’s very important it’s green. There are many shades of green. Just like there are many shades of colors which can never be restricted to a color or a religion. During festivals, we assign certain colors to certain religions. Now, these associations are more prominent due to the misinformation. We also have extremist ideas surrounding our festivals.

Embrace all colours. Yellow,Orange, Red,Green,Pink,Blue are colours that should be part of every festival. Even when we celebrate Christmas, why do we only see Red or Maroon? Every commercial/every brand uses some actor,donning them with red sweaters with snowmen made on it and voila! Another colour (in this case a certain design as well) assigned to a festival. 

When I step out during Eid, I only see women wearing shades of green. Why don’t women wear yellow or orange? Festivals are celebrations. Nature is full of colors. These colors are not divided just because a wannabe Muslim leader has told you to dress a certain way.

Remember, you can divide colours and assign colors to a festival. A red rose is adorned with green leaves. Use it to decorate your entrance door with rangoli. Just add some yellow, red, or orange colours.

I leave you behind with a common festival. It has been celebrated by religions of all kinds, especially in the Indian subcontinent and particularly in India. This festival is Basant Panchami. The color often symbolizes wisdom. However, the religious text Quran restricted it. According to some scholars, it was prohibited for men to wear. 

Prohibitions and the division of colours allow fundamentalists to take advantage. There is a lack of knowledge about colours across many religions. Whether its Christianity, Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism or Judaism. 

Take all of them together and celebrate festivals,one will realise how beautiful every festival is.

This post is a part of ‘Feeling Festive Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters

An Auto ride to remember :Her Journey Blog Hop

   As I closed the door and starting walking towards the auto stand, I thought of the many girls I would be meeting at work today who would have numerous stories to tell me .

That day I was not prepared for a story to be found by me or the other way around. It was 2014. I was standing and bargaining with a auto-driver who was new on the auto stand and unlike the others he didn’t know that I went by this route everyday. I was shouting bhaiya, aap yahan naye ho and suddenly a stout,woman of mid-40s came near me running and pleaded” please can I share the auto with you?” I need to get to my lawyer and I’m running short on cash. Immediately my brain went on high alert as any woman’s does.

I found something fishy but what are you gonna do. I was naive. She convinced the 21 year old me and I was naive even after being in the outside world for many years but I digress.

She sat with me in the auto and I awkwardly in a very obvious way started looking outside the auto at the rather boring route when suddenly the woman asked “so where do you work?” Now there I treaded carefully because I had made the decision to take on a stranger in the auto and no matter what anyone says if today I tell this to my mother I will hear an earful and your negatives do stay on longer.  I replied “oh just in a school.” Are you married? I nodded my head in a no. “Well aren’t you lucky. Do you know where I am going?” I am going to a divorce lawyer. You know why? Because my husband of 25 years got up one day and decided to leave me. You know why I am going to the lawyer and I am running low on cash? Because when I got married I was just 18 years old and I had not stepped out of my parent’s house and from there straight to my husband’s.

I had no control over what was my finances were like. I didn’t know if I had a bank account. I am a mother too. My husband opened a joint account in his name and in which all of the control was in his hand.

I suddenly looked up and looked at her. Did we really leave our women with such less control over their own lives that I a woman of 21 looked at a woman of 40 years old and the very first thought that came to my mind “ how dumb are you?” I ofcourse in retrospect take back my words and look at it from the societal norms, the patriarchy and how caged women are, women were and women are STILL being caged.

She stayed in that situation, trusting the man ever so blindly with no clue was he sleeping around, did he gamble off the money but just because he is the husband. He literally had control over from where her next meal would be coming from.

Whenever I recollect that memory, I cannot forget the joint bank account point out of the many things she told me about her life. That day I learned two things and I continue to strive for it: Never to depend on a man for my finances even if its as little as a lip balm. Two: Women need to be taught about their finances. They need to be educated about opening an independent account and especially married women. We might say “oh a lot has changed.” Unfortunately ,in the last 12 years,no,not really. It sure is trending but no, we still got a long way to go.

“This post is a part of Her Journey Blog Hop hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed”