“Best things happen when you least expect.”

 

It all started with a phonecall from my maternal uncle from Kolkata whose 70^th Birthday was due in a week’s time . I had made arrangements for my mother to attend the occasion , but I did not have any plans to join due to work. However with much coaxing from my uncle I  wrapped up my work and joined him one day before his 70^th Birthday . I not only ended up attending his 70^th Birthday Party , but also joined them on their trip to Arunachal Pradesh.

Now from where did this Arunachal trip crop up . Yes my uncle and aunty in Kolkata are avid travellers.  And since I was already in Kolkata with my mother it made sense to join them .  So a sudden family vacation - Courtesy my uncle.

Well the process to book hotels through apps is rather a task and unreliable.  As most hotels in Arunachal do not have a good equation with online booking apps. So after booking through the apps , I had to cancel and rebook directly with the hotels. Managed to get all the stay sorted before we could land there.

On 5^th Nov  2019 we landed in Guwahati and rested for that day . Next day morning we left for Arunachal  Pradesh . We reached our first stop – A beautiful place called Dirang .  I was very impressed with the clean roads. The view up the winding roads was a visual treat .  From beautiful monasteries  , to resorts , to locals , to kids playing in the open and the infinite mountains staring at you .

We stayed at a resort called Awoo in Dirang.  Apart from the hospitable staff , the heater in the room was a savior . 

Next day we left for another town called Tawang. I came across one of the best Monasteries. I was delighted to step inside and sit for the prayers .  I would say , this experience was one of the highlights of my trip .  The other one being , playing housie with the family while sipping some local wine .

 

Our next  destination was Bumla pass and like many touristy people we too were excited to see the Indo – China border . The icing was the beautiful lakes we came across on our way to the Bumla pass . 

Finally we reached the top which was approx. 15,000 feet high . All the tourists assembled in a holding area where tea and biscuits were served . Then in groups we walked to the point where we supposedly could see the Indo – China border . China toh door door tak nahi dikha but instead got a brief history on Indo China war .

 

After an hour or two and all the photo session , we began our descent to Tawang , we reached our guesthouse – Ugyenling. We rested and next day morning we were on our way to Bomdila , where we halted for one night at a guesthouse called Highlanders . What amazed me that the guesthouse was run only by woman , Right from the porter to housekeeping to cooks – All women .

Finally we reach Guwahato airport and back to Kolkata . For a few days my mind was still in the mountains . It will only be fair to say “Best things happen when you least expect.” 

If only I could fly

I wish I could fly - How many times have we told this to ourselves?

In November 2018, I stepped into the small and serene town of Bir, in the hope to fly - Yes, since a long time paragliding was on my bucket list.

So I reached the hotel a night before with severe cold and thought I would not be able to enjoy my first experience in paragliding . However one of the adventure sports organizers arranged some medicines which made me feel better the next day .

At 9 am in the morning I sat in the car with nothing but my mobile phone in my Jacket pocket. Excited was the best way I could describe my emotions and it was only growing. When will I reach the top and when will my feet leave the ground ?

Finally the car reached the take-off site is Billing. I got out of the car , met the Pilot who put the gear on me and handed me a Go Pro camera on a selfi stick . Well the stick was the most important thing for me at that point. It would have  proof that I finally flew up in the air . It would have memories which I could go back whenever I would sit next to the window pane of my home, sipping a cup of coffee . 

 

So the time had arrived. Out of the dream world and into the reality I was all set to fly . The Pilot instructed that I must run as fast as I can and not stop. Here’s when I remembered all the athletics competitions that I participated in school. On the count of three we ran as fast as we could before setting my feet off the ground.  There came the moment where I was no longer on land. And that was HEAVEN .

I sat on the harness suspended below a fabric wing. Yes I was literally touching the sky. Then when the pilot put the Go pro on, Guess what ! It didn’t work. ( Sound of Broken glass ) .

I thought I could never capture  the premiere of my paragliding experience . Then came my mobile phone to the rescue. At a height of 2400 meters I pulled out my Motorola G5Splus and started recording. Phew ! Well you must be wondering didn’t I fear that the phone would fall and I would never be able to find again . Well the thought of not being able to have a memory of my first paragliding experience was more predominant.

So back to the enjoying and fun part. The pilot glided through the sky to give me a bird’s eye view of different shades of the landscape – mountains, fields, houses, children playing, cattle . All in one picture .

This heavenly experience lasted for only 20 mins and the time came when had to land. Its rightfully said. All good things come to an end. Soon my feet touched the ground and I was back to the land. Back to the real world but with new experiences and memories which will be cherished forever .

If you haven’t done paragliding in your life – then do it now!

 

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Alone but not alone!

 It all began from a film festival at Trivandrum,  Kerela , My journey to explore another new place . After a 45 hour train journey from Kolkata we reached our hotels late in the evening . Had some scrumptious dinner and crashed. Next day we headed to have the local thali in one of the finest restaurants in Trivandrum -   Mother’s Veg plaza . What we did in the morning was insignificant. What’s worth mentioning is the variety of items on a big banana leaf that you have to pull the chain to stop eating. The next day we decided to go to the tip of India - Kanyakumari .  Next on our list was the beautiful and serene Ponmudi hills , 3200 feet above sea level .The greenery and mist made it a divine experience, a photographer’s delight, and a hot destination for pre wedding shoots.

However my thirst to explore a few places continued. While others had their tickets booked back home, I decided to travel to Fort Cochin, perks of not planning . Well the thought that drove me was ‘ How can one come to Kerela and not see the backwaters !’ . So I took a train from Trivandrum to Ernakulum and then and auto to Fort Cochin to I one’s home stay. I had my stay all sorted ,thanks to my batch mate at film school.

As soon as I reach the homestay I was hit by a disappointing news that there isn’t any backwater trip the following day . I had only one day at hand. What to do?? Looking at my keenness , after a while the owner managed to contact one tour group and got me a booking . The next day I was ready at 8 am to be picked up . We sat in a mini bus with an Australian family and two boys from UK and began my voyage to the back waters in Viakom, Kottayam district of Kerela.

Beautiful as imagined, I couldn’t resist the tempting scenery and started capturing everything onto my camera. On route we visited the Lime powder factory and the rope factory , bought some home made taprioca chips.

And once again had the local thali  , after which we shifted into a smaller open boat and went deeper into the narrow streams of the backwaters . The visual treat was the blue Kingfisher which I saw for the first time.

Very tired, yet fulfilled, I returned to my room and after a good nap I went to one of the best ‘tourist’ restaurant in fort cochin – The fusion bay . Never imagined that I would travel alone and meet some interesting people.  However after scanning through the menu I ordered Prawns molly and Appam. While I waited for my dinner to come I began conversing with a lady , Serah from New York who had come to visit the child she sponsored from Munnar . What interested me was , she worked in her family run business . A chocolate shop ! and she started sharing with me her experiences with chocolate lovers. We talked for two hours and as she left another gentleman walked in and sat on the adjacent table. I was finishing my dinner when I heard a voice  “Are you from Mumbai? “ . It was the same gentleman who had just entered. From there I began a new conversation with Robin a drummer by profession . He was in India to teach drumming in a music school in Mumbai .So the topics traversed from Chocolates to Music. Robin was from Amsterdam and starting teaching drumming from the age of 17 . Also I learnt tat abroad boys and girls prefer moving out (staying away from their parents) at quite an early age. Something that was hard for me to fathom .But as he went into details I realized how differently people perceive life and their relationships .Interesting isn’t it?

Such were the perks of travelling alone , we get to meet a bunch of new and interesting people who touch or enrich our lives in a small way . We never know whether we will meet again , but the time spend is worthwhile .

Ponmudi Hills

Viakom Backwaters

http://dnasyndication.com/dna/dna_english_news_and_features/Conquering-the-silver-screen/DNMUM322841

Spasiba! VGIK festival

Little did I know that my first short film made in Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute , Kolkata , INDIA would take me to VGIK , one of the prestigious film schools in the world . It was my first time to Moscow. Well it was the first time for most of us but with the presence of our co ordinators and new friends we never felt we were new to the city .Right from receiving us from the airport to taking us around , they were there with us. I remember the times when I would often get mesmerized by the beauty of the city and stop by suddenly to click a picture or two but I was never afraid of getting lost because two pairs of eyes were constantly looking at me . Like a mother never loses sight of her child our co ordinators too didn’t whenever we would go out.

My next pleasant surprise came at the opening ceremony . The grand opening, I would call it and for a student festival I must say its no less than the academy.

I feel privileged to be part of the festival as it gave me a platform to see films all across the world and have the makers right in front. Mot only did I enjoy the screenings , I also learnt and shared my  experiences with other film makers which made my film viewing really worthwhile. However I wished that the masterclasses would be in English , would have attending those aswell .

All work and no play makes John a dull boy ! Am sure we would have got bored just watching films . But the organizers made sure this didn’t happen to us , apart from the opening party and closing party , we did go clubbing and explore the night life in Moscow after the screenings . And not to forget we were in the safe hands of our co ordinators and other students.

What is commendable is the effort put by each and every student to make us feel comfortable and happy . This is what I appreciate and will always be thankfull to VGIK and its organizers and my film school.

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Most treasured experience...

This definitely deserves a place in my blog. Yes it has been a great and humbling experience to have the legendary and extremely talented Mamata Shankar in my first short film. The journey began with the time I spend at my maternal uncle’s house in Rashbehari , from there came the germ or seed  of this short film. After writing the short film in close association with my mentor / professor , I started meeting various theatre actors. Then one day mustered the courage to call Mamata mam , fixed a meeting , narrated the story and waited for her confirmation .  From the time I steped out from her house , I kept telling myself that I found the main character for my film . I kept my fingers crossed and soon I got the good news . this was a huge boost to myself and the team and alao a pressure to work with an actor so experienced and talented. But when we started shoot we realized that it was so comfortable working with Mamata mam and it seemed that she was one among us. On the last day we were delighted to have finished the shoot but we were saddened that this will be the end of working with one of the most talented actors . Indeed it was a  great learning experience which will always hold a special place in my life. I long for another opportunity like this. I wish to be blessed again. 

Beau Travail

What happens when you have spend days after days watching films by one of the finest film makers in the world , cut to ,you get to meet her , live and rocking! . I guess I was waiting for this big one , thats why it took me this long to write my next post. Masterclass with one of my favourite world cinema film makers - Claire Denis. Its hard to explain the experience , ten days of cinema overdose about her films , her style , her approach , post the screenings of her films on celluloid.
However what amazed me the most was the energy and commitment with which she would come everyday and share her experiences on film making in spite of being unwell. I find these meetings / encounters in life the most inspiring and enriching.
For those who haven't seen her films here's what you can do http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219136/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 and for those who haven't got her autographed poster ......hmmmmm..... sorry you can only end up feeling jealous !

SPITI DAIRIES....

Some memories are to be cherished through out life and my trip to Spiti is definitely one of them.Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing and living these memories.

10th July – 6:30 pm. Our journey began from the Delhi to Manali after having nearly missed the bus .So the start was already adventurous.

11th July – Morning we reach the busy ,crowded mall road bus stand. One would immediately want to get out of there and so did we. Looked for a guesthouse to park ourselves for a day. We booked the next day’s sharing taxi to Kaza , Spiti

12th July – And it’s a TUESDAY, wondering so what? The govt blocks the roads that leads to Rotang pass for repairs. And hence roads would open only post 3 pm .But our enthusiastic and homesick driver tried his luck and we left Manali at 3 am ,But we weren’t surprised to return back to our hotels after waiting for half hour in the long queue of vehicles.Finally we left Manali at 4 pm and got through this time. But since we were traveling through the night we had to stop over at a place called Chatru (around 83 km from Manali),a basic dhaba type stopover place which had a single room with beds to crash at night for the travelers.

13th July – I woke up early morning and was surprised to know that the dhaba didn’t have a loo. Initially I refused to believe (my lack of trips to the remote villages) so i went hunting for one but didnt find any. And here was my first encounter with natural /open loos. Eat,sleep,drink and pee close to nature became the new mantra.
Finally we left for Kaza which was around 5 to 6 hours away. On our way I couldn’t resist but capture the barren beauty all around me (I had to request our driver to stop at regular intervals). After capturing a series of stunning landscapes we reached Kaza , the administrative town of Spiti. It’s a ten minute walk from one end of the town to the other, such is the size of the town but it is the busiest of all.
Staying in Mumbai, I never imagined that one day I would reach 12,000 feet above sea level. So my first day at Kaza was rest,rest and more rest. We finally woke up at 7 pm and by then it was time for dinner.We went to Maha Buddha , which later became one of my favourite restaurants’ in Kaza .Every ten steps we walked we would gasp for 5 mins and then start again.

14th July – DAY 2 at Kaza ,Spiti .We got up as early as 9 am (not early according to Spitian standards) and headed to Ecosphere’s (An active NGO in Kaza) office and decided to go to the Pin valley and meet the Head Buchen lama at Khar village . Sounds like a simple plan. But we had no idea what was coming our way or what our journey would be like. We took the 4pm Himachal state transport bus from Kaza and reached Sagnam village ,it was an adventurous 25 min walk from Sagnam to Khar crossing a man made bridge with wooden planks which kept swaying with the flow of the wind .So every step you take your heart skips a beat.Finally we reached Khar village and met Mr Chhewang Namgial’s (head of a buchen lama group) he started off by serving local tea and some biscuits. Then we went on chatting with Chhewang, who shared knowledge about the Tibetian culture , people and their practices and life in Pin valley. Though they hail from remotest villages where there aren’t proper roads and transportation , I was pleasantly surprised to know their views on the importance of education and its power to change people and society at large. And while we were busy with all the talking , Chhewang’s daughter merrily chewed on the Lindt chocolate we got for them.
After having a healthy home made dinner (Rajma rice and roti) we hit our basic yet cozy beds.

15th July – DAY 3 .The day began at 5 am where we woke up to leave for Kaza. What we knew that we had to walk down 20 mins to Sagnam bustand and cross the wobbly wooden bridge, but what we didn’t know that we had to walk another 5 mins and look for a natural loo encore .But this time I was mentally prepared , courtesy stay at Chatru. Finally after a tiring walk we boarded a share taxi and reached Kaza. Spend first half of the day sleeping and the latter half booking our return tickets, eating,chatting and whiling away time.
Well did I mention we moved into a cheaper guesthouse now that we had to extend our stay to be part of the Birthday Celebration of the head lama of Kungri Monastry of Pin Valley. And here comes the exciting part of the new place we shifted in. We thought we were part of some horror flick.It was 2 am and a stranger came knocking and mind you knocking hard and shouting “lamaji lamaji “ probably looking for a room. But the F$#& er didn’t realise that since no one was responding as everyone was fast asleep he should have buzzed off.But the stranger would not give up. He went on and on and this time it was another door.We started shiting bricks. Finally after several attempts as no one responded he disappeared in thin air. If I ever get my hands on him I would recommend RGV to sign him for his next horror film.
16th July – DAY 4– Today we were like the typical tourists .9 am at the taxi stand ,we geared up to visit Tabo monastery and Dhankar Monastry .Tabo approximately 1000 yrs old monastery and my first monastery visit. After visiting little rooms with Buddhist carving on the walls, we climbed up to an ancient cave and got a top view of the entire Tabo village .Later we headed towards Dhankar monastery which was almost in ruins, but thanks to Mr Kishore Thukral and his funders who are trying hard to restore it .Also at a distance was the new dhankar monastry ,which was under construction. But the highlight of the place was that one could see from the top of the monastery , the spiti – pin confluence.

17th July – DAY 5 , Kaza.A holiday within a holiday is what I would best describe this day. Breakfast and lunch at your favourite restaurant .Whiling away time. Connecting with civilization outside Himachal through the world wide web and changing my return date as I had to attend a premiere in Mumbai .But the dinner at Zambala restaurant is the most fun way to end the day .
Let me start with the look and feel one would get once he/she enters the restaurant or you can call it a Spitian dhaba with peppy dance numbers heard at shaadis and a few Punjabi , bob dylon and George Michael played once in a while. A showcase of weird characters . A French wagabond or ‘ a freeloader ’ as described by a veteran Spiti traveler who owns 14 bikes. A funny and generous waiter , 2 blondes and a few drunkards scattered here and there. And yah one friend who developed a fixation for opening beer bottles.All these under on roof. It so happened that after two bottles down,the waiter got a third one which was open already and when he was about to pour, my friend expressed his desire to open the bottle himself and then have the beer . Much to our surprise the waiter nonchalantly took the bottle back and said “ no problem sir main doosra la deta hoon , yeh wala mein pi leta hoon.” AAnd there was a burst of laughter.Later my friend shared another incident, while he was ordering food he asked the waiter “ yahan ka speciality kya hai’ .Our Mr cool waiter replied,” Sir yahan ka special menu card mein nahi hai. Lekar aaon ?” and guess what my friend ordered the dish Chicken roast and it tasted really good.SO the moral of the story - the best dishes are not in the menucard.

18th july - DAY 6 – Another touristy day . Like good boys and girls we got up early.Had parathas at the unforgettable Zambala restaurant (no weird characters early morning though) and reported at 9 am at the taxi stand .We left for Ki monastery,close to kaza. An enthusiastic monk took us around and explained about the various carvings and statues .
One of my friend noticed a lamp shade rotating and below it was a diya .he asked the monk as to how was the lamp rotating.i must say there came an impressive and obviously philosophical reply “ Bin kaaran sansar mein patta hile na ek” .He said it was as a result of the diya that’s underneath that the lamp rotated
Our next destination that day was Kiber, 2nd highest village in Asia (4200 metres above sea level). At one
Then After having lunch at a restaurant in Kiber we headed back to Kaza, took the himachal state bus to mudh village.oh did I mention that one definitely needs an iron butt if he/she is travelling in the state bust especially in the back seat. Mudh is known for its greenery and trekking .We reached Mudh around 7pm and the sun didn’t set yet , so thankfully got to see the landscape in daylight and capture a few on my Canon 60 D.

19th July – Day 7 – We caught to 6 am bus to Sagnam village so that we can travel to khar village to meet mr Chewang Namgial whose house we were planning to stay over.by now he knew us and treated us like family.Well most of the people there do. We had the local delicacy for Lunch ‘THUKPA’ but with a slight difference - pin valley style. After chatting with him we realized there isnt much left to do . So while Chhewang went to get his horse back from the hills, I saw a Monty python and the holy grail. When Chewang got back I did one of the rarest things – helped him cook ,since all the ladies of the house were busy preparing for a cultural programme organized for the celebration of the head Lama’s birthday.

20th july - Day 8 – Another early morning – We all left for Kungri monastery to witness the birthday celebration of head lama of the monastery, Mr Dorje. After speaking to a local there I learnt that the monastery was built by him, who was also born in the same valley and this year was the third year of his birthday celebration organized by the pin valley residents.The day started by paying a visit to him who gave every one a stole , red thread and a buddha photo .The birthday celebration was a magnificent showcase of the valley’s culture and tradition. Different villages performing their traditional dance .The highlight was, a traditional dance performed by four dancers from Sikkim. Young and old everyone participated in the cultural programme and expressed their best wishes.

The next day on 21st July we left for Manali early in the morning. We crossed the same places on our way to Kaza , but this time it was a day trip. So though the route was same the landscape looked different. I think the most beautiful part of the entire trip was the travel from Manali to kaza and back.
And this time we parked ourselves at old Manali which was any day a much better place to stay than the overcrowed and commercial Mall road.

This land of barren beauty, picturesque landscapes, green peas fields, thankas, prayer wheels ,monasteries , momos and thukpas is one of the hidden treasure our country has. And exploring that has given me a sense of pride and happiness. So if you want to reach great heights, Spiti is the place to be in India .

Dilli ...mere nazron se

“Mam are u Nepali?”,asked a waiter at a Thai restaurant at Karol baug.I never thought of checking my identity /origin before as I was always sure of it,but for a second he put me in doubt.I exchanged glances with two friends who thought i hid a secret from them.Well Delhi is full of such weird or rather interesting characters.I came across a case of unusual marketing outside Agra fort.We had to rush to our vehicle in the parking lot as we had to
catch the train back to Delhi.My friend was already in the car waiting for me. Suddenly a dhabawala charges towards me with his marketing skills “ madam ayiye ,baithiye humare dhabe mein".He paused,looked at me with hope and then continued "Ayiye madam garam lassi aur thandi chai peelo ”. I sat in the car giggling ,not realizing my friend as well as the
dhabawala both burst out laughing. I too let go and burst out laughing. The dhabawala was at it .He continued “ Madam aur chai ke saath do samose free”.If only I was not getting late , I would have sat in his dhaba and tasted his garam lassi and thandi chai.
But my bestest was Old delhi,chandni chowk - rickshaw ride(4in1),jama masjid,kababs,silver jewellry,mojris and the great galib's haveli (which was closed by the time we reached there).And ya the Delhi Metros - the highlight of the city(now i hear there is a ladies compartment) especially the names of stations couldnt be more interesting - Welcome and jhandewalan,two of my favourites. And the air conditioning in the metros were a boon during the heat .But wait who cares about the heat,what matters is friends,jiske liye dilli kya kanyakumari bhi ja sakte hai.mausam gaya tel lene...

FA FEVER

Things happen when you least expect it to. Four weeks of fun.think of a situation – day 1 we meet an absolute bunch of strangers – day 28 we miss our FA friends who were once strangers. (Navneet nikumbhkaran , chandradeep ,1+1 free, chutki, kanthan , mr bean, fakfi,shammi, salman khan)
Surprised ? well I would coin this as magical. Lectures , movies and course went on ,but the extracurricular activities we had , made the FA course memorable.
Highlights of the FA course.
• Mis en scene
• Metaphor
• Cold coffee
• Burp man , formula man,army lady
• Law college mess
• Ramada plaza
• Bade miyan in heavy rains
• Carter road
• Garam
• Amplifaya
• Kalpana
• Navneet nikumbhkaran
• Bablu picaso
• POP
• Vinit’s rickshaw dance
• Tug of war - buldozer
• Farewell party @ FTII terrace.
These are just a few. if I ponder for some more time I am sure I could come up with more fun moments we had at the FA course.
And to be honest till today I havnt got over with the FA FEVER.

All you need to do is make an effort.....

Off late i was wondering ,has life been so boring that i am running out of topics to write in my blog or am i so busy that i dont have the time.How come there hasnt been any thrill in my life, anything that has made me laugh or cry or simply moved me.I found my answer today.i asked myself ,how many of us spend a small fraction of our lives doing something or even thinking about people unknown to us? Not many.Many of us dont make an effort to be part of things that dont affect us.I think its time we change this attitude.And if you too believe the same please visit http://www.supportrahi.com and be a part of it (Only if you believe in it).

MOTHER OF COINCIDENCE

Today God’s been generous (or rather zee tv) and thus me and my friend meet after months ,post several failed attempts. And guess what ,the first thing i (in fact we) started talking about is "hey I have been reading this interesting book called (and we both say) "Almost Single” and then both look at each other and laugh.that reminded us that we were turning 26 yrs.we could visualise our mothers nagging about marriage.But what the hell,theres so much to talk so we decided to change the topic. After walking for ten minutes along the stretch of shivaji park we thought of parking ourselves (or rather treating ourselves) at Tamnak Thai.If you think that it was the end of coincidences then your mistaken.Just next door were my friends's collegues.Also during our conversation we discovered that we had similar traits,which we both were unaware of in the 2 years of our friendship.how i wished days like these would go on and on.

Home sweet home

When I first stepped on Kabul,I was glad that I live in Mumbai but when I landed in Malayasia I felt like settling there. but within few days i started feeling homesick.

Chinchau was the first local drink I had in Malayasia.obviously it didnt suit my taste buds.later i was warned by my line producer not to experiment with food,as it could taste wierd. but i still took a chance once in a while as i love to experiment.Apart from fish and dosa i also had the thinnest noodles and the most unusual desert,a fried ice cream.but where do i get mom's home made food.

well if i ask you there is one thing in common between kabul and malayasia what would it be? ITS PEOPLE. We recived utmost hospitality and care by the locals( not to forget,the producer Mr Solo and his team )whom we started missing on the last day.There fore i repeat , every country has building,rivers,mountains but what makes it different is mainly its people.

Who says Mumbai’s rickshawala’s are a nuisance, sometimes passengers too can be….

Yesterday I was supposed to meet a friend at CCD, Juhu. After waiting for a while I got a frantic call from my friend, saying “ hey Sharmista , I think I am lost.” I was sure by now she knew half of juhu area. Moreover she was frustrated not only because she was lost but also because she had a meeting with a painful and idiotic Client that day.
Atlast we met .She narrated her whole experience of getting lost and that the poor rickshawala finally got frustrated as he too didn’t know the way. He yelled at her“ Aap ko khud pata nahi aapko kaha jaana hai?” She instantly replied, “ Bhaiya raaste ka kya bol rahe ho ,mujhe mere life mein kahan jana hai pata nahi.The rickshawala was zapped .He didn’t utter a single word after that and took her straight to CCD without asking for directions. I couldn’t stop laughing !!!

A MEMORABLE CHAPTER IN MY LIFE.

Every destination has mountains , rivers, valleys, hotels, houses but what makes the place different are its people.

The first time I told my mother that I have to go to Afghanistan for a music video shoot. “NO” she yelled. Initially I too was reluctant for obvious reasons. But trust me guys after I reached there, I didn’t regret a bit. On the 4th of Sept we stepped onto the soil of Kabul airport .We were staying at a four star hotel , SAFI LANDMARK in Kabul city.With a few Indians working there I didn’t feel that I was in a foreign land.On the 5th of September we traveled to a place called PANJSHIR valley. Was delighted to see the scenic beauty - winding roads, valleys, river flowing between mountains. We reached the mountain top and got a panoramic view of that region. It was like heaven , a place never seen before. Up on top of the mountains was tomb of Afghanistan’s popular leader AHMAD SHAH MASOOD .
We had to shoot a TVC in Afghanistan (something that was not in our agenda ) apart from the music video recce .During this we came in contact with an organization called AINA where I met some Indian brothers. It was a privilege to meet Mr.Reza Deghati, a veteran photographer of National geographic and also the founder of AINA. I spend a couple of days with them. Also we were present on one of the most unforgettable days in the history of Afghanistan ,9th Sept , the death anniversary of Afghanistan’s leader Ahmad Shah Masood. When we stepped on the streets of Kabul, we witnessed rallies and processions conducted by his fans and followers. Time flew by and the day of our departure came,11th sept 2007.
It seemed like eight days were not enough, given an opportunity I would definitely want to visit that place again. I was deeply touched by the warm hospitality and love we received from the people there. I am still nostalgic about that place. Therefore I repeat what I said before what makes a place different are its people.

Kalaghoda festival

Gregory and Me




On the 11th of feb 2007 ,last day of the kala ghoda festival i had a face to face encounter with a once upon a time criminal, but when u meet him , he is nothing less than a gentleman.I m talking about Gregory Roberts David the writer of the famous book "SHANTARAM".I was fortunate to attend the talk by Gregory at DS library compound at kalaghoda,thanks to my friend who informed me about it.The audience was mesmarised by his talk.Literature lovers if u didnt attend the talk i bet u have missed something!

MY NEW YEAR BASH - 31st dec 2006

Away from crowd, loud music or noise, traffic, pollution.Nine adventurourous people head off to karjat , few kilometers away found their base and put up their tents.Well i can go on and on but ill leave it to the pictures to talk about it.
So all you party goers try this option for the coming year. ...... its different

WELCOME ....to my first blog

Hi all,

On the 28th of october , I Sharmista Nag created my first blog.Was quite a task but finally made it.Thanks to www.blogger.com

So fasten your seatbelts and wait and watch!