new york has inspired me to write atleast 2 more scripts…. the city is a wonderful, yet crazy contradiction…on one hand it’s a working person’s dream city…with pace and speed, and professionalism and suits and on the other hand it’s like all everyone talks about is relationships….

” and so he said….” and ” but do you think she’s worth it…” or ” are you sure he likes you…” and ” well i told him to move out…” seem to be the only conversations people seem to be having and it’s amazing…we can all work our work life out perfectly but relationships are hard… and we don’t seem to value them enough….we also don’t seem to think they’re hard or need work….and the one thing this city and the last few days have made me realise that life’s not worth it without relationships and relationships are worth the time we invest….!

relationships with husbands/boy friends/ girl friends /families….all difficult…all interesting…all tough!

to make them work- pick a side and then fight for that side till the end…that’s the only way it’ll work….that’s the only way u’ll work!

relationships can’t be half hearted/ half baked…u have to go out there and put in all you can and make it work…in a marriage, in a friendship and in life…else don’t even try and put the ones u don’t have time to invest in , in an ever growing group of ‘acquaintances’….

if ur calling someone a friend/marrying/ going out with someone….GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT!

COS…..IT’S WORTH IT!

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FringeNYC 2010 Festival Review

A PERSONAL WAR- STORIES OF THE MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS

Yesterday, I had one of the most profound moments in the theatre I have ever experienced. The show was nearing its end, and suddenly I stood up, and everyone around me stood, faster than is possible. So I find myself there standing, and I don’t know why. There is a song playing and I look at the actors lined up onstage and the audience members around me and some of them are mouthing what I now realize is the Indian national anthem. Yesterday was Indian Independence Day. Yesterday was also the day that I became a better, more knowledgeable citizen of the world by seeing A Personal War.

A Personal War – Stories of the Mumbai Terror Attacks is playwright-director-actor Divya Palat’s homage to those who died on 26/11—the day the terrorist attacks on India began in November of 2008. Joined by five other exceedingly talented actors, all from Mumbai, Palat educates us about the horrific incident through video projections and by following the lives of six characters leading up to, during, and after the attacks.

One by one, the characters come out to the chair positioned centerstage and introduce themselves, often quite humorously, by way of a monologue. A young lawyer regales us with his story of that time he and his best friend Tim, “or was it Tom?”, well he and “Tim-Tom” got locked in a prison in Dubai and his dad had to bail him out and send him to a maximum security prison…his office. We meet a young mother with dreams of fashion and Bollywood, a love-struck, adorably shy young man who works at a call center, a waiter at the Taj Mahal Hotel, a news reporter, and Palat, as herself, who was out for a jog with her dog.

It is shameful how little I knew about the Mumbai terror attacks. I did not know the terrorists targeted the grandiose Taj Mahal Hotel, the Leopold Restaurant, and Trident Oberoi Hotel. I had not seen the powerful footage of gunmen, and blood and bodies. The video is powerful but does not overpower the stories of these characters, told simply through heartfelt monologues by first-rate actors. The waiter becomes a hero, the lawyer fights for his survival, the news reporter fights with her conscience and her boss over what is ethical and what is required by a news commentator in such a time. Palat does not know what to do other than watch the TV as the city—her city—comes under attack.

So I’m standing at the end of the performance, part of this beautiful community of strangers, and Palat, tears in her eyes, tells us that they have come all the way from Mumbai because they want to prove the we can be the change, that one voice does make a difference. That’s why you need to see this show. Note that all proceeds go to the Mumbai Police Commissioner’s Office.

Pictured: Sanket Mhatre (photo © Neha Nath)

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Centre stage!

so yesterday i was so proud to read that my friend (and yes it makes me even prouder to say that!!!) mr. sivanandan has been appointed director general of police!!!!

a man of incredible integrity and great humility- i am always in awe of him when i do meet him! it is easy to abuse power and position and he is one of the few men who never abuses either. a supporter of my every endeavor, he is always offered me valuable advice and insight. when i have needed help in any way or even lost faith in work that i am pursuing; his words of encouragement make me strive harder!  in a world where appearances are planned and pre-planned, where logo sizes are more important than what a company stands for and where being late is fashionable and being on time, a sign of failure- this is the one man who breaks every rule and commands the respect of a crowd and of a city–because he deserves it!

he just is. there are no trappings, no starry tantrums, no brick walls to break down to get to him– he is available, accountable and it is his assurances that have made us feel safe in the city today! he doesn’t play the blame game and the buck stops with him! direct, to the point and with a no-nonsense approach ; he won over the trust of a city reeling from the worst calamity in years- 26/11! he gave us our city back and i feel safe now!

thank you mr. sivanandan for making the mumbai police easier to approach,web savvy, fitter and safer!

with you as director general…i know our country takes one large step in the right direction!

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i love valentines day!

ok – so i said it. i am a sap, a complete and utter sap! i love flowers and chocolates and heart shaped balloons and teddy bears. i love romantic dinners and soppy songs. i love the one day when you can wander around moony eyed and sappy without explanation.

i love holding hands and laughter.
i love the together forever after!

i love love!

it’s funny that in a world that’s built on climbing a ladder, running the rat race and pulling people down that we don’t celebrate love on more than one day! if i had my way there’d be weeks/ months dedicated to it!

the boys are happy- i don’t have my way!

but then …think about this you read articles where people make statements that there are no happy marriages/ that marriages are compromises and i feel–how sad is that? we don’t compromise our careers, our wants , our desires –why compromise on the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with….!

sure – he/ she may not be perfect—but then again neither are you!
sure- it make take a while— but do you eat a half baked cake/ uncooked food! the best things in life are worth waiting for!
sure- there’ll be ups and downs—but that’s life and isn’t it better to have someone pull you up when you’re down!

and so i love love! it many not be cool to gush over valentines day, but i do!

and we’re doing a play- called ‘let’s talk about love!’ on valentines day to close the kala ghoda festival!

it’s free….so come celebrate love with me!

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rehearsal’s started and i’m back to doing what i do best….

plays…writing a new screen play, rehearsing every day! so basically living the dream ( or my dream atleast)

twitter- started getting on twitter but it’s just alot of conversations to monitor….! somehow facebook seems easier and more personal….. i don’t know- maybe i’m being old school about this….i guess i’m still learning!

let’s talk about love – is a play about love and love stories….! i love love stories- the one’s that work, that don’t work, that almost do….i love them all…what’s the point of living without love…u live once–u gotta love it!

suicides- another scary thing. 30 suicides or thereabouts in 1/2 the number of days. hey, remember life’s not a video game…u can’t just restart when u find the level ur on tough! hang on…remember u get to marry a princess and get a pot of gold when u complete the journey…but most importantly remember it’s a journey! take life easier but NEVER take life for granted!

i think we’ve all contemplated suicide when we’ve felt down…but that’s the most insensitive action u can take…it’s the cowards way out…..you hurt so many people and it’s just not fair… guess what that grade doesn’t count at the end, how much u earn doesn’t count, who u are-THAT COUNTS, how much u care-THAT COUNTS, how much u love and how many love u-THAT COUNTS!

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just edited 9th episode-will review it over the weekend in retrospect….but currently free–gonna eat out and sleep late!

God it’s like exams are done!

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on my way back from an incredible shoot for the finale of mtv making the cut!!! we’re in australia and we ended this shoot and even started a recce and discussion for another tv show in australia….despite being travel fanatics -the sun, sea and easiness in australia makes it wonderful.

the airports though are a different story. i have met atlease 10 people who racially profile, make racist jokes and are downright pig-headed idiots who cannot see beyond the colour of ur skin and if u think 10 is barely anything to write home about–let me assure u it takes just one person for you to change your opinion of a day, of a shoot location, of ur trip and of a country!

u’d think with all the talk of racism and racial profiling people might start watching their racist backs!

the most ironic was when a gentlemen of an obvious minority race group racially profiled aditya and called him in for ‘ a random check!’ wow….

after 2 sets of being racially profiled in a span of 5 minutes , i actually had to say — ” wow, so this is what they call being a racist….” aditya was quickly released but i doubt the small, pig -headed idiot learnt his lesson….

he’ll still racially profile another indian…. but guess what buddy- india is here to stay and we have tons of problems and many issues…but atleast we’re not a bunch of racist bigots!

i miss home

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Packing, leaving, missing cookie already ….

back soon! (pray please)

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is a blog just another way of connecting to people or is it completely and totally selfish?

is it just about ‘me, me,me!?’

yup…i guess it is! it’s a personal diary that isn’t personal anymore…maybe it is narcissistic…but atleast it’s a way of logging your life even if nobody cares!

it’s a way of setting aside some personal time to think, reflect and to actually say- “hey, this day passed me by but guess what i was a part of it!

saw a wonderfully quaint meryl streep film today julie/julia about julia child….quaint-because it transported me miraculously to a different time…and i loved it!

i love today…i love that i’m gonna have chocolate…i love that i’m smiling!

so many things to do this week…3 episodes to edit, 2 days of shooting and a heck of alot of places we need to be! but today…i’m gonna live in the moment and just be!

i’m gonna be me!

yay!

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First episode screening…amazing, fun! yay!

friends, contestants, family…

thank you niki..without you this screening would have never happened! i love you…

thank you aditya…without you this program would never have been produced…ur the best producer i’ve had and that’s saying alot cos my other producers have been, well, me!

thank you amma and achan …for always seeming so proud whenever i do something…you make all my achievements special…even the silly ones like “she drank a teaspooon of water!” ..—when i was sick–you make each achievement soooooo very big!

thank you to the contestants…who are such great people and so very talented that i know they’ll be stars in a matter of years!

thank you to the judges…who are my friends and who all believe in the importance of rewarding talent!

thank you to production and editing and all the teams i worked with cos without sam, cronje, prashant, sanket, shreyas & yusuf this episode wouldn’t be an episode at all…you guys are the soul of the piece…

and thank you to all my friends who came to the screening today…kishen, naaz, remu, devita, suhail, kriti, bob, tarun, marcy , ismat , kadambari…friends like you keep me smiling…give me the faith and belief to keep charging on!

i love you guys!

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