Pal Bhar Mein Toot Jaye Wo Kasam Nahi
Dosti Ko Bhulnay Wale Hum Nahi,
Tum Bewafa Bano Iss Baat Mein Dum Nahi,
Kyun Ke Humari Wafa Bhi Kuch Kam Nahi.

Aapki Dosti Mein Zindagi Kat Jaye
Aapse Batein Karte Waqt Guzar Jaye
Bas Ek Dua Hai Khuda Se Ki Aapki
Bahon Mein Meri Jaan Chali Jaye

ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਸਦਾ ਨਾਲ ਜੋ ਵਗਦੇ ਹੰਜੂਆਂ ਦੇ ਵੇਲੇ…

ਓਹਨਾਂ ਯਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਯਾਰੀ ਤੇ ਭਰੋਸਾ ਰੱਬ ਨਾਲੋਂ ਚੌਖਾ,

ਕਰਦੇ ਨੇ ਤੰਗ ਜਿਹੜੇ ਪਿਯਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਸਾਨੂੰ…

ਓਹਨਾਂ ਦਿਲਦਾਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਭੁਲਾਓਣ ਬਾਰੇ ਸੋਚਣਾ ਵੀ ਬੜਾ ਔਖਾ,

ਜਾਣ-ਜਾਣ ਛੇੜਦੇ ਆਂ ਯਾਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਤੋਉਣ ਖਾਤਰ…

ਕਦੇ ਓਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਨੋਣਾ ਤੇ ਕਦੇ ਆਪ ਰੁੱਸ ਜਾਣਾ ਬੜਾ ਸੌਖਾ,

ਯਕੀਨ ਯਾਰਾਂ ਉੱਤੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਮੌਤ ਤੋਂ ਵੀ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ…

ਓਹਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਟੁੱਟੇ ਕਰਾਰਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਵੀ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਧੌਖਾ,

ਕਰਾਂ ਅਰਦਾਸ ਇੱਕੋ ਓਸ ਰੱਬ ਕੋਲੇ…

ਯਾਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇੱਕ ਨਜ਼ਰ ਵੇਖਣ ਲਈ ਤਰਸੇ ਨਾ ਕਦੇ

ਮੇਰੀਆਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਦਾ ਝਰੌਖਾ !!!

-ਨਿਵੇਦਿਤਾ ਸ਼ਰਮਾ***

This is a portrait of Satya Paul who is a living legend.
Satya Paul is considered as one of the greatest figures in the Indian fashion industry.
This self-taught designer is a pioneer since the sixties and his legacy could be compared to the work of Yves Saint Laurent.
His major contributions to design has been of questioning and changing the way to wear and perceive the sari and the salwar kameez by innovating the very form and drape of it.
He is currently supporting and promoting the various crafts of weaving from all over India. 
His name is well-known everywhere in the country and all my Indian friends dream to wear his sarees.
However Mister Satya Paul is the most humble fashion designer that I ever met.
I meet him for a week twice a year as our booths are next to each other during a show.
I am lucky to be able to share a few words with him every morning then and to listen to his wonderful words of wisdom about life.
There is a radiant energy coming from his amazing happiness.
www.satyapaul.com
www.01paulsalon.com

ਕੀ ਹੋਇਆ ਜੇ ਅੱਜ ਤੋਹਾਨੁ ’ਤਪਾਉਣੇ’ ਆਂ…

ਇੱਕ ਦਿਨ ਬਿਨ ਦਸਿਆਂ ਹੀ ਮੁੱਕ ਜਾਣਾ…

ਫੇਰ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਮੋਇਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਥੋਂ ਲਿਆਓਗੇ…???

ਯਾਦਾਂ ਸਾਡੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਦਰਦ ਵੰਡਆਓਗੇ …!!!

-ਨਿਵੇਦਿਤਾ ਸ਼ਰਮਾ***

As I flip through the entertainment news, I find myself shocked at the dearth of music news. Fashion news has officially dominated the entertainment headlines and television channels. The style channels are brimming with news and material, while the music channels hangs dry, lumped into a foray of irrelevant phone-in shows about boyfriends and love. Apparently the over-hyped Coke Studio is the only music news we have and of course Fuzon and Zeb and Haniya get the alternate mention.

 On those rare occasions when I finally do catch a glimpse of the new kids on the block, it’s shockingly awful. The music hardly stirs a hair on your arm while your spirit yawns and folds its arm looking elsewhere.  

 The new bands just drag themselves on stage, blaring and screaming raucous sounds at us. The criterion for a band or singer seems to be as follows: You don’t have to be a real musician, or listen to music to be a musician; you don’t even have to know how to sing for that fact. As long as the singer is good-looking and young, your future as a musician has been made. They’re not hardworking or professional. They have no knowledge about their pop history, nor any knowledge of the instruments they play. Aside from their looks, they’re not inspirational.

 After twenty years of the pop music industry and the recent prolific launch of music channels, the ‘controllers’ of this business are not taking music seriously. They fail to see it as a respectable art that only a few can master.  They produce shows for the sake of filling up the time slot. Slap on a pretty young girl, give her some callers, pick a topic and, play whatever is in the pile, even if some of the videos were aired in 1998.

 A good music show may have some light humor, but usually they are packed with in intelligent information about the music video. For instance, Channel V has really worked hard in promoting talent from the far East. They have opened the eyes of the international world to their music scene. These musicians are talking about their talent, voicing their concerns and playing their songs. And people are listening. This is what our music channels should have done.

 When our local music channels rose to the scene, they created the hope that they were channels dedicated for the youth. They promised to rise and promote fresh talented musicians and singers. They promised to produce quality shows with people who knew what they were talking about. Looking back at the nineties, The Music Channel Charts hosted by Fakh-e-Alam still stands as the only show that combined light humour with information about western as well as the brewing local pop bands. It was the only trusted music charts show that everyone religious tuned in to.

 Boring, impassionate bands fill our screens, often only producing one-hits and disappearing all together. The bands who manage to stick around for a year (at maximum before they all split up for solo careers), producing poor music are allowed to get away with murder. No one is asking them the right questions. Instead, we find out about their favorite food and their horoscope. Followed with a little acappella session, while a young boy reclines into the couch, with legs spread wide, eyes on the floor, looking distant, attempting to strum the acoustic, while a bedazzled sparkly VJ vibrates to the invisible tune.  

 The fluffy elite nor the general masses can ever understand these shows. There’s nothing in it for anyone. No good local classic, folk for the masses nor any decent pop/rock for the elite niche.

 So then the question, who is really watching these shows? There must be some people, since these shows do have callers. But I doubt it’s a significant number. If the channels democratically had a ratings system, then many of the channels would indisputably be shut down. Then they’d see that people can not be easily entertained like children.

 It seems to be that the time of PTV and NTM were better when musicians and singers had to really push the bar to get onto these channels. It was never about a good-looking face, it was about serious music. People knew that they needed music that would appeal to the masses and not just themselves. They knew that fame was difficult. Bands would go up to these studios and put up their posters to get seen. That is why these bands were more passionate. That is why their music is still living today.

 When Nazia and Zoheb exploded into our private worlds with their disco funk, pop music ‘can’t get you outta my head’ catchy Urdu lyrics, the MTV generation just couldn’t stop moving their feet. And their list of hits did not stop with one song, as is the current fashion, instead we were graced with ‘Disco Deewane’, ‘Boom, Boom’, Koi Nahin’ and more!

 When the first pop band, Vital Signs hit the country, using western grooves, with catcy  folk-like lyrics  the Pakistani’s were proud. Beginning with the near national anthem, ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’, there would be another long list of hits‘ Aitabar’, ‘Sawali Salooni’ to name just a few.

 At the off-set of the nineties, the Pakistani masses were introduced to the unchartered rock territory: Junoon. When we saw the long-haired men, dressed in Sindhi style glam, loud guitars, heavy drums and, screams we couldn’t believe that they were from our country. They were passionate; the masses were head-banging while raising their hands for a bhangra jig all at once. This was our very own truly global rock band. No one can forget ‘ Jazba Junoon’, Yar Bina’, Dosti’ all unforgettable hits’.

 The nineties also brought the first female led band Milestones, hip-hoppin Fakher-e-Alam, the first boy band Awaaz, the lovely Hadiqa, Strings and Ali Haider. All these bands stayed together for over five years to over a decade. They all have made enough hit songs to compile a Best Of album (and they have).

Today, the young bands have only destroyed any standards built with such difficultly by their pioneers. Everyone is trying to play neo-rock or imitating Junoon and Vital Signs. Professional musicians and singers are frustrated with the young guys who show up for free, desperate for publicity.  Spoiling the producers for free desperate artists. The professional and experienced bands are not taken seriously, after all their hard-work. Producers would rather put the raucous band instead of a serious band. No one is talking about their work, let alone really honoring them.

 In the end we are left with a system where we will never get to see any serious class-acts. Lately, there has been the Ari Jazz Qaurtet from New York touring the country, the radio and newspapers picked up on it, but the channels never picked up.  There’s much complain about the lack of musicians and singers, but that is hardly true. There are excellent bands of all styles in all the urban centers of the country. There is an even better variety of classical and folk musicians and singers who deserve being promoted and receiving good money for what they do. They too deserve being pulled out into our pop culture- why not?

 This is murder. And it really needs to stop. Either the bosses on these channels employ truly passionate and creative individuals, or we should begin to advocate for a ratings systems where these channels will be forced to produce shows we actually watch, encouraging good talent to take centre stage and not simply the good-looking kid in school.

Kabhi Aanso Chupa Chupa Ke Rooey
Kabhi Dastan-e-Gum Suna Ke Rooey

Raat Katti Hai Intezar-e-Yaar Main
Hum Raat Bhar Taroon Ko Jaga Jaga Ke Rooey

Phir Woh Na Aaye Raat Ka Wada Kar Ke
Hum Tamaam Raat Shama Jala Jala Ke Rooey

Aaj Raat Un ke Aaney Ki Umeed Thi Humain
Woh Na Aaye Hum Ghar Ko Saja Saja Ke Rooey

Suna Hai Dua Se Hoti Hai Muraad Dil Ki Poori
Hum Sari Raat Haath Utha Utha Ke Rooey…!!!

As i write this blog , just after returning from the movie Love aaj Kal ( blog title bhi wahin se uthaya hai ), i just can’t stop recalling my entire journey from childhood till date. But yes the journey so far has been enjoyable .Just like story of Harleen and Veer and coming of age , love birds Meera and Jai Vardhan.
Dosti jo Kal thi:
I remember my childhood days when friendship had its own charm.We shared the lunch box with our friends,waited to get down to play together ,when running after a kite and butterflies was more fun then running after a girl ,when a 50 paise ice-cream from local ice-cream wala was more tastier than cone of ice-cream in Baskin Robbins, when we somehow managed to find all our friends inspite of no cell phones, when aloo paranthas with mango pickle prepared by mummy was tastier than an Italian Pizza, when a new bicycle from dad was the most prized possession in entire society and would enjoy the ride with all the friends, when an orange flavoured toffee had great taste than imported swedish chocolate, when the feelings were so very true for others.

As i grew up in school and preparing to take off for college life, the cruelties of life starting taking toll on me.Competition took better off me.Somewhere i became so busy carving the so called GOLDEN future for myself that other things took a backseat.I had my own share of heart breaks, fights, quarrel etc.Somehow i never realized that there were a lot of things that i never shared with my family, but i did with few people who in due course of time had come so close to me.Myself with my few friends who sat together and planned for hours for the future, would share everything , every feeling close to our heart, our latest crush to the dreams we had.I never felt alone and lonely as i always had a shoulder to cry on and a confidant to share my secrets and my happiness to celebrate.
I had simply to drop down to my friends’ place who were just few blocks away from my home.

As i moved ahead to start my new innings of college life, it was the first time i felt the pain, “oh God i am departing from my firends”… and yes i really departed from them because till date i have not seen many of them.With watery eyes and heavy heart i just moved ahead.

I joined college and got too busy with my new freedom and responsibilities.First time experience of staying away from family , for 4 years ,amidst 600 other people in hostel will teach you what rest of the life cannot teach.These people became my new family away from my FAMILY.These people were now one with whom i stayed most of the time,eating , sleeping , studying, celebrating together.
It was not that my family took a backseat, there importance grew but at the same time these people became a part of my extended family.I still say “those were the best days of my LIFE”.Mass ragging by seniors,that late night parties in hostel , birthday bumps, night long studies before sessionals and semester exams,the lifeline called MAGGI which was national food of hostelers,late night tea and ommlette being prepared secretly in room ( from watchful eyes of warden) are few of the little things i miss till date.
But the honeymoon stint of 8 semesters flew like anything and lo i was again standing at crossroads of life… again to depart ,to fly off in the corporate world.This time the pain was more unbearable, but with a smile on face..I had got my friends of lifetime..I realized this later…
Corporate World:
This is the place i love the most and also hate the most.Because on the one hand it provides you infinite opportunities to grow as well as the most mean place, where the fastest road to success is backstabbing and cheating with confidence.But i also saw one more breed of people who value human values and love more than quick success.
And today i proudly say they are my friends.
Why i have written my view of various stages of my life is that so many people come and go in life .They meet you with a purpose , to make you aware of only one thing..all material things will fade away in life, be it money, cars, cellphones, foreign trip etc. But only one thing will remain with you MEMORIES… the sweet ones , the bitter ones.. and if you look back in those time you will find that these memories were there only because of your friends … your true soulmates who were always there beside you in both good and bad times..Standing besides you ,holding your hands.Nothing has stood test of times as TRUE FRIENDSHIP..and today i would say that i am so lucky to have such a nice bunch of friends, from school, college , office, everywhere.And i would like to thank each one of you from the bottom of my heart for making who i am, and being a part of me always.
HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY to all…

Hum is tarah se dosti nibhaenge,
Achi naukri na mili to bilkul nahi ghabraenge…!
Dono ek chai ki dukan lagaenge,
Tum chai banana hum chai-chai chilaenge…!!

********************************************************

Mohabbat ka sirup ho tum,
Tension ka capsule ho tum,
Aafat ka injection ho tum,
Par kya karen jhelna padta hai,
Kyonki Dosti ka oxygen ho tum…..!

Dost to ruksat ho jaate hai….
Par kuch yaaddoon k daaayre ban jaate hai…
Bhuul jana to insaan ki fitrat hai…
Par kch dost yadoo me bass jaate hai..

Dosti gazal hai gane ke liye,
dosti nagma hai sunane ke liye,
ye wo jazba hai jo sabko nahi milta,
kyonki aap jaisa chahiye nibhane ke liye

Fiza me baharon ke sawarne se pehle …
Aasman me sitaron ke bikharne se pehle….
Humne Khuda se maangi thi dosti aapki…….
Is zamin par utarne se pehle….

Dua hai jaan ki ek hi ghar me rista hamara ho,
Agar dil tera dadke tho dhadkan hamari ho,
Agar asu tera nikle to ankha hamari ho,
Agar sans teri ruhke to maut hamari ho…

Fasle mita kar aapas me pyar rakhna,
dosti ka ye rishta hamesha yunhi barkarar rakhna,
bichad jaye kabhi aap se hum,
aankhon me hamesha hamara intejar rakhna

Bolti hai dosti chup rehta hai pyar,
hasati hai dosti rulaata hai pyar,
milati hai dosti judaa karta hai pyar,
phir bhi kyun dosti ****kar log karte hai pyar

Ye dosti

Ye dosti

Raah dekhta tha is din ki kabse

Aage ke sapne saja rakhe the naa jaane kab se

Bade utavale the yahaan se jaane ko

Zindagi ka agla padaav paane ko

Par naa jane kyon ..dil mein aaj kuch aur aata hai

Waqt ko rokne ka jee chahta hai

Jin baaton ko lekar rote the

Aaj un par hansi aati hai

Na jaane kyun aaj un palon ki yaad aati hai

Kaha karta tha ..badi mushkil se chaar saal seh gaya

Par aaj kyun lagta hai ki kuch peeche reh gaya

Kahi ankahi hazaaron baatein reh gayi

Na bhoolne wali kuch yaadein reh gayi

Meri taang ab kaun kheecha karega

Sirf mera sar khane kaun mera peecha karega

Jahaan 2000 ka hisaab nahin wahaan 2 rupay ke liye kaun

ladega

Kaun raat bhar saath jag kar padega

Kaun fail hone par dilasa dilayega

Kaun galti se number aane par gaaliyaan sunayega

Barish mein coffee kis ke saath piyoonga

Wo haseen pal ab kis ke saath jiyoonga

Aise dost kahaan milenge jo khaai mein bhi dhakka de aayein

Par fir tumhein bachane khud bhi kood jayein

Meri ghazlon se pareshaan kaun hoga

Kabhi muje kisi ladki se baat karte dekh hairaan kaun hoga

Professors ke PJ par RAKSHAS ki tarah kaun hansega

“Shart mein haarne wale ki treat”..is chakkar mein ab kaun fansega

Stage par ab kis ke saath jaoonga

Juniors ko faltoo ke lectures kaise sunaonga

Doston ke liye professor se kab lad payenge

Kya hum ye fir kar payenge

Raat ko 2 baje pohe khane kaun jayega

3 gilaas lassi peene ki shart kaun lagayega

Kaun mujhe meri kabiliyat par bharosa dilayega

Aur jyada hawa mein udne par zameen pe layega

Bas ek baat se dar lagta hai doston

Hum ajanabi na ban jayein doston

Zindagi ke rangon mein dosti ka rang feeka na pad jaye

Kahin aisa na ho doosre rishton ki bheed mein dosti dum tod jayye

Zindagi mein milne ki fariyaad karte rehna

Agar na mil sakein to kam se kam yaad karte rehna

Chahe jitna hanslo aaj mujh par, mein bura nahi manooga

Is hansi ko apne dil mein basa loonga

Aur jab yaad aayegi tumhari, yahi hansi lekar thoda muskura loonga.

Fursat kise hai zakhmo par marham lagane ki,
Nigahen badal gayi apne aur begane ki…!
Tum na chodna dosti ka haath kabhi,
Warna tamanna na rahegi naye dost banane ki…..!!

*******************************************************

Tujhe dekhe bina teri tasweer bana sakta hoon,
Tujhse mile bina tera haal bata sakta hoon…!
Hai meri dosti mein itna dum,
Teri aankh ka aansoon aapni aankh se gira sakta hoon !!