Baavra Mann - Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi

I absolutely adore this song. Here is my attempt at singing this fantastic composition. Please let me know what you think! 

Baavra Mann_Hazaar...

Today

He slowly woke up from what seemed an eternity. It was dark and he could not really figure out where he was or what the time was. He had just a scintilla of actuality. His laptop had moved to standby and the blinking light was the only thing he could really make out. He heard the world sighing and snoring outside or that is what it seemed. He woke up and took a few unsteady steps towards the window. It was raining and cars went by, all at approximately the same speed, one after the other. He just stood there and watched. He was not thinking. Just existing and watching cars go by as it rained. Slowly, reality started taking control. He felt like a PC on Vista. All the processes were starting slowly, one after the other and bringing him back to a reality he was a part of not by accident but by choice. Time to take take responsibility for your actions, he thought. It was time to start working on his homework. 

My first paper - online !

Everyone can now view my first IEEE conference paper online ! Just type in my name on Google Scholar ! 

Fuzzy Logic based supervision of DC Link PI control in a DSTATCOM.

Woohoo! Its a good feeling. 

You can still ruin my day.

Jon Brion is easily one of my favorite composers. I was introduced to him through the music of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind which is incidentally on my top 5 movies ever ever. Here is one more gem of a song composed by Jon Brion. I'd like to put it here because I love this so much and there seems to be so much truth in the song. I would not know. 

You can still ruin my day. 

Youtube link: Click here

I know it's today, so I guess you could say one recovers

It's odd you should call me, but then after all we were lovers

I don't wait by the phone like I used to

I don't hope for kind words you might say

You don't prey on my mind like you used to

But you can still ruin my day

You can still ruin my day

You're telling me now you regret how we never connected

Oh, as if you forget that it's me you regret you rejected

I don't easily forgive like I used to

And I seldom get carried away

No, you don't have the pull that you used to

But you can still ruin my day

Oh, you can still ruin my day

Love, it was nothing, it hardly hurt a bit,

Sounds good to me, but unfortunately I remember it

Now, I don't lose my place like I used to

I'm not moved by your artful display

No, you can't draw me in like you used to

But you can still ruin my day

You can still ruin my day

You can still ruin my day

You can still ruin my day

I said you can still ruin my day.

Notes to self

Life is too beautiful and wondrous to be wasted on petty quarrels and squabbles. So much to learn and so much to discover ! The only major constraint and motivator is Time. Music is salvation. In losing oneself in the infinite abyss of one's own mind lies the solution. Beauty, perfection, love. I keep getting back to these concepts I cannot yet comprehend. They are inter-related and life's purpose is finding meaning. Simplicity, purity, clarity. I love the fact that I am single. I love it that I have control over atleast a major portion of my free time. I love the fact that I can think and act and behave independently. I love my courses. I am blessed that I can think and do not have to constantly worry about surviving. I am grateful. I am grateful that I have the choice to lead a simple uncomplicated life. A life of math and electromagnetic fields, music and writing and thinking. Simple. Clear. I am grateful with all my heart. 

Honesty Box

Facebook has this application called Honesty Box - You can submit whatever you think of the person who has it, anonymously. I typed the following into the Honesty box of a certain friend of mine but was too much of a wuss to post it- even anonymously. I know that this blog has suffered from neglect and hardly anyone reads this, so my 20 minutes of effort, I am sure, can be posted here without there being any repurcussions. :) 

To her

I think you are absolutely amazing! You have a certain endearing laid-back, but aggressive characteristic which I adore. You are proficient and clearly a quick learner. Motivated and focussed when the need arises, you are strong and independent. You like challenges as long as they are interesting. You are beautiful but you try not to show it as you want to be recognised more for your brains and talent than for physical radiance. This adds to your almost irresistible charm. In spite of all this, you are down to earth and frank. You are nice to people and have not become a cynic, yet. You are mostly a realist with dashes of romanticism. You are, to me, in all senses of the word - perfect.

Where is she ?

Where is she ? Where is she ?
I need a hand to hold.
The rain drop, solitary
The rain drop, dead
Its sad, one after the other
single and dead.

Where is she? Where is she?
I cant just sit and be
the soft touch of her
damp lovely skin
No more rain!
No more of this !

Where is she? Where is she?
A gentle nudge, hot coffee
Rain ! Rain !
Don't do this to me !
Don't push me off the cliff
I am trying to flee

Where is she? Where is she?
She is not here
She is not with me
She does not exist
She does not see
She will never be here
I will never be me.

-Harish

Pukarta Chala Hoon Main

I somehow cannot get enough of singing. So here is another absolutely brilliant yesteryears' masterpiece. Composed by OP Nayyar Sahab and sung by none other than Rafi, this song was a huge huge hit.

So here is Pukarta Chala Hoon Main from the movie Mere Sanam sung by yours truly.

Pukarta Chala Hoon...

PS: Thanks to Geetnet for the Karaoke.

Tere Mere Milan Ki Yeh Raina

This song is one of those rarest of the rare gems of Hindi music. I have been wanting to sing this for some time now and finally, I have !

Click below to listen to me singing "Tere Mere Milan Ki Yeh Raina" from the movie Abhimaan.

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

PS: Please leave a comment if you liked what you heard. Comments make me happy :)

The Blow

He knew it. He was one strong jab away from winning the boxing championship. He thought about the money he had received to throw this away, about what the mafia boss would do, about his debts, about his wife and his two little girls.

Wham!  Knockout!  He won and lost.

PS: This was my entry to the Justin S. Morrill Mini Saga contest held at Purdue University. The rules of the competition were that the entry should tell a complete story in exactly 50 words. I did not win, but I like my story ! 

Happy Birthday Harish ! ( 20th Oct, 2008 )

I had one of the most "kickass" birthday parties ever ever ! A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is an essay of a few thousand words. Thank you, friends, for making it such a memorable and amazing experience. Special thanks to my roommates, Prasanth and Aditya, who are the bestest roommates one can have and to Jalaja "P" for having walked for 45 minutes to get my cake. Thank you, Shalini and Mehernaz for the amazingly tasty cake you made, which I devoured. Thank you Leela for the super sweet video you made for me. It totally made my day ! A big thanks for everyone who shared this wonderful day with me.







THANK YOU !

First Kiss

Love, time and perfection enjoyed a wonderful evening sipping tea and staring into huge rain bearing clouds. A small tear escaped her large doe eyes just before the downpour started. Time stood still, love was in the air and in the perfection of that moment, he held her gently, like a crumbling old letter from a college sweetheart and kissed her.

Notes to Self

There is absolutely no point in living a normal life. In fact, there is really no point in living, if you cannot be exceptional. Paraphrasing Rand, real happiness lies in realizing one's values. Do not live life being sheep ! Do not go with the flow. Work to be perfect, even if it is not required of you. True beauty, true niceness, love all have their basis in perfection. A sudden coming together of the forces we don't understand which in that "aha" moment reveal to us that there is more. Work to understand, challenge yourself. Do not settle in a comfort zone. When you are satisfied, you never progress. Put pressure on yourself. Push yourself to your limits, physically, mentally and emotionally. Love will find you slowly with time. You will find love. Love is an integral part in the pursuit of perfection. There is no perfection without love and there is no love without perfection.

Warholed (Raised Eyebrow)

Art !

If I should specify one reason, only one strong reason, as to why I want to be rich, it would be because I want to be able to buy beautiful things. Before you start off on what a pervert I am, I am talking about art. The beauty of art lies in the fact that it can mean so many things to so many people. The true artist is one who captures these emotions, these Oh-so-many feelings and packs them all into his work that us, as the artist's audience with our filters, still catch a glimpse of his genius. I had to pick 5 postcards (as they had an offer) and these are the ones I got.

1) Brian, the dog from Family guy.
2) Marlon Brando with his cat in the Godfather.
3) The sweet Audrey Hepburn - my goddess.
4) Cafe Terrace at Night by Vincent Van Gogh.
5) A Tweety Bird card for mom.

Cafe Terrace at Night by Van Gogh is one my most favourite paintings. It reminds me of those wonderful nights we went out for treats and returned back to our rooms content, full and happy; gazing at the stars on the long way back from the IIT main gate to the hostel. And so my first purchase for myself in America - a print of Cafe Terrace at Night.

Candlelight Contemplation

Postits

Jaane Woh Kaise - Pyaasa

I believe this blog, my little home on the web, is sort of a representation of myself. I have written about music here, but have not to date uploaded my voice. Well, here goes. :)

The song that I'll be singing today is one of those absolute pathos filled classics of S D Burman sir. His music has moved and will continue to influence generations of Hindi music lovers. The song is from the movie Pyaasa which by itself is another masterpiece by Guru Dutt. Ill provide a translation, though not literal, of what I feel about the meaning of the song.

The song : Jaane Woh Kaise
The movie : Pyaasa
Composer : S D Burman
Lyricist : Sahir Ludhianvi
Original Singer: Hemant Kumar

Please click on the widget to listen to me singing this song.

Jaane Woh Kaise_Py...

Jaane Woh Kaise Log The Jinke Pyar Ko Pyar Mila
Humne To Jab Kaliyaan Maangi Kaaton Ka Haar Mila

( I wonder how many people exist who have received love for their love.
When I asked for flowers, I received a garland of thorns )

Khushiyon Ki manzil Dhoondhi tho Gham Ki Gard Mili
Chaahat Ke nagme Chaahe tho Aahe Sard Mili
Dil Ke Bhoj Ko Dugna Kar Gaya Jo Gham haar mila
Humne To Jab Kaliyaan Maangi Kaanton Ka Haar Mila ..

( I searched for happiness and found sorrow
I wanted moments of longing and obtained pain
The weight in my heart has been doubled, I have faced such a plaintive defeat
When I asked for flowers, I received a garland of thorns .. )

Bichhad Gayaa Har Saathi Dekar Pal Do Pal Ka Saath
Kisko Phursat Hai Jo Thaame Deewanon Ka Haath
Humko Apna Saaya Tak Aqsar Bezaar Mila
Humne To Jab Kaliyaan Maangi, Kaanton Ka Haar Mila ..

(Every friend has left me after giving me company for a few moments 
Who has the time to comfort a lover ? 
Even my shadow seems apathetic to my state
When I asked for flowers, I received a garland of thorns .. )

Isko Hi Jeena Kehte Hain To Yunhi Ji Lenge
Uf Na Karenge Lab See Lenge Aansoo Pee Lenge
Gham Se Ab Ghabraana Kaisa Gham Sau Baar Mila
Humne To Jab...

( If this is what they call living, then we will live like this
We won't sigh, we will sew our lips together, we will drink our tears
I am no longer worried about sorrow, I have seen it a hundred times
When I asked for flowers, I received a garland of thorns .. )

Please do let me know if you liked it :)


PS: Discovered that the above version has some faults in the lyrics. The actual lyrics ( so as to do justice to Ludhianvi sahab ) can perhaps be found here.

The next Wolverine.

The Marriage

He stood at the corner of the room, in his coat and tie and neatly combed hair. His polished shoe, almost perfect, with just a small white smudge on the side; the wedding hall had just been renovated. His composure and smile were a perfect mask, impenetrable, perfected over years of restraint, years and years of wanting to do the right thing, and doing it. She was getting married today. He tried to hold back the contempt he felt towards the bridegroom, towards the scores of relatives, some whom he knew some whom he did not, contempt towards his friends and hers, who were talking about the most pointless of matters, contempt towards the insect which was buzzing around the cameraman's light. Yet he stood there smiling. Like he should. Like what was expected of him. One more day, he thought. One more lifetime. He can take the beating.

3 years had passed since they first met. It was fantastic in the beginning. It always usually is. They talked for hours. They shared music. They complained about the sad state of affairs in the country and why it is impossible to make progress under a corrupt oligarchy. And then he had to leave. He had no choice but to. And a decision had to be made. It was not the most cordial parting but he knew he had to stop thinking about her. Ill not take you through the boring details of human stupidity. Most of us have experienced it and know what happens when one is frustrated, especially in matters of affection and reciprocation. He wanted a little bit more involvement from her and she was reluctant to concede even that little bit. And so they stopped talking and that was that.

Things were fine till he received that bloody wedding invitation. Perhaps, there is some profound truth in that statement in the Thomas Crown Affair - 'People do not realise what they have till its gone'. Well gone it was and realise he did. But he wanted to attend the wedding. He wanted to see her. He wanted to see if there was even one single scrap of feeling, a fleeting vestige of emotion. Something he could use to berate himself in that absolute self criticizing mood he sometimes got into. He knew he would not get it. She was blissful and happy. "Screw her", he thought but that was a thought he could not hold. His smile had slowly transformed into a smirk without his knowledge like how sometimes it is evening and suddenly it is night. He corrected himself and put his smile back on. It was difficult but it had to be done.

She was looking at him from the wedding platform. Her eyes were on him. "Did she see that?", he thought and quickly flashed a smile. "Congratulations", he whispered with exaggerated stress so that she could read his lips from where she was."Thank you", she whispered back as is customary and looked away. Some other friend had come to convey her bloody wishes. He was a masochist but he was not suicidal. So he dusted his shoes and having enjoyed enough of his share of mental torture walked away.