Things end. People change. Life goes on.
One of the most visited castles in the Western Highlands of Scotland, Eilean Donnan Castle invokes stunning beauty and nostalgia for the James Bond aficionados. Surrounded by 3 lochs – Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh, the castle is a paradise for photographers like me. I could spend all day here and would be still gasping for more of those ethereal shots from every corner of the island. Your eyes and lenses with both remain famished forever.
A throwback for ages ❤️.
This place will give you goosebumps.
Not just the aura, but for the intense emotions that this place exudes along with the stigma of sadness and incomprehensible loss that we have witnessed over the years remains unparalleled, this stage will let you scream from the inside for the lives we have lost.
For the first time in my life, I saw a Pakistani flag flying high near our most revered Indian Tricolours. Technically, I witnessed the Pakistani soil from close quarters, and for many reasons, known and unknown, I despised their presence. Mind you, I have never considered myself to be a patriot but this was something else. Spontaneous, straight from the heart.
Two nations – so near, yet so far. Truly, miles away, in every sense of human indulgence.
Spain were deserving winners last night. I was disappointed with England’s defensive approach and lacklustre football. In such high profile finals, we expect teams to take an all-out approach where you look to penetrate early, % of ball possession needs to be at the maximum and force the opponent to take risks and capitalise on their misses. Spain did all this remarkably and clearly, looked a better team last night.
Alvaro Morata was looking agile, rallying well around his team as they started pushing England very early. There is a reason why Spain’s ball possession in the first 45 minutes was around 70% – that for sure is a clear indication of who dominated most of the final. I expected Kane and Saka to deliver the goods but both looked off colour. Nico Williams struck gold for Spain in the 47th minute and Cole Parmer shot the equaliser in the 73rd but England never really looked in control, it was as if they were waiting for Spain to ram the next goal and then they would retaliate. Or perhaps wait for the game to go in to ET. But that was not to be. And obviously, Mike Oyarzabal’s winner in the 86th was a stunner and sealed the fate for England.
Spain wanted to win Euro 2024 and they rightfully did so. England lacked the intent and were outplayed by a better team who were consistent throughout, pushed boundaries and possessed a greater desire to win.
Watching today’s Wimbledon final felt like ‘passing over the mantle to the next generation’ kind of a feeling.
Djokovic is a champion player and his stats speak for themselves – 24 Grand Slams, 7 Wimbledon titles and iconic rivalries with contemporary giants like Federer and Rafa. But everything doesn’t last forever. I still remember those days of my childhood when Sampras was my hero and when he bowed out, paving the way for a young Roger Federer, we knew that someone else has taken over. That time has come again, to bid goodbye to one of the modern greats and welcome Alcaraz to the future ( at least I see him winning lots more of such Grand Slams in the coming years). I realise Djokovic has not retired yet and perhaps will come for another showdown next year, but clearly, the world of Tennis is ready for the next set of champions.
I am also looking forward to some interesting contests in the future – Sinner, Musetti and Medvedev are good players, and am sure there are more who are not in the spotlight yet but with the landscape all set for the new breed to come in, I am sure we are in more for a very open, interesting and competitive next 10 years.
I visited Taj Mahal around 30 years ago. And then, came back to the white marbles in Dec 2023 with my family. And, what we saw was beyond what we felt.
There is no doubt, and absolutely undisputed, this place has an ‘Aura’ which cannot be described in mortal words. And no, not because it is universally acknowledged as ‘A Symbol of Love’. Quite the contrary, actually. To be honest, I do find that statement precariously overrated. It is a symbol of everything else but love. Except the innate feelings of the man himself who built it (and there is no way to substantiate or justify the quantum of love which is so uniquely intangible), Taj Mahal stands for the audacity of its time and a tribute to the era that saw nothing but ruthlessness, violence, war, disdain, retribution and hatred for the core ideologies of human kind. The irony is, the world stands on those very ideologies that act as a fundamental for mankind today, and you and me are testimony to those values in totality.
What makes me appreciate the monument, above all the propaganda and vulnerable legacy is its masterclass in architecture and the finesse of those hands which built this majestic structure, which has undoubtedly stood the test of time.
To survive till the 21st century (and hopefully for many more years to come) is an astonishing feat, and there is a sublime reason behind its gloriously inviting demeanour.
This picture was shot during the Pandemic (in Oct 2020).
It was still so beautiful around but fear and death were doing the rounds then. The silence was so deafening that we all wanted this to end, desperately.
Thankfully, here we are. Times change.
Liverpool City Centre is a bustling part of the city filled with energy, positivity and charm.
I used to commute everyday from St Domingo Vale to the City Centre (way back in 2014-15), it used to be roughly 20-25 minutes depending on traffic. Just to mention and this is specifically for my football aficionados – our apartment in St Domingo Vale was the street just opposite to ‘The Anfield Football Club’, so basically they were our illustrious neighbours 😊.
The city centre in itself is a place where you feel refreshed and contented. Weekends obviously stirs up with lots of people, shops open and plenty of restaurants to devour your taste buds. The Liverpool Dock is very close by, overseeing the Mersey river. In fact, I could see the Mersey river from my office (we were in the 4th or 5th floor, I guess), which is certainly one of the most endearing sights ever.
I wasn’t raised in this part of Calcutta but many years later, I lived in Newtown for few years as it was very close to my workplace, commuting from South Calcutta would be a pain, especially during peak hours. But obviously, the quintessential ‘Calcutta’ vibe was missing. I realised how far the city has spread across and yet, it is though still the same city that made me.
But that never stopped me from travelling to the original parts of the city. I lived and worked in Newtown but you could frequently find me in the hotspots of Calcutta city. Be it Ballygunge, Southern Avenue or New Alipore in the South; Baghbazar, Central Avenue or Dalhousie towards the North. These places are laden with imprints of my childhood.
A never ending romance with the ‘City of Joy’.
Fitness is a journey, not a destination.
Thank you, TCS!
#FitForLife #FitnessGoals
London is just like any other metropolis, I find it very similar to Mumbai or Calcutta or Chennai. Always buzzing with people, every corner of the city is awake 24/7, cultural diversity runs through the DNA of the city landscape and the city appears to be as much yours as anybody else’s.
I have visited London umpteen times, with friends and family. We aware never to come back as we feel we have seen enough of London and at times, also found it spectacularly overrated. Yet, we are back every time. It looks like the inevitable, doesn’t matter what we think, but there is something in this city that brings you back. Charm, vibes.. call it whatever you want. But when London calls, you just go.
A culture is a manifestation of self. I can vouch for this statement when I look around and see how festivities unfold.
Brightness is a symbol of optimism and hope. It is a beginning of the trust we have in fate, destiny or whatever is already written but not visible to us.
Thus begins the journey to believe that all will be well or at least reasonably acceptable for us to justify the written.
So what this does is – negates the degree of disappointment through a shield that guards your failures. Moreover, hope is meant to disguise your pain and recreate a path for survival.
How many of us have felt this way?
Perhaps the most unique find in the field of Cinema in the last 25-30 years. Gifted and natural, Irrfan Khan was one of those actors who defied the qualities that goes in to the making of a superstar.
Ordinary face (not conventional), bulging eyes, tall but not a domineering presence, no six packs nor does he have the ability to woo women with dimples on his cheek.
Yet, when you watch Irrfan Khan performing, it still gives you the goosebumps. The intensity, the panache and the voice that resonates with an oomph and delivers a punch so strong that it will linger long enough within us to admire and cherish his talent.
I was totally in awe of him in and as ‘Maqbool’, he was again brilliant in and as ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, was effortlessly cool in ‘Piku’ and blemish less in ‘The Namesake’. Though he played a cameo in ‘Haider’, he went on to immortalise ‘Roohdaar’. And how can we forget his exploits as a recluse in ‘The Lunchbox’? He was an actor who could make us cry and laugh in the same space.
His voice was a dynamite. No baritone but it was so powerfully laced that you get addicted to it. An example is the film ‘Gunday’, and the only thing I remember about that film was that he rendered his voice for the narrative and by miles, his voice was the only saving grace of that film. Another film where he dazzled as a performer was ‘Puzzle’. He was phenomenal in the epic drama, ‘Qissa’. He could deliver such sensitive and dark emotions with aplomb. His sincerity and conviction towards those iconic characters were so unbelievably contagious and restrained.
Seldom do such actors come, create an impact which lasts for a lifetime and then move on to a greater endeavour.
Irrfan, Cinema misses you.
@Lifeoholic