Avantika says...

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Six Remote Villages In India That Can Literally Rap in Sanskrit – Literally

Far from being a dead language, Sanskrit stays to be the oldest language in the history of civilization to be a vital part of life, in many pockets of India. Here, it is not a mandate forced into the syllabus that students have relented to, people in these parts of the country are conversing in Sanskrit as they talk over the phone, argue with spouses, make excuses to teachers and even quarrel on the road.

Enlisted here are six of such Sanskrit speaking villages in India, still holding on to heritage. Perhaps you and I will stop for a moment looking for words while we speak in English, these villages, however can rap, literally rap like Eminem, albeit in Sanskrit.

Mattur or Muttoor  - The internet widely recognizes this village in Karnataka. With almost one IT engineer in every family, Mattur shows to the world how the ancient and the modern can not only survive but flourish together, hand in hand. It all started when Sanskrita Bharati conducted a 10-day workshop in Matthur ensuing the undying interest of its natives in the language. They not only speak fluent Sanskrit, but follow a vedic lifestyle that entails recitation of ancient texts regularly.

Hosahalli – Another village in Karnataka situated at the banks of river Tunga, also a twin village to Mattur, Hoshalli is home to a vast Sanskrit speaking demography. It hosts a residential school with a library offering a bountiful collection of vedas and texts of mythological significance. The village is famous for its art of storytelling and Carnatic music.

Jhiri – “Ziighrataram, ziighrataram chalanti” this is how an average farmer in Jhiri encourages his oxen to till the land a little faster. Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh has this tiny village with a population merely over a thousand, but even the school dropouts in Jhiri boast the kind of proficiency in Sanskrit that puts scholars to shame. “Namo, namah” is how they receive their cell phones – yes, they own cell phones too.

Mohad – Another Sanskrit-literate village in Madhya Pradesh, Mohad, has a panchayati system that invests hugely in popularizing the Language of Gods in this remote village. The language, that traditionally was limited to Brahmins, here is free to be embraced by Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes, and for that matter Muslims alike.

Baghuwar – Madhya Pradesh seems to have taken the task of preserving our heritage very seriously. Baghuwar is the third village in the state to boast a good measure of Sanskrit speakers; here, not only humans are seen speaking fluid Sanskrit, but even pets respond to commands given in this ancient language. The fact that, like in Mohad, families from all stratum in society have been given authority over Sanskrit, aids in blurring out class and religious divisions.

Ganoda – Moving on from Madhya Pradesh, Ganoda is a lesser known village in Rajasthan, hence, we introduce this village with its 100% Sanskrit literacy rate to you . A grocery shop owner in Ganoda can arrange all the spices while reciting the melodious Sanskrit shlokas impeccably. People in this tribal village do not look at Sanskrit as a mere mode of conversation, to them Sanskrit is a way of life.

[avantikasays]

Did You Know Two Countries Are Almost at War Over Drinks? These 10 Traditional Drinks Would Make You Do All Kinds Of Crazy!

Beverages – alcoholic or non-alcoholic – are synonymous to celebrations. No feast is complete, no matter how sumptuous the meal, unless there is an arrangement of unlimited supply of rich beverage to savor. Drinks, hence, have an importance weaved into the culture of nations across borders.

 Here are 10 traditional drinks rejoiced around the globe.

Sangria  - The drink with its Portuguese and Spanish roots is mainly enjoyed by people in Latin America. Now it might sound a li’l weird that Sangria derived its name from the word ‘Sangre’ which in Spanish means blood. The ingredients of this drink can vary as per taste and preferences but it is mainly  prepared with fruits that have a strong taste to them.  

Pimm – It is regular for people in the United Kingdom to celebrate while sipping this beverage made with cucumber, peach, lemon and mint leaves. It tastes quite like ice tea and is refreshing to the core.

Hwachae – This traditional drink rejoiced in Korea is basically a fruit cocktail. Hwachae is a main part of every social gathering. Just like Pimm, this Korean drink uses delicious fruits and sugary sauces as its ingredients.

Limoncello – People in Italy, specially southern part of the country, love to get themselves a sip or two of Limoncello. As the name suggests, it is a drink that relies heavily on lemon to form its ingredient. If one goes by tradition, only Sorento lemons can be used to prepare Limoncello. It tastes amazing when served cold and Italians prefer to have glasses of it after heavy meals as it aids digestion.

Bubble Tea – This is a beverage relished by the Taiwanese people widely. This traditional drink in Taiwan, apparently, serves as ‘symbolic’ of tea. ‘Symbolic’ because major portion of this tea is milk. Along with tea leaves, Bubble Tea would also have tapioca pieces added during preparation.

Chicha – Consumed mainly in Central America, Chicha, as a beverage can be fermented or non-fermented, and is derived from Maize. Its main components would be chicha de jora which is a kind of corn beer and chicha morada for non-alcoholic beverage.

Fernet – We have read about all these drinks made out of fruit juices, but this beverage from Argentina uses flower extracts as its main component. To it, coke and ice is added. Fernet is not only a delicious refreshment but works both as an energy booster and digestive.  

Pisco Sour – It is sad that this yummilicious drink has almost taken Peru and Chile to the war zone – both the countries are in a constant state of unrest claiming Pisco Sour (yes, because fighting over land is just so commonplace). Moving on, Pisco Sour, served with egg white and cinnamon dust is the titled national drink of both these nations.

Pina Colada – The national drink of Puerto Rico is undoubtedly the yummiest beverage ever. Often garnished with Pineapple wedges, this sweet cocktail uses rum coconut cream and milk, and pineapple juice as its components – one can never get wrong with that combination.  

Karnemelk – A favorite with people in Holland and Denmark, Karnemelk, at first look, can deceive you into taking it as milk. It is almost like the Buttermilk we enjoy in India, though it has a more neutral taste.

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Alia and Katrina are Cute – But the OG of Bollywood Dancing is Still Madhuri Dixit

Alia Bhatt is beautiful – no doubts, she gets all the guys that chulll thing (whatever it means) – well okay..  I also agree that the Kala Chashma does magic on Katrina’s gora mukhra, and these ladies know how to shake it and make any song the party anthem of the nation. But can we all just agree that the OG of Bollywood dancing is none but Madhuri Dixit? No? You -  the 2000s kids don’t believe me?

Okay, decide it for yourself – look at these 11 songs that proves what a classic Diva Madhuri Dixit is. 

Ek Do Teen – If I can count numbers in Hindi, all credit goes to Mohini – Mohini - Mohini. Also, if I can only count till 13 in Hindi, it is solely her fault for she didn’t count beyond. But with that ground breaking performance she altered the “image” pf heroines in Bollywood forever. This song also went on to shape Madhuri’s career in a new cast.  

Choli Ke Peechhe Kya Hai – Will you kids believe how much fire this number had to fight? Apparently, back in the day, this song, with its literal meaning didn’t sit well with conservative India – honestly though, India was approaching its adulthood in the 90s, its just that we didn’t have a voice in that pre-internet era and whatever was forced on us by the handful representative, became the norm. Having said that – just go and enjoy the song now – Madhuri looks ravishing.

Dhak Dhak Karne Laga – Only Madhuri knows how to turn a budgeted china silk yellow saree paired with a slouchy blouse into the sexiest ensemble ever. Her moves and those expressions – watch this song and you will witness Anil Kapoor’s hairy arms getting all the goosebumps.

Chane Ke Khet Mein – Shah Rukh Khan, back in the day, would literally roam around looking out for someone to fall in love with. It was not difficult for Madhuri to get the worst out of SRK in the movie Anjaam – who can survive those thumkas, anyway?

Humko Aaj Kal Hai – The trend then was to include a dance number if you have Madhuri Dixit in your cast list – whether or not the song is required. In most of the movies offered to her she was made to play a stage performer to give her a chance to flash latka-jhatkas to the fullest. In the movie Sailaab, Madhu got her audience mesmerized again as a Marathi Mulgi.

Key Sara Sara – Now if you think Madhuri was all about Indian movies, you are clearly discounting the performer in Madhuri. The ace Katthak performer flaunted her versatility in this dancer number choreographed by Prabhu Deva. Even Prabhu Deva agrees that Madhuri is one of the few women in Bollywood to have executed his steps exceptional perfection.

Dance of Envy – One can see how incomparable Madhuri is when she is made to share her spotlight with another star. And we are not even talking about any mediocre star here. The one to dance along was Karisma Kapoor who stands second to no one in acting and dancing skills. However,  under the shine of her co-star in Dil to Pagal Hai  Karisma’s glorious flame seemed dull.

Dola re Dola – It was not only Karisma to get odded out by Madhuri’s charisma. It is no secret that Aishwarya Rai is masterful with her art. But despite being years younger to Madhuri and being the leading lady in Devdas she couldn’t save herself from looking plain while matching steps with Madhuri.

Aaja Nachle – The OG of Bollywood dance took a break from movies to raise kids, and many debated if she retained her skills. She shut each of her critics down with this wonderful dance number from her comeback move Aaja Nachle. The movie didn’t do that great at the box office though, this rendition was applauded countrywide.

Ghagra - By getting Ranbir kapoor drooling over her, she showed the world how she still has it in her to steal the man from the pocket of young and gorgeous heroines like Deepika Padukone. 

Hamari Atariya – The grand Ustad of Kathak, Birju Maharaj had nothing but praises for the star who he trained for Devdas. With her extraordinary gifts, even at the age of 46, Madhuri stunned her audience with her elegance and grace she displayed while matching steps to ‘Hamari Atariya’. She proves time and again, few things in nature are timeless and her perfection in dance in one of them. 

[avantikasays]

10 times Bollywood Heroes Donned the Olive Green

Indians can be bickering and quarreling with each other round the year – but nobody should test their patriotism when an external enemy hovers around India’s borders. You challenge us, good neighbors, and trust us, we are not South Indians, North Indians, East or West Indians. We abandon all these directional prefixes from our identity and become Indians – at least during such times.  

We are also a nation driven and motivated largely by our movies –and so, from time to time, our favorite stars occupy the silver screen donning the Olive Pride. Almost every Bollywood Biggie has played an Army Officer, and offered their best performances.

Sunny Deol – As Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, Sunny Deol embodied a true Army officer, the one who puts his duty and love of his country before any other engagement in life, in fact his own life too takes a back seat when it comes to the honor of his country. That is basically the anthem of every Army personnel at the border right now as I add up this list and you read it.

Sunil Shetty –  Anna is not the one famous for making girls cry, but as  Assistant Commandant Bhairon Singh, he did exactly that. Leaving his newly wed bride alone and heading for the war-front was disappointing enough, but the fact that he never returned from the war field - Its heart breaking that it happens in reality more often than we can fathom.

Akshay Kumar – From Sainik to Holiday, Akshay Kumar has commanded in the Khaki multiple times, and every time he dragged the enemies to justice. With his astute fighting abilities complete with that rough and tough look, I believe, he would make a perfect army office, if had he chosen better than Bollywood.

Bobby Deol – Bobby has been to the battle field a few times, albeit on screen. He portrayed his roles of Army officers in Heroes and Tango Charlie quite impeccably and looked every bit the sincere solider his character needed him to be on the posters of Tango Charlie.

Ajay Devgn  - With his serious and pervasive angry look, Ajay fits into the Khaki uniform better than any of his contemporaries. In Tango Charli, as Havaldar Mohammed Al, Ajay Devgn accompanies Bobby Deol to fight Naxals in the South, calm the Hindu-Muslim Riots in Gujrat, and defends a bridge in Kashmir during the Kargil war.

Shah Rukh Khan – He is the king of romance, but he looks quite a sight even in olive green. He actually brought the ‘military print’ in fashion post Jab Tak Hai Jaan – but can we all be real here – this movie made no sense. Nor did Main Hoon Na, but again Farah Khan’s directorial debut was at least an entertainer. The only reason I don’t repent the tickets I purchased is getting to ogle at King Khan in the Uniform.

Amitabh Bachchan – Be it as Major Amardev Singh in Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo or as Maj. Jasbir Singh Rana, Big B dons the olive pride like no one else. He, as a matter of fact, looks equally army-esque when he shakes his acre long legs to the beats of Sona Sona Sona Dil Mera Sona. On a serious note, with that heavy-weight personality and vice like the roar from a jungle, Amitabh Bachchan wouldn’t have made too bad a military man in real life either.

Hrithik Roshan – A clueless, aimless young man finally realized the honor of his country and the protection of it at any possible cost to be the sole aim of his life – if this doesn’t evoke patriotism then what would, and if this doesn’t channelize young India’s energy then nothing could. Hrithik played the part of a youth suffering from existential crisis finally deciding on Army as his Lakshya and was flawless in his performance.

Nana Patekar – It won’t be wrong to say Nana Patekar squeezes the life out of every role he plays and then takes it to a different level of realistic. Watching him enact an Indian Army officer in Prahaar was nothing less than witnessing a real war hero at work.

Salman Khan – Let’s close this list with the Bad Boy of Bollywood, who was the farthest thing from bad as a Sikh Soldier Balkar Singh. The role of Salman was perhaps not that of the protagonist, but in his limited scope Salman offered his best playing a Martyr.

[avantikasays]

Eight Years in Exile... Still Counting - Mom Says, I Am Turning ‘Girly’ By The Day

Parents, in the country I am from, raise a son hoping he will stay with them, look after them in oldage. They dread the slim odds of their sons’ return as they move out for higher education or job opportunities. I am perhaps the only Indian son whose parents dissuade him from returning. And so after 8 years of exile, I continue to live, in a country not my own, surrounded by people I am not related to, counting as days pass by.

As a teenager I was my parent’s pride. I was the one to bag all the academic awards, the one with perfect attendance, most importantly, the only 16 year old in the class to have no girlfriend. There were a dozen of pretty girls around me, many interested in me – I somehow could never reciprocate their feelings.

When I landed in New Zealand, at the age of 22, for the first time in my life I felt  the emotions any man would, when that one special someone passed by– the difference was, I felt those emotions for a man. Indian men ‘should not’ be gay, and so the possibilities of being one never occurred to me. But one can’t evade one’s reality forever – sooner or later truth catches up. I dated a couple of wonderful men before settling down with Vladimir – settling down in the sense, we are in a live-in situation for over 5 years now.

I broke the news to my parents around 6 years ago, when I was with my then boyfriend Mark – no, they didn’t ‘approve’. But reality denies to get altered by someone’s approval or the want of it, it remains real; the heat of noone’s contemption has ever been strong enough to warp reality. My mother made a profile for me in some matrimonial site, suggested medical treatments, consulted numerous astrologers, it may sound funny but she even went to tantriks and blew away lacs to rid me off of the possession of some ‘evil spirits’. Following years of futile persuasion they finally gave up on their unyielding attempts at straightening me out, though not before my mother resentfully wishing I had rather died than turning gay, repenting the cursed day she birthed me.

Mom says my tread is turning ‘girly’ by the day, and also because my ‘single’ presence would lead to questions like “Why at 30, is he still unmarried?” I should  never come in front of relatives and family-friends. They admitted having a hard time coming to terms with my ‘peculiarity’, but people, they say, would ridicule them, turn them into a laughing stock. To avoid being roasted in every social gatherings, they have chalked out a plan – I, like million other young men who cross the ocean to never return, should settle down in New Zealand for good. This is how my homosexuality will stay hidden and their reputation, unmarred. They would visit me if required, but the house I was born and spent 20 joyous years of my life in, will never open its doors for me. 

It’s been over four years that I have visited my family, my country; I wasn’t tending to him when my father was rushed into the ICU early one morning, only in pictures I saw how beautiful my sister looked on her wedding. My nephew will turn six months next week, in my culture the uncle is supposed to feed the child his first morsel of cooked rice –  I am forbidden from attending his Annaprassan ceremony. My cousin will be performing the rituals I had inherited by birth, everyone will be told I couldn’t arrange for leaves. Dad isn’t keeping well these days; at 66 years old, he has already been through three heart attacks - yes, he blames my wrongdoings along with my sinful lifestyle for the same. His doctor has long prepared us for the inevitable - ‘anytime’ - he said. Will I be allowed to perform dad’s last rites - I don’t know. I wonder how many more rituals will I be compelled to relinquish and pass over to cousins with wives and children on account of  ‘sins’ I didn’t choose to commit. No body chooses to be gay, they are, or they are not. 

(This story was shared with Avantika Debnath. If you have a story worth sharing, or an idea that needs to be shared, please send it to [email protected])

[avantikasays]

Break Out of The Stigma Surrounding Depression - Don’t Push Them Farther, Be The Hand They Need to Hold on To

“Hey, how are you?” is a question we ask multiple times every day. But how many of us harness, a genuine intention of knowing how the other person is really doing, to this question? One might be shattering down on the inside, but keeping up with the socially accepted norm, wears that fake smile insinuating a state of absolute wellbeing round the clock. The highly competitive world revolving around us often takes toll on our health – physical and mental. Unfortunately mental health, no matter how grave, never gets half the attention we display while tending to any kind of physical ailment, even a zit for that matter.

Most sufferers of mental ailment, disregard its significance in their overall wellbeing; those who do recognize its vitality are threatened by society’s perception– lest they get labelled as lunatics. The struggle is excruciating here as the mind is in a constant war with endless rigidities tearing itself apart, but on the exterior level one is coerced into wearing a smile in the name of acceptable behavior. When someone close to our heart catches the simplest form of physical ailment – say cold, we do everything within our power to relieve them of their discomfort, but we do not extend the same warmth when we find someone battling depression. A person batting depression, in most societies, is thought of as one with lack in willpower and emotionally uncontrolled. People surrounding him fears a potential danger and frequently tag him as antisocial. Like any other medical condition, one needs to understand, depression is a disease, it is not a behavioral choice. The personal struggle in depression alone is tiring beyond one’s competence; fighting people’s perception parallelly only adds to the situation’s unbearability.

Before igniting a callous gossip about someone’s laziness, we should educate ourselves – depression is not a fitment stemming out of one’s imagination. Chemical imbalances in the sufferer’s brain that lead to flawed mood regulations often grow as depression – this kind of medical condition hardly within any patient’s control. Holding a negative attitude against those caught in depression and looking at them as weak and wallowing individuals would do no good, but gradually shatter the self-esteem of the one already amidst swirling internal emotional turbulences. If we choose to stigmatize depression, we are keeping someone around us from opening up about their problems, in most cases this ‘someone’ is the one we care very dearly about.

Depression can hit anyone, regardless of social or economic background, as opposed to the popular myth that only losers are effects by it. One can only dream of achieving the kind of success the reigning queen of Bollywood, Deepika Padukone has carved out for herself. But even the zenith of success did her little help in evading the state of acute mental ill-being. A star in every sense of the term, Deepika deserves to be applauded for voicing out an issue most of us choose to shovel under the rug. By being vocal about her condition publicly, she has illustrated how anyone can be affected by depression and has thrown light on the massivity of consequence rising from it.

Lack of awareness and acceptance, with our registered prejudices can make life of the sufferer worse by the hour; driving him to the edge, and compelling to settle on the extreme. Over 50 percent of those who take their lives, decide on it following a grueling combat with depression, while others look for respite in alcohol and drugs, eventually getting entangled in another inescapable trap.

Depression is engulfing the youth and senior citizens alike in today’s demanding life. Only when we rid ourselves from our irrational notions and break our mental barriers, will we be able pull closer those standing on the verge of plummeting. He can be a neighbor, a colleague, a friend, or your spouse – even your child for that matter. No one is immune to depression. Next time you ask someone, “Hey, how are you?” encourage them to tell you how they actually are versus a response “socially acceptable.”

[avantikasays]

Amusing and Interesting Wedding Rituals Around The World - Each Custom Has a Narration To It

The ceremony that marks the union of two hearts forever is celebrated with pomp and show all over the world. More or less every culture has a bunch of traditions associated with marriage. 

Here we are, listing down 10 interesting wedding rituals from all over the world.  

Unity Bowl in Australia – The unity bowl is a common feature in Australian weddings. All the invited guests hold on to a stone or pebble during the ceremony. After the ceremony, they collect these stones in a decorative bowl which is later presented to the newlywed couple signifying the support they have from their friends and family who attended the wedding.

Flying Doves in Philippines – Gradually fading out in modernity, releasing the doves on the reception was a popular tradition followed in Philippines. The couple would release a beautiful doves to the sky that would mark the beginning of a peaceful, loving and harmonious life they are about to commence.

Log Cutting in Germany – To test their bond and ability to work together, a newlywed couple in Germany is made to chop of a log of wood into two. While they tool their way through the task, they show their guests how apt they are working together and crossing obstacles.  

Blackening in Scotland – To avoid the evil eyes of ill-spirits, the bride and groom-to-be in Scotland are taken out of their houses the day before their wedding. Friends and family members pour ash, alcohol, flour and feather on them making them so nasty, no evil spirit would fancy eyeing them.

Stealing the Groom’s Shoes in India – While the groom is at the mandap, sitting by the ceremonial fire, the sisters-in-law of the Indian groom hide his shoes. When the groom along with his clan fail to find the shoes, the sisters-in-laws trade the pair in exchange of some heavy “ransom” – all in good humor.

Spitting on the Newly Wed in Kenya – Again to save the newly wed, especially the bride from all evil eyes, and to assure her future doesn’t get jinxed, just as she is about to leave the village or native city, the father of the bride spits on her head and chest.  

Polterabend in Germany – This German wedding ritual finds its genesis in the old saying "Shards bring luck". The family and friends of the groom and bride break porcelain dishes the night before the wedding. After the wedding these shreds are thrown outside the couple’s house. These porcelain pieces signify loads of fortune awaiting the couple.

Breaking the White Bell in Guatemala – During the reception ceremony, the groom’s mother in Guatemala welcomes her daughter-in-law by breaking a white bell. This bell is filled with rice, grain and flour, and suggests showering the bride with good luck.

Sake Sharing Ceremony in Japan – The Japanese culture is a huge believer of family ties. In order to strengthen family bonds, Japanese couples would take three sips from a flattened sake cup. They then pass this cup to their parents and they do the same.

Money Dance in Poland – By a Polish tradition, guests get to dance with the newly wed bride at her reception, but then they have to buy their dances. The money earned from these dances is collected by the bride’s maid and is later invested in the couple’s honeymoon.  

[avantikasays]

King Khan Knows The Pain, So He  Keeps Those Arms Opened For New Bees- Alwaysss!!!

 When it comes to sharing screen space with new comers even the biggest names in Bollywood get apprehensive. On interviews, Shah Rukh Khan has often mentioned how directors struggled to find him a heroine, because no one showed confidence in a no-name, no-filmy-khandan boy from Delhi.

King Khan, however, isn’t one to forget the struggle even after attaining everything and more than what any actor can dream of. So, when time came for him to stand abreast new comers, assuring no one goes through what he dealt with, he welcomed every role opposite new comers with opened arms.

Here’s a list of actresses who had a dream-come-true debut opposite SRK.

Shilpa Shetty – Before all those plastic surgeries, when Shilpa looked like an adorably cute girl next door, she was cast opposite the already famous Shah Rukh Khan in Baazigar. Shilpa’s role was small, yet impactful in the movie. Though she didn’t get much success in Bollywood as an actress, with the international fame she achieved through Big Brother, a super-rich husband, and a talent show to judge, the girl has certainly earned a star status for herself over the years.

Mahima Chaudhry – Ritu Chaudhry was renamed Mahima Chaudhry by Subhash Ghai when she wanted to introduce her in the movie Pardes opposite SRK. The movie was a super hit, and Mahima’s performance was widely appreciated. 

Preity Zinta – In her very first movie, Preity Zinta was put across two heavy weights by Maniratnam in his 1998 romantic thriller Dil Se… The movie fled pretty well at the box office and so did Preity Zinta’s career who went on to give many memorable performances with Shah Rukh in movies like Kal Ho Na Ho, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, and Veer Zaara.

Rani Mukherjee – The very talented cousin of King Khan’s favorite co-star, Kajol was struggling with banners of less repute when Karan Johan’s eyes settled on her. K.Jo decided on casting Rani as Tina in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and the rest is – do we even need to?

Gayatri Joshi – Gayatri was a known face in the modelling world, but she got her name recognized only when cast opposite the Badshah of Bollywood in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swadesh. She bagged many awards for her subtle performance in the movie, but chose family over films. Gayatri is now enjoying her married life away from the industry.

Deepika Padukone – She is undeniably the reigning star in Bollywood. And why not? When girls get lucky just by acting in one role opposite SRK, our girlfriend here played a double role opposite two Shah Rukhs in her very first movie. Oh Deepika! I’d call you one Lucky B***h, but I adore you so much, boo!!! 

Anushka Sharma – Apparently, Ranveer Singh is not the only thing common between both these super talented Bollywood Divas. The year next to Deepika’s debut, Yash Raj Films introduced this gorgeous model to Indian movie goers. In the past 8 years Anushka has scaled some impressive heights in the industry and in addition to acting, has turned into a producer too.

Mohabbatein Cast – A bunch of new comers, which included Yash Chopra’s son and Aditya Chopra’s brother Uday Chopra found their way into Bollywood ushered by the king of romance, who also played their teacher in romance during their stay at Gurukul. Why can’t we find teachers like him?

Chak De India Cast – One thing Shah Rukh knows better than anyone else on the planet is how to deal with women. So he championed again by coaching a team of girls in Chak De India. Now given most of the girls in this movie were new comers, we are sure SRK not only trained them on Hockey in front of the camera, but did give them a tip or two on acting off camera as well. Like seriously, where are such teachers in real life? 

[avantikasays]

Hoax or Fact? These Conspiracy Theories Are All Over The Internet? What Do You Think, Happened?

The world we live in just loves to dig deep into things and find a conspiracy theory behind every disaster or incident of mass significance. Today, when every required information is just a click away, conspiracy theorists find lots of intriguing facts that encouraging  them to break the tainted glass offered to the common eyes and present every event in a different light thrown from a different view point.

At times it does bring about some interesting theory worth our attention and response, while others go wasted like figments of an imaginative mind. Let’s check out some of these interesting theories that are popular around the world – whether or not there is any truth to them is something you have to settle for yourself:

The Moon Landing - Though the ‘Moon Landing’ episode remains to be a part of text books across educational boards, the theories debunking the truth behind “Mankind’s Giant Leap” are pretty strong. The American flag waving in Moon’s no-wind surface and a blurry star-less sky at the backdrop with zero atmosphere raise quite many eyebrows. Though NASA has repeatedly ousted all the claims that prove moon landing to be fake, the reasons are too appealing to ignore.

The Death of Princess Diana - Conspiracies behind Princess Diana’s sudden demise were popping up from every crack since the minute the unfortunate news of her death broke. Of all the claims, the one aimed at the Royal family were popular than the rest. The reason for staging the accident are many, some believe it was to preclude Lady Diana from releasing defaming information about Prince Charles and others opine that the princes was pregnant at the time of death and the royals were not were fond of the lineage of the baby.

9/11 - Though the Al-Qaeda has openly boasted their responsibility for taking out the twin towers on Sept, 11, 2001 , many sense the US government’s involvement in the same. Theorists believe that the attacks were staged by the Bush government to fuel hatred against Iraq and Afghanistan and thereby justify the war.  

Global Warming – The prominent and pervasive alteration in climatic conditions across the globe, according to many, including US presidential candidate Donald Trump, is nothing but a hoax. The doubters believe that global warming is a man-made concept encouraged by authoritative governments to manipulate world’s population toward paying higher taxes and control their lifestyle.

Area 51 –Area 51, the notorious military base of the US, has been a target of conspiracy theorists since the beginning of time. One of the popular theories to nest over this piece of mysterious land relates to the existence of Aliens. Theorists believe that Area 51 preserves the remains of crashed UFO spaceships. Fodder for this theory comes from the many ‘alleged’ sightings of ‘supposed’ alien activities and visits in and around this area. Some also state that US government has been studying time travel at Area 51, while a retire colonel once claimed to have had access to material gathered after a crash of an extraterrestrial spaceship at Roswell.

The Death of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose - It was propagated for the longest time that the Indian Freedom Fighter and pioneer of the INA was killed in a plane crash on his way to the Soviet Union. But, if Netaji at all died in that air crash, has always been a matter of speculation among his followers and fans. None of his companions saw his body, photographs or death certificates. Many believed that Netaji had faked his own death to evade perils lurking from within the country. His bodyguard who died in 2006, confessed to have met Bose a year after the crash in Thailand. There are also rumors of him attending Gandhiji’s funeral disguised as a sage. 

The JFK assassination: The assassination of the US President on November 23rd 1963 has always been surrounded by the fog of mystery and suspicion. Theorists are certain that there were more than one shooters and Lee Harvey Oswald was not solely responsible for the murder of President Kennedy. Oswald, as the theorists suggest, was just a tool operated by the KGB, FBI or perhaps the Mafia.  

Titanic - The authors of The Riddle Of The Titanic, Robin Gardiner and Dan Van Der Vat, have put forward a theory that the ship to have sunk on April 15, 1912 was not Titanic, but its identical vessel, RMS Olympic. This theory insinuates the accident to be a staged disaster to claim insurance benefits for Olympic which had already suffered serious damages following a collision with HMS Hawke, a Royal Navy cruiser. The theory lost its strength when parts of the ship stamped “401” – Titanic’s hull number – were lifted from the depth of the Atlantic Ocean, but it still has a bunch of supporters.

The Aids Virus  - While medical science has struggled since decades to find a  strong cure of this terminal disease, which is believed to have transmitted to humans from apes in Africa, many believe that AIDS is a manufactured disease, and that HIV was engineered by CIA to wipe out African Americans and homosexuals.

[avantikasays]

How Many Of These Royalties Have You Heard Of?

While countries around the world haved adopted or is in the verge of attaining a democratic government, some nations still have a proper monarchy in place. Though most of these “Emperors” have only ceremonial and religious powers left, much like the Royals of Britain, the luxuries in which they enjoy their lives know no bounds.

So here’s for you, 10 Royal families in the world, you might not have known much about.

The Royal Family Of Jordan - Established only in 1921, the monarchy of Jordan is comparatively new verses most of the royalties. King Abdulla II, as reported, shares very cordial ties with King Mohammed VI of Morocco and their friendship bases the building political relationship between the two nations. Queen Rania, King Abdullah’s consort, is not only a renowned beauty but is praised widely for her contribution in the field of youth development and education.

The Royal Family Of Monaco – The House of Grimaldi has members with too dramatic lives documented widely in popular media. A lot of this popularity can be accredited to Prince Rainer III’s marriage to Grace Kelly (a Hollywood actress), Prince Albert’s Olympic Bobsleighing career, and rumor’s of some 13th century family curse, like that in some fairy tale. Prince Albert, the present ruler owns an unimaginable collection of antique cars and precious stamps.

The Royal Family Of The Netherlands – Though the royal family of Netherlands has famously kept their lifestyle low-key, and King Willem-Alexander is also a little unconventional as compared to other royals, which earned him the nick name of ‘Lager Prince’ for his eccentric ways with his during his student life, the money floating in this dynasty is beyond one’s fancy – let’s just say that Queen Beatrix’s fortune along is over $200 million. 

The Royal Family Of Japan – The oldest inherited sovereignty in the world inhibits the magnificent Imperial Palace in Tokyo and is headed by Emperor Akihito. They are left with little role to play in the present government affairs, but engage heavily in the country’s ceremonial and social affairs.

The Royal Family Of Sweden – The monarchy of Sweden was established way back in the 10th century, but like that in Japan, the royal family in Sweden is vested with almost no roles to play in the governmental issues. King Carl XVI Gustaf doesn’t participate in governing the country and his significance is majorly ceremonial. Along with his family, he limits himself to looking royal and representing the country during his international visits.

The Royal Family Of Bhutan – In 2008, Bhutan moved from being an absolute to a constitutional monarchy. Bhutan might have the tiniest population ever, but that doesn’t make its monarchy any less royal. The present King Jigme Wangchuk gave much food to the gossip magazines to chew on by marrying Jetsun Pema, a commoner and a then student in 2011. Together they make a beautiful couple enjoying every bit of the glamorous royal life.

The Royal Family Of Saudi Arabia – The super-rich Arabic royal family holds a fortune of $18 billion to their name. The present King Salman is now 80 years old and had has inherited the throne from his brother recently in January 2015. He had to wait in line for the reign to be passed from his elder half-brother, but King Salman, along with his massive family now enjoys a lavish life fueled by the country’s rich oil resources.

The Royal Family Of Thailand – Reigning since 1946, Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej is enjoying the longest running monarchy in the world. The Buddhist royal family, enjoying a net worth of $30 billion, is also world’s richest monarchy and their pomp and grandeur can leave any other royalty embarrassed.

The Royal Family Of Morocco – The rule of the Alaouite dynasty dates back to the 17th century. Till 1999 they enjoyed absolute dominion over the kingdom, but ensuing protests by the general public he relinquished some of his powers and introduced many new reforms in the field of women empowerment and job creation for which he is being praised widely. He and his beautiful wife Princess Lalla have since emerged as his countrymen’s favorites who have nicknamed their emperor ‘King of Cool’.

The Royal Family Of Belgium – While most of the royal families today are left with ceremonial powers only, the monarchy of Belgium is constitutional and popular, and exercises administrative and political rights. The present king, His Majesty, King Philippe, took the throne in 2013 and makes regular public appearances accompanied with his love queen Mathilde.

[avantikasays]

Powerhouse Women In Hollywood Who’ve Been To Hell and Back

While most of us associate domestic violence to the lives of regular unprivileged women in third world countries, the rude truth is, even the powerhouses in an advanced industry like Hollywood have gone through real tough time being involved in unhealthy relationships.

The ordeal these 10 ladies have gone through, we hope, no one else is put through ever.

The reality TV queen may appear all bold and strong, living a postcard life with a doting husband and two beautiful children. But things weren’t this picture perfect for Kim Kardashian always. In 2010, Kim revealed how her ex-husband Damon Thomas, had turned violent just a few months into their wedding in 2000. "He punched me in the face and told me I needed liposuction," she stated in the legal documents. Kim’s public image might not be an ideal one today, but our heart goes out to her, and we can’t be happier that those days are way behind her now.

Robin Givens married Mike Tyson in 1988, but it came crumbling down within a year. The major reason for the marriage falling apart, allegedly, was the spousal violence by Tyson.

The world was taken aback when Kelly Rowland revealed the tumultuous details of a past relationship in the song "Dirty Laundry". Though she never named her abusive partner, many believe she sang about her ex, Cuda, in her song from the album Talk A Good Game.  

Another celebrated Hollywood actress who has kept her abusive boyfriend unnamed is Halle Berry. But she did speak on how she lost about 80% of her hearing after being beaten up by some beast she was dating. For years, people speculated it was David Justice, as Halle had tweeted about his brutality time and again. .  “I never had to run to a shelter, but I did choose the wrong partners. Not always good men. Luckily, in recent years, I have been smart enough to hit the door when violence even becomes a possibility. That is something I will not tolerate.” The James Bond star stated in 2009.

The bad girl Riri we know today has emerged as such a strong woman only after weathering some tumultuous storms. The steamy relationship she shared with Chris came in public eye after the latter turned ferocious the night of Grammy 2009. Chris beat up the ‘Diamonds’ singer mercilessly and pictures of the same were surfacing all over the internet.

Baywatch babe, Pamela Anderson, had been into an unhealthy marriage with musician husband Tommy Lee. The rock star was subsequently arrested and put behind bars for kicking Pamela while she was expecting their son, Dylan. After a series of failed attempts at reconciliation, we are happy, they separated for good.

Madonna and Sean Penn’s marriage in 1985 lasted for about four years. The two divorced in 1989 on account of Penn’s regular domestic assault.

Maria Carey is a legend and so was her husband of five years Tommy Mottola. But after the two divorced in 1998, the ‘Touch my Body’ singer opened up on the unbearable mental abuse and emotional torture she was made to endure during her conjugal life with Mottola. “I just think you get into a situation and you feel locked in… For me to really get out of it was difficult because there was a connection that was not only a marriage, but a business where the person was in control of my life.” She said during an interview in 1999.

Though her ex Memphitz has repeatedly denied the public claims made by singer and songwriter K. Michelle, she has always been vocal about the violence inflicted by Memphitz. “I had people send me hate, send me Tweets and do things to me, like I was the one who did it to myself. I think a lot of women don’t tell their story, and men, just because you don’t know what people are going to say to you. And more and more, women are coming forward. And I think, if you go through that, you have to use it to help other people. You have to be strong.” She sad while reckoning the dark days.

Amber Heard’s separation from husband Johnny Depp in just 15 months of marriage has escalated as the most acrimonious celebrity splits of recent years. The allegations of substance dependency and physical violence have been circulating magazines, though friends siding with the actor smell blackmail and conspiracy in the charges brought by Amber. The case is yet to be settled, and only time will unravel the truth in this story.

[avantikasays]

Five Facts of Life Every Indian Parent Needs to Tell Their Teenager Today

Indian parents have a tendency of shielding their kids for as long as humanly possible, but this weakens the child’s toward against life. Indian teenagers are more dependent on their parents than anywhere else in the world. To some extent the fear of losing the child, or rather losing the authority over him, discourages parents from loosening the leash – but parents need to wrap their heads around the stark reality, children are human beings who will survive the struggle only when self-dependent, composed and confident.

My mother was doing my laundry regularly, till I turned 24 and moved to a different city. That is when I gathered what disaster washing a fuschia legging and white shirt together could invite. As much as I love her, unconditionally, I must confess, my mom had it all twisted – loving the child doesn’t equal turning the child handicap, incapable of managing the basic tasks of life without parental guidance. Why are parents still doing laundries of 17 year- olds in India? Why does a 14 year old need his mother to help pack his bag for school next day? Why can’t a 16 year old iron her own clothes? Why does mom need to straighten up their rooms every Sunday? Mom is neither a machine nor a slave, mom is human too and children, after a certain age kids need to be self-reliant.

Sex is not a discussion favored by Indian parents – and given our culture and mindset, its going to be a while till we break out out of these mental compartments. But I get frazzled seeing how parents dismiss the probability of love as though its as alien concept their kids are light-years away from - this despite we all know about 80% of the teenagers today are romantically involved or at least crushing on someone. This weekend if you walk up to your child and encourage her to open up about what’s going on in her dating space, not only will you strengthen your equation but also save her from taking a dozen of wrong decisions.

When life rolls out the red carpet, adolescence walks in with a series of heartbreaks - we’ve all been there - none can run away, none can hide. I remember waking up to a moist pillow for around three consecutive months when I was in 11th. Though you can never guard a teen from an inevitable heartache, on account of a romantic loss or broken friendships, you can certainty talk her out of it. Tell her that it hurts a lot but it does soothe down. Sooner or later the pain will be gone, and she will wake up to a bright sun pouring in through the window, and the pillow case will be dry and crisp again. 

Driven by their picture of the perfect life, children often obsess over the idea of success – academic or otherwise. This obsession usually renders them susceptible to the slightest of failure pushing them into a dark tunnel of depression. It’s great to have ambitions and greater to achieve them, but failures come ineluctably in the path of towering accomplishments. Failures should not be allowed to devastate them, but challenged with fortitude.It is on the guardian to introduce their kids to this reality - Some dreams will come true, some will be lost, but life will replace the unfulfilled dreams with new ones. Tell the child, as much you pride over his achievements, you will not love her any lesser if she fails.

Teenagers in India often fall prey to the kaleidoscopic dreams sold by the west. It is good to keep up with time, it is good to absorb from other countries and cultures, aspects that contribute toward moral upliftment, psychological well-being and prosperity in life. But just like a tree growing taller than the rest needs to stay rooted deeper than others,lest a storm uproots them, for staying accomplished in life, one needs to hold on to their reality, individuality and exclusivity. They can emulate the virtues of others, but in the aspiration of becoming someone else, rejecting the inimitable magic they were born with and the cultural richness they have heired, will not be a wise decision.

Bringing up a teenager can be quite a handful, no denial. They can be dramatic and irrational, throwing tantrums for reason unknown even to them. You as a parent, are already doing a tremendous job putting up with all their whims, but as the confused hormones are on a constant state of war with each other and the massive physical and mental changes trying them everyday, blaming them for the eccentricity in their behavior won’t fetch anyone any good. Teenagers are like a soft dollop of clay, and only through compassion and conversation can we mold those malleable minds toward greatness.  

[avantikasays]

So What’s With ‘Sasural Simar Ka’? It’s More Like, Claptrap Simar Ka…

I wonder if this show is secretly funded by some anti-India terrorist group to slow-poison our nervous system till we turn into potatoes – big brown potatoes. Before I even begin on its bizarre plot taking every possible kooky turn landing on the grotesque la la land, I have one basic question for y’all – who, in the year 2016 is addressing her/his mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law or even great grandmother-in-law as Mataji? No, I am not intending any pun, I am genuinely curious. Is anyone really doing that? Really?

The show rolled out promising some great messages on women empowerment. Given Avika Gor’s presence, who started her career with a show suggesting some grave social reforms, hopes built on her next gig roared skywards – but we are an ignorant lot! We failed to catch the cue when Roli replaced Simar on her wedding, and only because her face stayed hidden under a veil none could figure out, from the giant dissimilarities in their vital stats, that this bride, ain’t the original one– if we were intelligent enough we would have abandoned this show then and there. But neah, we stayed as gullible as the characters of Sasural Simar Ka and allowed it to devour our brains.

If surviving the overdose of a typical ‘saas-bahu’ drama was not a struggle enough, we got bombarded with the whimsical fantasies of a writer too influenced by the Harry Potter series, trying to create a gothic world, populated densely with spooky creatures emerging out of his sloshed imagination, and failing repeatedly to impress us. 

I was convinced that the rave of shape-shifting snake a.k.a icchadhari naagins trending during Sridevi’s time and era had happily died down, apparently, I was wrong. Turns out 21st century Indian television gets raided by these celestial beings every now and then and nobody bats an eye.

You know what’s more risible – Simar’s journey to heaven or some mythological immortal land in her mortal body. I guess, no direct flights from wherever she went connected her to the mortal world, and hence she was forced to travel all the way to hell to get herself a flight back home. But the situation gets really tensed as she bumps into a sadhu baba, who enraged by her intrusion, curses her into a housefly life. Well Simar, you deserved to see hell, girl, you totally did. ‘To hell and back’ sits literally on Simar who flew back home, flapping her fly-wings.

Its safe to say, the writers of Sasural Simar Ka are immensely inspired by Miley Cyrus and her song ‘Fly on the Wall’ is their anthem that engendered these genius brains to turn a protagonist into a grubby housefly, in a disgusting shade of green, buzzing across a palatial house - that house needed some serious pest control.

Apparently, Miley Cyrus isn’t the only source in Hollywood that Team ‘Sasural Simar Ka’ draws inspiration from. Do I even need to mention how gruesomely they ripped off the Game of Thrones teaser and chiseled a convoluted teaser of their own?  Evidently, India produces more techies than all the western countries combined. Then why these substandard graphics? Why?  

On a serious note though, in some cut-off obscure corner of this country, yet to be penetrated by ray of knowledge, as you and I surf the net, some poor, emaciated women accused of witchery and black magic is being set on fire. And shows like Sasural Simar Ka, with its wide reach into the veins of this society, is perpetuating these ideas. How do you explain existence of dayans in the guise of regular women breathing next to us? They command evil powers, rock dark make-up blinding ones vision, turn an entire clan into their own mini-mes and capture them into a pot? This is when I grab a binocular, look around searching what it is that inspired Team Sasural Simar Ka this time. And I find Christina Aguilera. You can’t get more 90s, in other words, last millennium than ‘Genie in a Bottle’. Can you?

Well, my imagination isn’t that wild, but for the sake of all the B.S you serve us, let’s say I stumble upon a dayaan or Genie tomorrow, who agrees to grant me three wishes, I am going to get all of you locked up into tiny bottles and thrown into the ocean. And then turn that portion of ocean into an island that remains disconnected from civilization till eternity. But in your honor, I shall name it Land Outlandish Simar Ka.  

[avantikasays]

These Picturesque Campuses From Around The World Turn Higher Studies into a Dream

When I was young, I couldn’t wait to get out of school. The tedious routine of getting up early, getting ready, homework - I get tired just mentioning them, let alone doing anything.  Going to college wasn’t different either, and all I wanted was to get my degree as fast as possible and get my little behind out of the campus. But the students in these stunning campuses would rather spend their entire lives inside these premises. I’d love to live here - won’t you?

Elon University – Education in the wooded grounds of Elon, located in North Carolina, is an experience like none other. The landscape of the institution, designated as a botanical garden in 2005 doubles as an educational and aesthetic resource. Would you know that the campus of this university has been used in the making of many movies, He Got Game being one?

Aarhus University –  Situated in Aarhus, Denmark, the campus of Aarhus University spreads across an area of 30 acres of land. Overlooking the beautiful and serene water bodies, it brings calm to a mind seeking knowledge. The architecture is unique with its unidentical buildings margined by rolling green lawns.  

Kenyon College – Apparently, the promising swimming and diving teams are not the only prides of Kenyon. The college is clearly the most picturesque educational institution in the United States, with its characteristically Gothic Revival architecture. In fact, the Old Kenyon Hall, erected in the 19th century is famous as the oldest Gothic Revival construction in the country. The rustic feel of Kenyon helped it winning its spot in Forbes in 2010.

Trinity College – The institution in Dublin, with its cobblestoned paths, blossoming gardens, surrounded by shady trees, and architecture from the gone centuries epitomizes the idea of a traditional concept of education.

McGill University – Punctuated by sequences of pavilions built centuries ago, this university in Montreal boasts a unified architectural design inspired by the college’s Scottish roots. The stone walls combine with pitched copper roofs, the stained-glass windows and their wood-panels leave the onlookers beyond impressed.

Qatar Foundation’s Education City – Of all the campuses we have seen so far, or will be seeing further on this slideshow, this one stands distinctively alone in its grandeur. Sitting on an area of over 5.5 miles, the campus projecting geometric latticework on walls and ceilings, and brilliant mosaic façade, gives the traditional Islamic designs a whole new and contemporary dimension.

Nanyang Technological University – With lanes lined with durian and palm trees, this top-ranked Singaporean school of engineering, in addition to its gorgeous topography, offers its students grass-covered roof doubling as communal space, reflecting pool, and open courtyards. A perfect dream for any techie, the cool campus of Nanyang Technological University spoils its students with every amenities one can only day dream of having within the campus.

Harvard University – Being the oldest educational campus in America, there is an undisputed legacy that Harvard enjoys. However, the view of the university located just a few miles from Downtown Boston, is surprisingly urban for most. The residential houses are self-contained with all the prerequisites of a comfortable life. There is room for everyone in Harvard as long as you earned your seat. But what deserves a special mention is the Richardsonian Romanesque styled Sever Hall.

Stanford University – The exclusivity that this school building enjoys over others is due to its palm tree–lined drive stretched across miles, taking us to a extraordinary specimen of architecture combining sandstone walls with red-tile roofs. The campus sitting on 8000 acres of land is home to famous buildings that took 25 years to be built and possess 170 bronze sculptures sculpted by Auguste Rodi.

Coimbra University – The iron gates open to an entry that takes us to the scenic location of this hilltop university over 700 year old. Established in the 1200s, the Portugal University displays numerous traditionally hand-painted tiles as a part of its architecture with its ancient bookcases carved out of Brazilian woods. But these are nothing compared to the spectacular view its 115-foot spiral staircase takes you too.

[avantikasays]

10 Superwoman Videos You Just Can’t Miss To Give a Watch!!!

She had no big name to back her up, she was still recuperating depression. She had a degree but no direction. But those days are long behind her now, Lilly Singh a.k.a Superwoman, an Indian name of global recognition has landed on Forbes and been invited to Jimmy Fallon. On social media she has gathered millions of followers from all over the globe. Unless you have been living under a huge rock, you already know of this world famous Canadian YouTuber of Indian descent. Here are 10 Video’s made by Lilly Singh, one can watch on repeat.

One of the most appreciated vids of Lilly, and though she talks about the "$hit Punjabi Moms say” here, if we just translate the  words to Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, or any other Indian language, we see in Paramjeet the woman we fondly call – mom, ma, aai, talli. Wherever in the world you live, if you are brown, you know have faced most of these threats. 

Lilly has battled depression for the longest time. There was a night she debated putting an end to it, but we are grateful she decided better than that. She knows that success is inevitable if you give it your best and unveils the  5 Reasons You WILL Succeed.

My Thoughts Every Single Night - I can relate to it – this is me, almost every single night. Doesn’t it happen to you? Even after a tiring day at work, the moment you crash, thoughts from all over the world cloud over you. We all go through it!!!

Superwoman vids are a healthy balance of comedy and entertainment. Of all the vids Lilly has made, I believe, her Draw My Life tag was the most inspirational one. She opens up about her dark days and how she dragged herself out of the disdain. 

How Girls Try On Clothes - Lilly is never scared of saying things the way they are, she doesn’t need to stay all glossed up doll-like to harness popularity. For her, her honesty alone works. So she makes an honest revelation of what goes on inside the trial rooms.

And also, decodes “How Girls Get Ready”, revealing to the world why they get late most of the time.

Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball | My Parents React - Lilly’s fictional parents are more popular than the real girl, ain’t that funny? That one time Paramjeet and Manjeet were made to react to Miley Cyrus’s ‘Wrecking Ball’ music video in front of the web world- priceless!!!

How My Parents See Things - Now that we are on the topic of parents, raise your hand if you have a mom, or a dad, or both who has a penchant for looking at your follies through a magnifying glass? Well, Lilly’s parents are no different either. 

We all would relate to this video - in fact, we would relate to this video like cousins. Because, My Relationship With My Phone is just what  Lilly points it to be. But again, tell me if you aren’t guilty of this too!!!

The last video, I’d encourage all of you to watch, because, in these 7 minutes 55 seconds Lilly explains to the whole wide virtual world the simple facts I fail taking to my parents, friends, and relatives - Why I'm NOT In A Relationship. And girlfriend does it like a “Bawse” - What up book reference!!!  (See, what I did there?).

If you have a favorite iiSuperwomanii video that’s not on the list, go, comment below and we will love to watch it. 

[avantikasays]

No Room For Singletons - With Their Myriad Inhibitions, They Hate Men and Women Alike

A country that hurries its daughters to get married from the day she turns 18, isn’t all that biased after all. Apparently, there is a rotting segment of our society that extends, without discrimination, its hatred toward men and women alike, IF, unmarried. In Fact, if they had their way, all our voter id cards, passports and Aadhaar cards would be confiscated and we’d be deported out of this country for good.

Well, if you are a single man or woman, working away from hometown, chances are thick that my experiences would find a nod in yours. I work in an IT firm with two friends – women - in their mid-twenties. Despite being employed in organizations of repute, holding degrees earned following prolonged years of industry, this part of the society treats us like prison-fled deranged criminals.

No owner in the thriving city of Hyderabad would readily rent out apartments to a bunch of singletons in the residential neighborhoods of Madhapur, Kondapur and Gachhibowli. And these ‘modern’ localities encompass the city’s IT hub. We had almost extrapolated it as a social pejorative against single girls, but a male friend narrated what struggle he had to undergo to gather a roof above his head. The rent and the advances asked were almost double of what an owner would ask of a family.

Having burned gallons of midnight oil, we finally succeeded in getting a decent place to crash after dragging through an exhaustive day of corporate hustle. But there awaits us, at our doorstep, the self-imposed guardian from hell. Our good old neighbor, who sits on the tattered couch of his living room, all day, with his door wide-opened overlooking us and every single of our minutest move, has sworn to inculcate into us, the ethics, morals and values our parents couldn’t. This dude has not a day less than 799 years in his credit- one needs to witness a specimen like him, to believe his existence. He had been up in some undiscovered, uninhibited, wilderness of the Himalayas, meditating his way through centuries till he rolled up to the door next to ours– This is the only legit explanation of his downright dismay, disapproval, denunciation and disgust toward everything pertaining to this age.

The housemaid gets summoned every time nature calls him, for his fragile limbs fail to support themselves, but this ancient piece of museum-worthy fossil starts limbering up, the moment he catches glimpse of any of us - three single girls renting the adjacent flat.

“Why are you going out at 8 PM? Why do you work on night shifts? Which year did you graduate? Why are your parents not getting you married?”

You think these questions are intrusive? Deal with these –

“Why were you in the hospital for two days? Are you sure it was only a cyst that you got removed? Who were the boys that came to visit you? Why do you wear such tight jeans, that’s why you got cyst in your stomach?”

Now if all you gentlemen feel sorry for the single working women in metros – save it!  You men, have to deal with worse.

Partha called me up at 1 AM. I rushed to meet him at our parking lot where he stood with his sister crying by his side. “Keep her with you tonight, will you?” I didn’t have the heart to say ‘no’ though I was clueless of the state of affairs.

Turns out, Partha’s sister, who studies B.Tech in a residential college at the city’s outskirts, comes over for the weekend at Partha’s abode. But a bunch of old school neighbors, despite the stark resemblance in their features and unity in surnames glaring through their ID cards, stay incredulous of a sister visiting her brother for a couple of days.

“We won’t let you turn this building into a brothel.” were the words thrown by urbane neighbors at a brother while his sister – not a cousin, not a ‘rakhi’ sister, but the one conceived by his own mother four years after birthing him – stood submerged in disgrace.

For some unexplored reasons, these “uncles and aunties” fondly believe that every spinster staying alone in the city is an escort and every man entering her doorpost in her client. For them every bachelor is an immoral degenerate splurging on debauchery. Single men or women, as they love to imagine, have no family to visit them and no friends to stand by in times of need, they cannot have a Sunday brunch with friends of all genders, they cannot have a colleague over to work on laborious projects. Every silhouette of the opposite gender they associate with is their bed-buddy. While they dart prejudiced eyes at us, every time we step out of the door, we await eagerly the day these 60 something aunties, puppeted by their 80+ in laws would have their own 20 something unmarried children in a foreign land fighting the inhibitions – the soup then, will be thicker than the swamp of the gutter they have their heads shoveled now.

(If you have a story that needs to be told, an experience to be shared, please write in to [email protected])

[avantikasays]

He Showed Me The International Terminal to Sikkim; I Just Wanted To Meet His Geography Teacher - If She Hasn’t Buried Herself Under Tons of Shame Already

“I am doing Ph. D in Australia.” He said, or should I say, boasted. He tried, but failed to impress me, mainly because he emphasized on Australia, not on his own merit, his degree. As the conversation picked intensity, mostly from his end, (because I was just killing time waiting for the attendant at the check-in desk) I learned he was doing some kind of extensive research on the richest gold mines in the world. So I figure, he must have majored in geography.

I am not a big fan of ‘small talk with random strangers’ at the airport, but some people are irritably beyond the limits of comprehension that you cannot overlook the dying need to indulge into some deep conversations with them, even if that hurts like banging your head on the wall – the one built of granite - to talk some sense into their empty heads. Such conversations equal social work, charity,  moral obligation toward fellow countrymen. 

So Mr. Ph.D (in some branch of Geography) shoots a question at my direction, “I am traveling to Bangalore, to meet my aunt. Where are you going?” 

I replied artlessly, “Sikkim”.

Mr. Ph.D - “Oh, they don’t have direct flights to Sikkim from here?”

Me -“They do. In fact, I am taking a direct flight.”

Mr. Ph.D  - “Oh, I guess you missed it then. This is the domestic terminal.”

Me - “Uh..So?”

Mr Ph.D  - “So I guess you need to be at the international terminal to get on the flight to Sikkim, don’t you?”

“What…what…what.. and most importantly whyyyy?” Apparently Mr. Ph.D is confident that one needs to get onto an international flight to go to Sikkim, perhaps one needs a valid passport too, and don’t forget to get some of those foreign currencies – wait! What currency do they use in Sikkim? Apparently they use Rupeeeessssssss, with Gandhi ji’s face shining all bright all over it! Why, you ask? Because, genius, Sikkim is, indeed, an Indian state – as much a part of this vast nation as West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka - the state you are flying to, or the 25 other states and 7 Union Territories (don’t hold me for this calculation if by the time it comes out, the country has another baby state formed).

Now can we all have a moment of truth here? How many of us are unaware of Sikkim as a part of India? How many of us thought Gangtok was some Southeast Asian city positioned somewhere closer to Bangkok? I mean the name rhymes, shouldn’t that be enough? I can name at least 20 people I know on a personal level and interact on a daily basis, who were totally oblivious to Manipur or Nagaland till Mary Kom brought home a bunch of prestigious medals, shining a torchlight on the Northeastern part of the Indian map.

It’s really disturbing how we all complain about our stinging summers and crawl up in Shimla and overcrowd Ooty, staying completely ignorant of the heavenly mountains and picturesque landscapes our Northeastern states offer. Cherrapunji, a city in Meghalaya, receives both southwest and northeast monsoonal winds making it the wettest place on the planet – and I am not even talking of the natural beauty it begets, I leave it on you to travel and explore it for yourself.

Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh can effortlessly replace any other over-hyped hill station in India – sadly, they don’t get the same press and so people like Mr Ph.D , doing a heavy weight research on treasures around the world stay unmindful of the richness in their own land. The people in these parts of our country, far from the corruption of metro cities, retain innocence one can only imagine; the leaves are greener than envy and the sky is bluer than the heart of the oceans. The water streaming down the rivulets here sparkle, reflecting the sun like crystals. You can’t afford to miss them in favor of any holiday in Dubai or shopping in Thailand. Next time you upload pics of a foreign holiday, just remember, you seriously need to explore India more to know how diverse and beautiful this country is.

“What are you thinking sitting here? The international terminal is that way.” Mr Ph.D in Geography hurried me up. You know what I said?

“Do you even geography, bro????”