Lagaan, Jodha Akbar..Rahman's Best!!

As we continue to admire the success that A.R Rahman has got with the Oscar-Winning "Slumdog Millionaire", its interesting to note that the best songs from A.R are not just these.. There are far better compositions from this genius!--My favorite are Lagaan and Jodha Akbar.
Whereas most music directors record the final track first, with all the orchestration and get the singer to dub the last, A.R invariably gets the singer to dub on a base rhythm track first and does the orchestration later, as he wants the orchestration to rise from the depth of the feeling in the singer’s voice. That’s the reason why with every one of his tracks you can’t recognize where the music ends and the voice begins, and vice versa. Each and every instrument is made to be played with the same emotional depth as that is in the singer’s voice.
That makes him stand out from the other music composers of this era.
Some of the links to these songs download are given below: [My pick of the lot!!]
Lagaan:

• Lagaan....Once Upon A Time In India
• Radha Kaise na Jale..
• O rey Chori

Jodha Akbar:

• Azeem-o-...
• Jashn-e-Baharaa
• Man Mohana
  

With love..
Anil

Update on Spider-Man 4 and 5!!

I have been eagerly awaiting some fresh news about spidey-4 and 5...And here it is..some kind of relief to all spidey fans out here!!:

Sony Pictures have announced their plans for not just doing Spider-Man 4 but creating Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5 simultaneously to save time and money (as done with Matrix 2&3, and Pirates of the Caribbean 2&3).

Tobey Maguire is set to return, and he will get a nice $50 million salary for it. Sam Raimi as well is attached to helm and James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, The Rundown) does the screenwriting.

If Kirsten Dunst will return in the role as Mary Jane Watson is not yet decided.

Hope it works as planned and the movie hits theatres 2011-2012!!
Waiting with bated breath for developments on this!..

Nearly 80 pc Lok Sabha MPs are graduates!

Hi all! Contrary to popular belief that most of our Parliamentarians is not an educated lot, official records show that nearly 80 per cent of them have graduation as their minimum academic qualification.

As many as 428 out of 543 lawmakers have graduation or above as their educational qualification as per Lok Sabha records. While 157 Parliamentarians are post-graduate, 22 are doctorates.

The official data show that while there was a decrease in the number of under-matriculate MPs from 112 in the first Lok Sabha to 19 in the present Lower House, there was a substantial increase in the number of those having post-graduate degrees from 85 to 157.

There are as many as 22 Parliamentarians with doctorates, including Raghuvansh Prasad (RJD), M Ramadass (PMK), Rameshar Oraon, Rajesh Kumar Mishra (both Congress) and Kuwar Devendra Singh Yadav (SP).

Senior Parliamentarian and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, a double post-graduate, is among the highly qualified members besides Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee who is a Bar-at-Law.

Besides the senior Parliamentarians, the young MPs also contributed in the increase in the number of highly-qualified lawmakers.

Some of those noted MPs include Rahul Gandhi (MPhil), Jitin Prasada (MBA), industrialist-turned MP Naveen Jindal (MBA) and Milind Deora who has a degree in business administration.

Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot, also influential youth leaders, hold masters degree in business administration.

The four Es of great leaders --by Jack Welch

JACK WELCH FORMER CHAIRMAN & CEO | GE

After a while I got the hang of the characteristics that made some people better than others at setting the right goals, reaching them the right way, and doing both in the right amount of time, which is what leadership is when you get right down to it. Basically, my process assesses four essential traits of leadership (each one starting with an E, a nice coincidence). One, successful leaders have tons of positive Energy. They can go-go-go; they love action and relish change. Two, they have the ability to Energize Others — they love people and can inspire them to move mountains when they have to. Three, they have the Edge, the courage to make tough yes-or-no decisions. And finally, they can Execute. A leader’s intelligence has to have a strong emotional component. He must be able to withstand the heat, handle setbacks and, when those lucky moments arise, enjoy success with equal parts of joy and humility. No doubt emotional intelligence is more rare than book smarts, but my experience says it is more important in the making of a leader.

When compassion won the battle

EMPEROR ASHOKA

There are few events in ancient Indian history that continue to grab as much attention as Ashoka’s warrior king of the times and is even said to have killed his brothers in a fit of rage — was the Kalinga War.

All this changed after the war, which took place around 265 BCE and, according to Ashoka’s edicts, claimed over 100,000 lives. The carnage deeply scarred Ashoka and radically changed the nature of his empire.

Ashoka embraced Buddhism and adopted ahimsa as his official policy. In one of his edicts, Ashoka declared: “The killing, death or deportation of a hundredth, or even a thousandth part of those who died during the conquest of Kalinga now pains Beloved-of-the-Gods. Now Beloved-of-the-Gods thinks that even those who do wrong should be forgiven where forgiveness is possible.”

The latter half of Ashoka’s reign was marked by acts of piety and tolerance. Ashoka turned his attention to building stupas — including the Sanchi stupa — rest houses and roads. A policy of accommodation and alliance with neighbouring kingdoms was followed. He also sent out Buddhist missionaries to distant places. The decision that Ashoka took on the bloody plains of Kalinga transformed him from a bloodthirsty conqueror to an apostle of peace. That is how India and the world remember him.

Ashokan pillars, which were strewn across his enormous empire, are now the emblem of India and the dharmachakra (the wheel of righteous duty), that crowned the columns, has found a place in India’s flag.

No words to describe!!

Now that the Oscar fever has come down, lemme get back to business..
Today I have grasped IBM Tivoli Netcool/Omnibus 7.2 Certification with a perfect score of 100%!!..My target of the perfect 100 was achieved in a matter of 40-odd minutes of pure excitement.

Of course more challenges keep soming for any IT Professional..so always remaining on toes!! You never know what may come up tomorrow!! so need to constantly update our skills..
But as for now, its the time to celebrate!!..no words to describe!

Jay Ho song lyrics [Slumdog Millionaire] and the downloadable song

Jai Ho!! Lyrics: Gulzar, Music: A.R.Rahman (With translation)
Download the song[mp3] here

Jai ho (May there be Victory)
Jay ho
Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane Ke Tale
Aaja Jariwale Nile Aasman Ke Tale
(Come on my Life, under the canopy Come under the blue shinig sky)

Jai Ho, Jai Ho – 2
Ratti Ratti Sachi Maine Jaan Gavayi Hai
(I lost my life day by day)

Nach Nach Koylo Pe Raat Bitayi Hai
(Spent nights by dancing on burning Coal)

Akhiyon Ki Neend Maine Phoonko Se Uda Di
(I have blown up the sleep by mouth)

Neele Tare Se Maine Ungli Jalayi Hai
(burned my finger with blue star)

Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane Ke Tale
Chakh Le, Ha Chakh Le, Ye Raat Shahad Hai.. Chakh Le
(This night is honey, taste it)

Rakh Le, Ha Dil Hai, Dil Aakhri Had Hai.. Rakh Le
(Keep my heart, it is the last thing I have)

Kala Kala Kajal Tera Koi Kala Jadoo Hai Na
(Black in your eye is like a black magic)

Kala Kala Kajal Tera Koi Kala Jadoo Hai Na
Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane Ke Tale
Aaja Jariwale Nile Aasman Ke Tale, Jai Ho, Jai Ho
Jai Ho.., Jai Ho.., Jai Ho.., Jai Ho..

Kab Se, Ha Kab Se Tu Lab Pe Ruki Hai.. Kah De
(You are at my lips since when?)

Kah De, Ha Kab Se Ab Aankh Jhuki Hai.. Kah De
(Tell me, Since when your eyes are closed?)

Aisi Aisi Roshan Aankhe Roshan Dono Bhi Hai Hai Kya
(Eyes are so bright, both are bright)

Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane Ke Tale
Aaja Jariwale Nile Aasman Ke Tale, Jai Ho, Jai Ho

Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho, Jai Ho
Jayi Ho, Jay Ho, Jay Ho, Jay Ho

Download the song[mp3] here

"Oscar Fever "!!

This year's Oscar have been more exciting than ever!!
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE grabbed awards by handfull!! JAY HO!!
Its Awards:
Best Movie
Best Director
Best Music Song
Best Music Score
Best Sound Mixing
Best Film Editing
Adapted Screenplay
Achievement in Cinematography


Continuous updates at: http://www.oscar.com/oscarnight/winners/

Welcome back to the pepped up blogspot.com!!

Its been a roller coaster ride in the past yr.
With recession and stuff being talked abt soo much, i prefer not to get into that topic. Hoping this year brings some kind of hope to all of us.
Now blogger has the social element added to it called Google Friend Connect..It looks very neat and fantastic! It has the well known simplicity of Google by default..
Now we can create a mini orkut like sites on our own blogs/pages where visitors can join, make friends, share comments, etc..!!

The week that was..

the past week was a week of many ups and downs in various realms..whether it is Mumbai's struggle after a long 6 match unbeaten stride in IPL or the BJP rising frm what many believed are ashes in Karnataka polls. Of special interest would be BJP's boost of moral after its landslide victory in the Karnataka polls when very few expected so!

After quite a gap...

Hmmm..Again blogging after a while..Feels good, exciting and something new happening.
Some of the highlights include the my passion for Jodha Akbar, the unforgettable Bangalore trip, memorable events, and adding new competencies.

One amazing thing is the experience of watching Jodha Akbar in full glory with teammates and our overseas client in Adlabs, Palm Beach, Vashi, Mumbai..The best show I ever had in a theatre, complete with crisp image, crystal clear sound effects, and most importantly the movie itself, which I consider as the most beautiful movie ever on Indian screen..Fantastic!!..When I say beautifull, I dont just mean its visuals/costumes/jewellery.
It goes much more beyond that..Its the beauty of relationships..beauty of love..beauty of the royal age..and beauty of their performances..Hritik in particular did exceptionally well, giving the role a romantic, cool and modern feel.
As for Ash, she looks natural. I just wonder how interesting would it have been if Gayatri Joshi[of Swades fame] had done the role instead of her!! I feel she too has the same looks and talent to carry the role of a princess without much ado..
And the music keeps lingering in your minds long after you leave the hall. And despite listening to the Jashn-e bahaara a 100 times, I never get bored of it. There is so much depth in the lyrics that is so unique to this gem of a song.

Another notable thing was that even the foreigner enjoyed the movie despite not understanding Hindi.
Well, the next day I was off to my Bangalore[Namma Bengaluuru!!!] which was a new experience for me..
Meeting friends, surprising treats, and many more kept me engrossed all the time, despite running a slight fever may be due to the travel/sudden water change.
Ok..its getting late..need to have a nice sleep..
Hope to blog later again :) Bye

Amazing movies...

This weekend has been much better than expected..
Got an opportunity to watch some great films-

Madagascar
Aparichitudu
Roja
Bombay
Titanic[though not continuously]

Bombay I think is the best Indian film to be made and there is nothing that comes close to it in terms of sensitivity and the beautiful depiction of human nature, the harsh realities of communalism, politics, etc..Kudos to Mani Ratnam for bringing the movie forward despite opposition from some quarters of society[you all know who]
Kudos also to A.R.Rahman for soul touching music that never leaves you untouched.
Lots of scenes to describe the speciality of this movie. I can keep writing a big book on this movie to describe what is so special about it!!

Roja is a movie of brave women of India, and actually be compared to the story of Saavitri, who brought back her husband's life from the God of death- Yamadharmaraja.
Mani Ratnam excelled in creating the mood of terror, as also the first big break for A.R.Rahman that catapulted him to the league of top composers.

Titanic, as everyone knows is the best movie of all times. This is the first time that Hollywood has dealt with human emotions so deeply and gave it a deft touch. It still amazes me after more than 10 years, like a masterpiece on a canvas. The images linger on for a long time and maybe forever!!

Madagascar is one such movie which may not figure in most of our favourite list, but its a near perfect depiction of friendship, the circumstances that change everyone, all in a laugh riot..

Aparichitudu keeps you engrossed all the time with its strong storyline and excellent fights. A very important message to all the citizens is very well told and executed..Music not much to write about, but the movie is enjoyable nevertheless..

New avenues waiting to be explored!!

New avenues waiting to be explored!!
There is something new to be known daily and achieve success in it..neednt master it, but experience it nevertheless..
So apart from the usual preparation for various certifications, there seems to be something new waiting to happen and learning the same..
Learning about Google Desktop Gadgets and how they work..Someday I can create an application that everyone can say "WOW!!"
No concrete plans for the extended weekend though..just cool off in the room, watching TV :)

Another hurdle crossed!! A perfect icing on the cake for this year..

Yes!!..Ever since I heard the term "ITIL", I wondered what it is about like anyone who doesnt know what it is all about..

And here I am with a successfull certification in ITIL, which basically deals with standards in the IT field[it can be applied to any organisation though]...
Once we understand the concept, it should be possible to clear it for anyone.
This is a perfect icing on a cake called 2007 that redefined my life's goals and already lay the road ahead for 2008...
2008 has a bigger challenge-IBM Tivoli Netcool certification, which is the ultimate dream of any network management professional...
Already feeling the heat of it and started a roadmap for preparation..

For now though, its time for celebration of the impeding new year, thanking everyone who has been behind me in all tough moments throughout this year, and setting new goals....
Bye and good night..need to have a good sleep!!

WOW!! THATS HOW THIS YEAR HAS BEEN...

Got to post after a long time...
Sometimes life brings a moment that we all cherish for a life time..
But this whole year has been a collection of those special moments for me.
Winning awards that I didnt expect,
discovering new friends,
exploring the world around me,
rising like a phoenix from the ashes[missing a chance in Fidelity],
coming out winner[getting into Capgemini, Mumbai],
putting my potential to use[our first project on Google maps],
and yes..celebrating the success TOGETHER at the fag end of this year[capgemini's annual day--Jashn 2007]
This has certainly been an year that has changed everything.
But in life, some dreams take more than a lifetime to get fulfilled, and this isnt a movie either for the show to go on..It has to stop somewhere.
Looking forward to 2008 to discover new challenges which i can smell already.
Tearful adieu to 2007 with this message to it...
"Dear, I ll miss u!! Hope 2008 can take a leaf out of your book.."

New Year, New Dreamz, New Goals!!!

A Rocking Year Started...

This new year 2007 brought with it a lot of challenges, rewards, expectations, and also many new goals to reach..The most interesting part of it is that almost each of it was unexpected..
First is the Web Design 2nd prize at the NIIT Tech Rhapsody fest, which was one of the most happy moments of my life..Itz something special..

Then there was this industrial visit to WebMethods[located in Bangalore], which was exciting and oppurtunity came out of the blue..

Next is completion of my course and leaving NIIT which wasnt so easy to cope with due to many reasons..many emotions are linked to it.

Latest is the offer from CapGemini Mumbai and the subsequent working environment there, which is fantastic.Here the work environment inspires you to work better with flexibility to develop your career all the time..
So looking forward to the future...

The week gone by..

EMBEDDING FLASH INTO YOUR WEB PAGES, ...
The past week had some interesting events, which are varied and exciting as well.
The one most exciting event is my ability to embed high-quality flash presentations into the web page that i am designing.And the ease with which i got it is truly remarkable!
Actually using a small software called "Flash Slide Show Maker", we can create flash presentations with background music, which plays whenever we open the webpage it is embedded into!!
Once the slide show is created, we can embed it using the tag:
embed src="filename.swf" height=a width= x..etc
where filename.swf is the file that is created using the flash slide show maker

I am sure this is the highlight of the week, but another event is that of the career development seminar held by NIIT on friday[22 dec 2006], which has been interesting and left me with somuch to learn...

SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF MY FIRST JDBC PROGRAM, WITH A DIFFERENCE!!

connecting java program to the ms access database successfull!!
Atlast, on 19 dec 2006, i have successfully executed a program which connects to the MS ACCESS database, instead of the SQL SERVER [which i dont have in my system], retrieves data and shows it in the command prompt.
This came as a relief to me as everywhere, only the SQL SERVER is being used[at study centre], and i just thought of finding out if i could connect to ms access and work on it..
We just need to change the "MyDataSource" in the program to "MS ACCESS 97 DATABASE" (not case sensitive) or whatever is the name shown in the DSN list in your system.
It wasnt easy though. Initially, it shows a runtime error, something like "cannot access the database"...etc..
Then i changed the acount name and password.
AND IT WORKED STRAIGHT AWAY!!
I hope this can help me in getting in depth idea about all the JDBC and stuff related to it!!

another of my poems

BLEEDING EARTH


Earth will be our home
Provided we do no harm
But then came industrial revolution
Due to the homo sapiens evolution
Buildings reached heavens with height
Uprooting any greenery in sight
Vehicles with smoke choke us
In toxic air they soak us
Atom bomb made earth cry
As Hiroshima &Nagasaki fry
Missiles pierce for blood
Causing earth to bleed
Isn’t earth a bleeding eye
When million lives die?
Damaged eye has another one
But for earth, there is none
Eye-like sensitive is our earth
And it must be at our heart

some of my poems

One of my best poems in my opinion:

BEST TASTE OF CRICKET[The Indo-Pak brand]


When the big time rings
No army takes its wings
When the whole nation is in battle mood
Army chiefs aren’t in battle mode
Rather,captain spins coin
Tension brings everyone pain
“Thrash them”pakis shout
Indians yell “smash them out”
Hence starts battle of guts
And not the battle of guns
When batsmen hit lightening shots
Bowlers appeal with thunderous shouts
Crowd soak in rain of thrill
In breeze of cricket they chill
But clouds of mistrust remain
Mutual trust we should regain
Let terror shun its bloody path
& change into a flower pot
then, with a lovely ‘dosti’ flower
taste the best cricket flavour!