The moving finger writes.............

Kids are a joy. Especially a joy to shoot with a camera. Here is my neighbour Shubham's son, Babu. He is all of 1.5 years old, already knows me and" Dad well ( calls Dad " Dadu" ) and is quite a handful ! Muahh !!!! Took him to my room the other day and gave him  a small teddy. His open-mouthed wonder is really worth capturing !

A open letter addressed to Janaab Aamir Khan ( unfortunate victim of "insecurity") , his wife,  and the respected  intellectuals/politicians making a brouhaha against " intolerance": Respected Janaab Aamir Khan ( and your brothers/ sisters protesting against " intolerance"), Thanks for your enlightening comments on " insecurity "  and  “ intolerance” in the country that you profess to love, resulting in your and your spouse's inclination to leave the country . As a mark of respect for your points, shall we discuss the following enlightening examples of tolerance: 1. Pakistani flag being hoisted in J& K 2. Terrorist strikes/ Riots in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad , Pune and virtually everywhere 3. Liberal Muslim writer Taslima Nasreen being hounded out of India by Muslim fundamentalists 4. Your mocking of Hindu gods in " PK" ( defended by you in the name of " freedom of expression")

Patliputra. The erstwhile capital of the Mauryan empire. Scene of many a battle. Historical city by the Ganges, and the bastion of the great mass leader. Sri Jayaprakasb Narayan.And now the capital of Mr. Nitish Kumar, chief minister of Bihar. It is  7 pm when I land at Patna,at the Jayaprakash  Narayan airport. It is a fairly nondescript place,clearly having seen better times, built in an age when air travel was restricted to only a few. It is election day eve in Patna, and the natural question on everyone's mind is; " who will it be?"  The vitriolic Modi or the redoubtable Laloo- Nitish combine?" Having had plans to meet a friend at the airport, I had contacted  Shubhanjan, an old classmate, who was passing through the city, and though its some time before we meet, it's a joyful reunion. I am meeting him after 13 years, and time flows cheerfully as we converse about the good times that we had spent. Brief

(written on the occassion of a drive-out to Patratu Valley, near Ranchi, 15th Aug,2015) The little things matter to those that seek meaning, In this presence below the wide blue sky; The winding highway, the evergreen trees And the hills  stretching up there high. Was I here sometime ever before, Do I know whether life will  finally  smile? Does the green of the trees signify happiness And the blue sky show hope for a while? Life is like this wide grey road with smoothness and bumps, Goes on , faces joy and trouble alike; And  the blue sky, master of all above, Rolls on like balm on a turbulent life.

Piku. The name is typically Bengali. Bringing back memories of a well known movie by the late  Satyajit Ray. However, the current movie is entirely different in flavour  from the other one. Piku circa2015 is funny, touching and entirely postmodern. An emotional rollercoaster by Shoojit Sircar, and a" hatke" theme that makes you ask for more. A cranky septaugenarian widower Bhaskar Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan), and his daughter Piku ( Deepika Padikone) share a bittersweet relationship. The father is immersed all day in his potty troubles ( constipation) , to the extent that this becomes the centre point of his existence, much to the frustration of his busy architect daughter , who receives the potty updates in the middle of her office meetings through the amused  office secretary!   Naturally, their house is a battlefield, with Bhaskar targetting everyone from the maid to the house help  boy, with his antics. His daughter is no shade lighter, targetting

The Lion is straining to come back with a roar. And how! According to the latest news, the Central Government is deliberating on making the Lion the national animal of India, displacing the tiger which has held this status since 1971. The purported reason behind this latest charade is not known, but it seems to have originated from a Rajya Sabha MP, Mr. Parimal Nathwani, who feels that the king of the jungle deserves this elevation. Not surprisingly, the wildlife experts and activists are outraged. For starters, the lion is found in only one state of India, NaMo’s Gujarat, whereas the tiger is found widely across the country, from Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, and Assam to Madhya Pradesh, except in Gujarat, from where they disappeared in 2001. Not surprisingly, Na Mo wants to extend this trend to the rest of the country. What’s good for Gujarat has got to be good for the rest of the country. Thus displacing other important issues, such as the failure of wildlife conservatio

Was watching Narendra Modi addressing the NRI crowds in Canada. The guy sure has a rockstar presence. Reminds me of the cheering ovation he received at Madison Square Garden last year. The issues the guy raises are relevant. Cleanliness, gas subsidy etc etc. But one wonders whether he is playing to the gallery, or really serious about the issues. Cheering crowds, ovations can be heady stuff for anyone. No doubt, that eggs on our dear prime minister, too. Na Mo rocks, NaMo rules. Flight delays notwithstanding, NaMo rolls on. Here is  wishing that NaMo actually  delivers what he promises!

The grey leaves of late winter Flutter in the cool breeze; Reminiscent of the days gone by, Reminding one of the months to come, As the cycle goes on; Winter, Spring, Summer, Monsoon, Autumn; Do these leaves bring back happy memories Of carefree cool  nights and bright sparkling stars? I think so. Does the tree know Of the detachment t that is about to come Like a loved one leaving you forever? Winter, Spring, Summer, Monsoon, Autumn, Grey, Green, Bright green, Pale, The colours of leaves Are like the colours of life Each day is a new day, Birth of a new hope, Each leaf that greys in winter Gives rise to  a green one in spring.

My daughter is a clockwork kid. Which doesn't mean that she is very much into clocks, but simply that she is like those toys that go on playing, after being wound up, for hours on end. Take her love for games, for example. She simply loves Timezone , the games arcade at South City Mall,  Calcutta. She goes wild with the basketball, freaks out on the table ice hockey ,and loves the toffee machine. There have been times when we have won enough toffees to last weeks together. And for her benefit, I try the darts and the hoopla, only to fail in getting any prizes. But I do it anyway, in order to keep her happy. Timezone is a place I wouldn't have entered otherwise. Its noisy, crowded and often  claustrophobic . But I tag along with her, since she loves the place. And find myself enjoying it, if for nothing then for the reason that I enjoy her company, and it is a kind of daddy- daughter date which both of us have built up over the last few years.  This time

Parenting is a rather difficult art at any time. From birth, to subsequent growth and development of a child, both physical and psychological, it is a process that is at the same time profoundly fascinating, exhausting but rewarding. And one of the most difficult challenges that one can face is being a long distance parent. I have been at it for several years. From the time I had to leave her back in Kolkata in 2011, in near –tears after two years of incredible closeness, it’s been an up and down journey, sometimes frustrating, sometimes rewarding, but always worth it. Because there is no greater reward than being able to connect to your child and hear those magical words,” Papalu’ (her nickname for me).There are days when she is garrulous, and days when she hardly wants to communicate, so it’s a rather trying journey. But always worth it. Because this is the very kid I held close to me as she slept, when she was born, on a bitterly cold night in 2010 at Delhi