Another vlog!

The college handed us our study leave. So I did exactly that: leave my studies.
Anyway, here's my second vlog :)
I narrated an old story to my sister recently and she laughed pretty hard at it. I figured why not let a few more people have a laugh too.
Also, there's loads of other little projects I'm been working on. Things have just been a little slow. I've been meaning to do some of PBS digital's art assignments. What do you think?

You're Scared.

This is for the next guy who beats his chest and claims to fear nothing.
Newsflash: We all do.
This is not just for the anxious expectant mother, or the kids scared of what hides their beds, or the germaphobics, the twitchy chronic OCD cases or the live-alones dealing with whoever is opening that attic door all the time.
This is for you. This is for the billionaire in his private jet and the homeless man on the corner of my block.

Fear is why Man decided to stay in groups to hunt. It is why they sought to please the inexplicable forces that raged through wind and storm with tangible sacrifices. It is why dogs were bred to protect his family.

Fear is why rulers did not cease to ruthlessly extend their boundaries. It's why they built armies and walls around their cities. It's why they whipped up fortresses and had them stockpiled with armoury. It's why they joined their daughters to princes of usurping kingdoms.

This world runs on fear.
It always has.
It's why government and religion and currency are in place. It's why science and technology advances. It's not what keeps you awake at night. It's what let's you sleep. Fear is the birth of hope.

Fear is why you save for your children.
It's why you have them drudge through an obscure education system. It's why you oblige with your boss no matter how incompetent you assume he is. It's why you succumb to certain age old logic despite the ridiculous backwardness.

Fear is why you remember the fork is for the left and the knife for the right. It's why you remember to have a firm handshake and keep those shoes sqeaky clean. Fear is why you wax your skin and paint your face and gloss your lips.

Yolo? It is because you fear death that you agree to live. So sure, you're all about living in the moment. Bask in the sun now and then so you can sleep saying you carped that diem.

Mile Sur - My First Music Video with Aflatunes

Here it is! Here's Aflatunes' Independence Day music video! I hope you like it. Constructive criticism is welcome

 https://youtu.be/YeF3jRaJ-k8

What a roller coaster of a month. In late July the team decides, hey, let's release something on Independence Day.

So that gives us, what, a little over two weeks?

 Aruna, the pretty lady in the orange saree, has wanted to cover this song for quite a while and takes on the responsibility of arranging it and assigning parts.

The ladies learn their bits and compose the harmonies.

Dany, sporting the pink turban on the top right, sorts the beat for each genre. 

Roy, the one grooving in the bottom left, nails the Konokkol.

Anish, working that golf hat in the middle, kicks in that much needed bassline. 

Nilay and Ruchee add their flair of beats and harmony respectively.

Soon, within a span of three days and hectically arranged practice sessions we finish 90% of the song and head to the recording studio where our sound engineer Archer D'costa patiently deals with our restless indiscipline for hours on end. One prepped singer takes about an hour. Imagine seven unruly ones. And this isn't even the whole team. 

With the audio almost in place we're prepped enough to shoot this project.

We were on a deadline so it wasn't a choice really.

Seven of us attempt to adorn five costumes each. Yes. 35 costumes. Yes. We had one day to shoot.

At 8am on a Saturday we find oursvelves at Qyuki's Bandra office with huge bags containing our sarees and head gear and make up. The lights are placed and positioned around the green screen. The camera is set. The audio is in place. And action! 

The team is video taped altogether as well as individually. 

Followed by the first costume change and another round of video recording. 

Then the second. The third. The fourth. 

Nilay is in constant dialogue with our director Nachiket. Neha and Bobby constantly dab our faces with tissues because, boy, were we sweating it out. If it weren't for those two and Natasha, none of us would have managed to get into our sarees. They handled our make up and our costumes brilliantly. 

Jibran tells me that Bangali Pearl should sway a little more like in the old movies.

And Goan Pearl should be more lady like.

Dany makes sure he takes a snap of everyone's face for a clever promo plan. Each cycle is executed like clockwork in order to keep with the schedule.  

Finally, at about 9:30 pm. We shoot our end screen. We make up something on the fly and the director calls cut.

There's an applause, a little dancing and a happy sprint to the changing room. We change back to day clothes, book ourselves a cab, exchange hugs and thank yous and head home for a long lazy Sunday.

The work, however, has only begun. 

We still have the rest of the song to mix and certain sections to redo. 

The video editing team begins its tedious task of getting rid of any unnecessary green. Archer, despite his sickness, works hours on end with our track. New layers are composed and added. With only four days to release date the whole crew is on edge, with the band members regularly visiting editors Afroz, Vishal, Harsh and Karan. Each night, band members update their profile pictures on social networking sites and raise enough heads to start some whispers. On the night before 15th August, the editing team pulls an all nighter. Band manager Rajeesh stays at the office overnight to keep tabs on everything. 

15th morning. We need more time. We understand, of course, that a short delay would be worth the end product. Friends and family start asking questions. There is a lot of nail-biting and impatient finger drumming. Everyone is excitedly telling everyone else to calm the heck down. Boy oh boy the wait. 

Eventually, at 4:30 pm, Aflatunes' music video is released. 

This was a real experience for me. I love Acapella and I love my people in this group. We're a happy bubbly bunch. We laugh at our own lame jokes and patronize each other as much as we pull each others' legs. Even though I stepped in last, I've been welcomed like I was here all along.  I know nobody reads these so if any of my band members happen to read this, know that I lou you. 

There I said it. 

I finally attempt to Vlog

Here it is
It was rather spontaneous and mostly the product of procrastination. You don't have to like it. It's just three minutes of me being me.
I do have ideas for the next one and friends already requesting me to talk about so and so topic or collaborate and it makes me very glad that I have potential content to put up and people who are willing to participate.
Thank you for checking it out as well :) 

Make Up is for Ugly People

Or so I thought for the longest time.
Recently however, I have found myself liking the prettier girl in the mirror every time I have to put some on for occasions.
Does that make me ugly, I wonder.
Why must you paint your face?
Is it because you think less of your natural appearance?
Sure you're not the fairest, nor do you possess clear skin and it certainly doesn't bother you but is allowing yourself to indulge in an abstract sense of beauty under layers of foundation and streaks of eye liner an insecurity?

"I'm a guy. This is a woman's indulgence."
Okay well look at that photo you have on Facebook, the one in the suit and the tie and the well adjusted hair. You looked your best, eh? Yeah you like that picture. All the aunties that scowl at you when you walk around all sweaty and worm after a long day of college or a football game said you looked chikna that day.
Relate now?

"It is an indulgence for the vain" you claim, while you sift through the the clotheslines at pantaloons on off season sales in local or online shopping centres.

"It is an indulgence for the rich, the west" you justify, as you wait for an uncle to return from the States with your new wardrobe rolled up in travel bags.

"It's the bollywood bimbos and Bieber"
You shrug it away, and then scroll through your twitter feed and watch them flash their brands on TV.

"I am simple" you proclaim.
Sure.

"What's wrong with trying to look good?"
Nothing. Nothing at all.
But, you look great all the time anyway. Regardless of what you wear or do to your face. If you can't believe that, you must be ugly.

"What are you getting at?"
Hypocricy? Vanity? I'm not sure. I just woke up and I haven't moved. It's almost noon. I should brush my teeth.
Good morning.

No Plain Blaine

Before Criss Angel and Hannibal took over, I remember AXN airing a lot of David Blaine. He was greatness in faded jeans and the same old black T-shirt. He'd pick volunteers from the streets and have them cussing and screaming and running away. Eye popper. Jaw dropper. All in a matter of a few hushed words and a swift motion of the hand. When he was done, he'd walk away with the same droopy eyes and hunched back.

Apart from his magic tricks, Blaine was fond of taking his body to extremes. He'd test his endurance through feats that I'll let your curiosity google. One such exercise that stayed with me was Above The Below, where he stayed in a glass box hung a over the Thames for a forty-four days with nothing but water supply, a pillow, blankets and his diary.

Sure, he battled starvation and an unfair amount of booing as well cheering. Yes, he lost a fourth of his weight and his BMI dropped dangerously. Also yes, he suffered an unhealthy sort of isolation-a so close yet so far feeling. Sure, he is a symbol of the undying human spirit and endurance and will power and I respect the man for it all.

However, it's what I remember him saying after those forty-four days that troubled me. He spoke of a revelation. Of course you'd have one too if you're going to be with yourself for that long and watch the sun rise and set everyday and watch the ants below drive around and go to work and live their lives and watch the stars traverse their course each night and have no one but yourself to share it with when you marvel at it all, but there was more to his epiphany.
He learnt something up there. He'd written about it in his diary. He'd said that when he was back on the ground he was surprised by how easily he'd forgotten his lesson and he was glad he had it all written down.

I have wondered then and I still wonder now, what magnificent truth did you uncover Mr.Blaine? What did you see that no one else on this planet living their routine lives missed? We must be missing this truth real hard if Blaine himself almost forgot it upon descending back to life with us here on ground level, that too after taking more than a month's meditation to understand it.

How I have wished you'd tell me. But like all your stunts, you leave me guessing.

Smashed it