A Tryst with Mr. AMISH TRIPATHI and Mr. MAHESH BHATT!!!

873rd BLOG POST -->>

       

With Mr. Amish Tripathi

  It's so wonderful to experience our dream. When the first time we see it, we believe that it will remain to be a dream because it's too big to even imagine ourselves in that position. But with time if we grow serious about it, it develops an anxiety within us which we don't want anymore. We set on our path to achieve our dream until we don't start living it daily. I remember how ignorant I was about this world until the first Blog that I wrote. I was ignorant even after it but by 2010, something clicked within me which said that I have to do and create everything that I have in my mind, soul and desire. Gradually things started coming to me with the help of my hard work. Our idols are the biggest persons for us. They are God. My first idol is Chetan Bhagat whom I got to meet on 13th September, 2011. Then Amitabh Bachchan became one whom I got to experience on 30th January, 2013. Then its Amish Tripathi whom I finally got to meet yesterday, on 21st June, 2013. 

           If only I could have thanked my god, my stars, my fate, my destiny anymore to tell everyone of you in what state I am currently. I went to India Non Fiction fest which is Asia's first ever kind of fest. There are various Fiction Festivals where certain writers come and talk about the revolution in publishing industry but this one was first of its kind where Non-fiction creators came and told about the issues that really matters. I have always loved attending such seminars because it gives a beautiful insight into the matters that really matters. :-) There are many facts that we ourselves don't know about our society and surroundings. These geniuses acquaint us with such facts and real issues. 

          In the morning, I got to meet Ankit Fadia, the most respected ethical hacker of India. I interacted with him about my interest in computers and my weaknesses. In the end, he asked me to follow my passion than trying to jump into Computers if I'm finding it hard. Haha! I also got to meet Mrs. Tavleen Singh whose a renowned author and is also known for writing controversial stuffs. :-) Later on I got to interact with Ajit Ranade who has been a continuous face as an Expert Adviser in Kaun Banega Crorepati. He helped me analyze how weak our system is and how we should calculate all the ratios in our country rather than jumping on conclusions.

     

You can see my hair and nose with him on the left. :-)

   And finally the moment came for which I was waiting for since the whole day. I got to meet my idol and Superstar author- Mr. Amish Tripathi. I can't tell you the feeling when I realized that the person standing in front of me was him about whom I talk daily with my parents and friends. I approached to introduce myself to him. As soon as I said,"Sir, I am Abhilash Ru...", he interrupted and said,"Blogger Abhilash, right?" I was shocked and I said,"Yes". He said you better introduce yourself with this than with your whole name because that's your brand and I ended up telling him that no brand can touch the stature of Meluha brand. :-) After that we talked for 20 minutes which is 1800 seconds of pure experience of heaven for me. We ended up sharing our phone numbers. I got his autograph on my copy of his book and also on the xerox of the letter that I gave him. I also presented him my published short story in UYE and told him to take the romance nonsense lightly as this is not what I am going to write about in my writing career and he said how beautiful love stories on my Blog are. There was so much interaction that I felt as if I met an old friend of school rather than the Legend-Writer. 2 hours back, I got his SMS where he thanked me for writing a kind letter to him. Some day, I'll scan the xerox of the letter that I have with me and share with all of you. :-)

        Later, I got to meet Mr. Mahesh Bhatt because of the contest that I won. I went over the stage and asked him the question,"Why is Vishesh films making more of sequels that are based on the same old concept than creating something new that it has always done?" to which he replied that business is the main target these days and all is made according to it, basically, and then as creative art. I threw my second question,"Why don't we see you anymore as Director of a movie? Why are you just producing and writing now?" to which he replied that his name is being registered in the history of cinema as someone who made classics and now he wants new directors to conquer the floor with new ideas. Later on he came and got this picture snapped with me. He handed me the signed copy of "Director's Cut", a book based on 50 major film-makers of the modern era. I handed him the letter that I wrote for him and got his autograph on its xerox too just as I did with Amish sir. :-) I would be sharing this letter too, some day.

With Mr. Mahesh Bhatt!!!

      And let me tell you all, while I was on the stage to ask question to this legendary movie maker, I shared the stage with Minissha Lamba, Rahul Bose and Sanjay Ghadvi too. :-) I met so many successful people yesterday that the next 5 years of my life, even if a failure, will not depress me. It will give me a reason to smile and take me back to this day where all the authors were recognizing me, 4 of the people from audience came to me after knowing that I'm the blogger and book reviewer that they have been following from last 2 years or something. Thanks to them for giving me the little footage too among those epitomes of successes. Today is another day when I am called once again for meeting author Makarand Waingankar who has written a successful biography on Sachin Tendulkar. I would be again made to stand on stage and answer a question or two. I would also be getting chance to meet Sanjeev Kapoor who is another legend of India. Let's see how it goes. 

 Thanks a lot. Keep your blessings with me. I need them.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

Let's Not Interrupt The Runners If You Feel The Track is Wrong!!!

872nd BLOG POST -->>

   

       If a question would be asked to all of us,"Is your life complete the way you have chosen to live it?" I am sure almost 99% would say yes. Disagree? You are mistaken. The question isn't asking "do you have all you want from life?". If this would have been the question, people would have told how much poor they are, how much more they want from life, how much struggle they are putting in etc. Here its been asked whether life is complete with the way we have chosen to live it. And because nothing can be more comfortable than the way we chose, we will definitely have to say yes even if we feel that our chosen path lacks the twinkle that the life needs to remain excited through out. Life is a destiny for God who worked upon giving some meaning to this skeleton which is covered with flesh and filled with blood. For us, this is a journey towards Death. Isn't it funny that we travel through so much struggle and pain just to attain our last breathe which leads us to death- a permanent sleep with our soul detached from us. :-)

         According to me, my life is perfect according to me. The way I have chosen is the one I would be choosing again in my next birth. There are some people who say how they are not happy with the life that they have chose etc but I am very happy with the way things have proceeded for me. I wake up early in the morning, I exercise, I go to study computers which I enjoy(until some complexity does not agree to enter my brain), I come home I read novel, newspapers etc. In short, if you will sum up my day most of my time goes only in reading. It occupies 45% of my life. Rest 55% is being taken by college and sleep. But in the period such as this when I enjoy my vacation, reading occupies 75% of my time while 25% is given to sleep. And I find God, heaven, peace, eternity in this hobby of mine. But will I like to see the whole world doing this? 

          There used to be a time when I wanted people to devote themselves in reading. Not because I am in this but because it is recommended by every great person. Even the parents who themselves never read anything in life asks their child to read newspapers and story books initially. Later on, even they stop saying because they know "Like Parents Like Child". I used to tell my friends, my family members and everyone I connected well to read books. I told them that the most practical knowledge we get about our life and this world is by reading books. Some of my friends did start ordering books on Flipkart but they ended up after some time. There were also some who know how entertaining reading books are but still never purchased a book. Seeing this behavior, I thought to shrink rather than expand and cover the world under this beautiful phenomenon.

         I see that some of my friends like tripping and hanging out around, some like meeting their best friend every another day and gossiping, some like getting everywhere in the city with their partners, some like crying over their failed relationships, some like watching all the reality shows that is being telecast on channels, some like spending all their time on Internet doing nothing but buffering videos, chatting with the same classmates with whom they spend their whole day with etc. This is what they have chosen for their life. Even if I'll tie them to a wooden chair with a thick rope, they'll disentangle themselves and run towards doing this stupid things that gives no outcomes but deteriorates the quality of life. Now I have stopped telling them to leave this and that. I have just cut off myself from their way of living and submerged myself into mine. And I am pretty happy with myself.

         With time I have understood that for everyone, their own style of living is the best. Reading book is heaven for me while for some its a total wastage of 100+ rupees. They sometimes tell me that watching a movie in 100+ rupees is entertaining as the whole story is being said in just 3 hours irrespective of a book that takes 2-3 days for them in reading. May God Bless Them and Their Great Thoughts! For many, traveling various locations is a heaven because they feel its God creativity that they are experiencing. True! For some, there's nothing bigger than spending time with your closed ones and talking everything as they are the souls that God have sent for them. Bizarre Perspective! Some like to cry for the same partner again and again because they feel there's no one with whom they can see their life with. Ok fine. This one is completely shit according to me. Huh! This is why I have stopped asking people to live my way because I know, for me, my style is best for them their's. Better live our own and let them live theirs. So let me go to read another book. That's my life. :-)

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!! 

Johnny Gone Down by Karan Bajaj!!!

871st BLOG POST -->>

       

   Within two days, I am also done reading Karan Bajaj's 2nd and the last book- Johnny Gone Down. After reading the Keep of the Grass, i was so excited that I just wanted to complete this one. Though I didn't start this immediately. Normally, reading the same author again and again frustrates after a time being hence I read some other novel and then directly headed towards this one. And this break paid off well. I, again, enjoyed Karan Bajaj's writing style and creativity. Undoubtedly, he is the best author whom Indian readers would love to read. The international style that he has adopted does well with the Harper Collins as a publisher. Nice combination! This book released in 2010 after his first novel in 2008 and its 3 years since then, Karan Bajaj has still not come up with the 3rd novel. As he said in an interview, he didn't want to hurry because he'll end up writing the same ideas again and again. Hence I am okay with waiting because I know whenever he'll come, it would be a new stuff. :-)

            Karan Bajaj is the author of Keep Off the Grass, which has been on bestseller lists in India since its release in 2008. The book was a semifinalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and was shortlisted for the Indiaplaza Golden Quill Award, among other honours. Johnny Gone Down is his second novel. Born in 1979 into an Army family, Karan studied in various schools in New Delhi, Shimla, Lucknow, Jabalpur, Assam, Ranchi and Bangalore and regards his interest in backpacking and travel as key writing inspirations. Besides writing, he pursues his Brand Management career with Kraft Foods, New York on the side and was named a ‘Top 40 under 40 US Marketer’ by Advertising Age in 2007.

About the Book :

Nikhil Arya has fallen.

Once, he was an Ivy League scholar with a promising future at NASA; now, at forty, he is broke, homeless,and minutes away from blowing his brains out in a diabolical modern-day joust.

It wasn’t meant to be this way.An innocent vacation turned into an epic intercontinental journey that saw Nikhil become first a genocide survivor, then a Buddhist monk, a drug lord, a homeless accountant, a software mogul and a deadly game fighter. Now, twenty years later, Nikhil aka Johnny is tired of running. With the Colombian mafia on his trail

and his abandoned wife and son ten thousand miles away, he prepares for his final act, aware that he will have lost even if he wins.

Or will he? Is there any greater victory than living a life that knows no limits, a world that has seen no boundaries?

From the bestselling author of Keep Off the Grass comes the once-in-a-lifetime story of an ordinary man fighting an extraordinary destiny. Can he pick up the pieces one last time or will Nikhil, now Johnny, go down for good?

 

     

      Coming to the review:- Yes, as I have said, Karan Bajaj has an international touch in his writing style which gives the whole new dimension to his stories. This story is again a very different tale than what I have been reading by Indian writers from a long time. Its kind of a story of a hippie which makes us know about the different segment of life that he has touched. The incarnation of the same person as a genocide survivor, then a Buddhist Monk, a drug lord, a homeless accountant, a software mogul and a deadly game fighter is as nourishing as reading many stories in a book. Though I felt that story was kept short to give space to all this segment of the life of the protagonist but its fine as extending this book would not have done justice with the work. 

            The only problem that I felt was of the difficult names of the location that author has used. But still there are many incidents in the book which will take you to some another world and its good how author has ended the story in the climax. It teacher us about life. And yes, I did feel that author used the same ideas as he has in his first book and hence I am happy that he is taking time for writing the third one. :-) In all I would give this book 3.9/5. This book has to be read. Please don't miss it.

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!