Author: Adi Sathe

  • An Impulse – Best fuel for alluring creativity

    An Impulse – Best fuel for alluring creativity

    I have been mulling over a thought since I drafted my first post of this blogging August Half Marathon a couple of weeks ago. I had written the first one easily and personally i feel it had turned out qite a nice piece. Since then, I had been pondering about what to write other 9 posts about before the time ends. However it felt like my mind was empty. I wasn’t ready to put my pen on the paper.

    It was a constant thought running in back of my mind that I have to write 9 more posts. Today is the 4th day of the marathon and I have already lost almost all extra days which I had. With fait this background buzz, I was reading some document which needed my comments sitting at my office dest.

    It was just like a flash

    Suddenly it started raining. Not a drizzel which picked up a momentum later. It was like a sudden impluse just like a burst of creativity which has to come out in one form or the other. Afternoon was oddly on the hotter side and this splashing shower came down as a relief. A poem by Ba. Bha. Borkar aka Bakibaab came to my mind.

    घन वरसे रे,
    घन वरसे रे..
    वरसे जलसर
    आले सर सर.
    मल्हारचे स्वरसे रे..

    बा. भ. बोरकर

    I couldn’t keep my eyes on the document anymore. A sudden urge to capture this moment came and grabbed my phone to record some clips of this pouring rain. I recorded a bit of it from a couple places from my office and stood by one of the windows to enjoy the rain.

    I must have been there just about a minute. Suddenly, showers just stopped as if someone had turned off the tap in clouds. The whole thing could not have even lasted for 10 minutes.

    As I am writing this post, clouds have parted clearing the space for the Sun to shining back. These sudden showers acted as a fuel for my creativity as I have gladly created a small reel for my instagram @adisjoural leaving me humming one more poem describing game of tags played by rain and sunshine during the month of Shravan from my childhood.

    श्रावणमासी हर्ष मानसी हिरवळ दाटे चोहीकडे;
    क्षणात येते सरसर शिरवे क्षणात फिरूनी ऊन पडे.

    बालकवी (त्र्यंबक बापूजी ठोंबरे)

    This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2023. If you like to read more of my thoughts, please check this…

  • Schism of isms – an unnerving bigotry

    Schism of isms – an unnerving bigotry

    “My truth is the only truth and you all should bow down to it…” A thought cropped up in a human mind and the first spark of Ideological friction flamed. We used to express our differences of opinion by discussions and discourses. But now we as a society have stooped down the baser instincts of humans and took some bloody turns throughout human history. Today around us, we are witnessing rising tensions in various factions of society across the world. Schism is appearing on the surface.

    The words ending with ‘ism’ have become gospel truths which are to be parroted and invoked without understanding the meaning, thoughts and philosophy behind it. Masses have flocked behind them and formed their sects and cults with “ready to die for” attitudes. Personally, I can accept it up to a limit. Believing in an idea or propagating it is a welcome thought. However, when you believe in a thought, you shouldn’t be against something. Nowadays, if you are a believer of one ‘ism’ you have to be ‘anti’ another.

    Let me give you an example

    Just think of the current state of Feminism. It started as a movement which started with a just cause, equality and rights. Today a few of the followers have taken a very different route. These days if you are a believer/supporter of feminism, some people think you have to be ‘Anti-men’. Feminism started as a fight for having equal rights and dignity, a proper balance. However, it appears from a few extreme views floating in the ether  of this universe that this movement is trying to take up a path of ‘female supremacy’. But this will turn out to be a see-saw instead of a balance of justice. If we continue on this course, it will become a cyclical process. 

    Paolo Frier in his ‘Pedagogy of The Oppressed’ warns and reminds about the correct course for any movement. “The oppressed must not, in seeking to regain their humanity, become in turn oppressors of the oppressors, but rather restorers in the humanity of both.”

    In today’s time of influential social media, information explosion, superfast internet and propaganda; polarisation is a very easy thing to achieve. Opportunists are always out there to harness this herd power for their own selfish reasons. It’s our duty as a society to be strong and keep our discretion and reason intact. Bioses are everywhere. Agents of chaos are lurking around to widen the schism of isms. It’s a call of the hour to be alert and think. Let’s unite together to work towards harmony and not fall prey to these schisms, “For vs Anti” divide. 

    This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2023. If you like to read more of my thoughts, please check this…

  • उनींदी…

    उनींदी…

    उनींदी... || Uneendi - (Sleepy) ||
    उनींदी… || Uneendi – (Sleepy) ||

    हर रोज़ सुबह जब मैं मेरे कमरे की खिड़की खोलता हूँ,
    तो यही एक सवाल हमेशा होता है।
    के ये कौन है जो एक आंख से हमेशा मुझको ताकते है?
    जिनका कश्मीरी गोरा रंग अब इन झुर्रियों से सजा हुआ है,
    एक अजिबसा wisdom झलकता है उस चेहरेपे।

    ये एक आँख बंद क्यों है और…
    और दूसरी उनींदी, मानो कब से सोये ही न हो।
    शायद बुढ़ापा अब सोने भी नहीं देता होगा।

    एक अरसा वो भी हुआ होगा,
    जब इन्ही दो आँखो ने न जाने क्या क्या दुनिया देखी होगी।
    भरा पूरा परिवार देखा होगा, खिला हुआ घर देखा होगा।
    वो चूल्हा देखा होगा, जहां मेहनत से कमाई हुई रोटी पकती होगी।
    आँखोंमें ढेर सारा प्यार लेके उस चौखटपर खड़ी नवेली दुल्हन को देख होगा।

    उनके गृहस्थीके वसन्त, वर्षा और कभी कभी झुलसाते ग्रीष्म भी देखे होंगे।
    अपनी जगह से बड़ी संतुष्टिसे देखा होगा, जब नन्हे कदमोंसे खुशियाँ आयी थी।
    उन नन्हे कदमोंको अपने आंखोंके सामने बड़ा होतेभी देखा होंगा।

    पर तब ये आंखे कहा जानती थी के जो कदम बड़े हो रहे है,
    वो एक दिन बाहरकी और दौड़ेंगे, वापस न लौटनेके लिए। 

    शायद, हां शायद तब से ही, ये एक आंख बंद है, और एक उनींदी….

    —
    आदित्य साठे

    उनींदी… || Uneendi – (Sleepy) || is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop.

    For more poems, follow my blog here. I also work as a content writer, editor and translator. To know more about my language services, please log on to adityasathe.com

  • Joker entry to A2Z: fascinating stories of a composer

    Joker entry to A2Z: fascinating stories of a composer

    When I decieded to write about the books I enjoyed reading during 2023 A2Z, I made a list of the books picking titles starting English Alphabets from A to Z. When I was scrolling through my list on Goodreads, I couldn’t find a book for the letter J. So, here’s a Joker entry to the list.

    Mr. Shantanu Moitra is a household name after listening to his melodious tunes from many films and non-film songs. Indie music projects like Abke Saawan, Coke Studio, Dewarists has made a mark with their unique flavor. If you get a peak into his creative process, his inspirations and passion for the art, you would be delighted. But Mr. Moitra is a multifaceted person. Music is not the only thing that drives him.

    I read this book way back in 2015 and yet, it has made a strong impact on me. Since then I have re-red it again and again. Not entirely but in bits and pieces.

    What to expect from this?

    Main focus of the book is on memories about music. However, they enlighten the shades of great artists in the music world; the human being side. This journey is full of helpful values, lessons and thought, he picked up. Shantanu underlines, as a composer, how important is to be alert to grab all these bits and pieces of wisdom you come across throughout this book.

    Mountains are a huge inspiration for him. His love for mountains is weaved so elegantly in between memories of music that makes the collection very mystic. We keep turning pages with glimpse of those magnificent mountains and tunes of his compositions playing in our mind. He takes us to meet good souls chasing their dreams of their life.

    Parineeta is an important milestone in his career as a composer. Memories of that project have a well deserving place in this book. Back then he was young and enthusiastic music composer. He dreamed to create musical masterpiece for this Bengali Classic of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.

    His cooking adventures, his relations with majestic poets Gulzar saab and Javed ji, his meeting with fellow mountain lover Krushnaa Patil, his days from advertising industry and so many other memories stops you from putting the book down easily. Just get your copy and dive in the pool of memories with him.

    From the blurb

    There was once a young boy who loved nothing more than making music. He dreamt of sharing his music with the world. One day, his dream came true.From a childhood spent strumming away at a guitar in Delhi to one of the most successful music composers in Mumbai: this is the story of Shantanu Moitra.

    His ebullience and sheer sense of adventure light up this memoir. Finding himself all alone at Jaisalmer station at three in the morning as a schoolboy; days as a client servicing drone in an advertising agency; collaborations with the biggest names in Hindi cinema; the making of Parineeta, his greatest hit; an all-consuming love of astronomy; near-death escapades in the Himalayas; his surreal moment with Diego Maradona at Milan airport – these stories provide a fascinating glimpse of the man behind the music.On the Wings of Music is a collection of reminiscences, anecdotes and self-revelations, embellished by photographs from Moitra’s personal albums. These are delightful vignettes that chart the growth of a timid, self-effacing boy into a music composer of international repute. Charming and compelling.

    About the book

    • Name of Book: On the wings of music
    • Author: Shantanu Moitra with Aruna Chakravarti
    • Publisher: Harper Collins
    • Publication year: 2014
    • Pages: 152
    • ISBN – 10: 9351365042
    • ISBN – 13: 9789351365044
    • Price: ₹ 325

    My ratings

    Stories: 4/5
    Writing Style: 4/5
    Cover Design: 4/5

    Overall Rating: 4/5

    Where to get your copy

    Should you read it?

    If you enjoy listening to a good tune, love the scenic views on mountains, and cherish the tasty food, you will connect with this book. This book will take you on the journey of his experiences, memories and adventures which fuels his art. So, fasten your seat-belts and let it take you for a ride.

    This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023. For more about my views on books, click here.

  • India in slow motion: Excellent Book that tries to find ‘Why?’

    India in slow motion: Excellent Book that tries to find ‘Why?’

    India, my motherland, has a very special place in my heart. Just like every patriot would have. She was freed from colonial rule after a lot of struggle and spending blood, sweat and tears by various groups of armed revolutionaries and non-violent satyagrahees. Their contribution is equally important even though there is a continuous and ongoing political one-upmanship to take full credit of winning the independence. May be that’s one of the reasons why we are progressing in slow motion instead of running on the track. But this is based on my two cents on the subject.

    Mark Tully is very knowledgeable person on this subject and has been observing India’s progress through journalistic eyes. He has been Bureau Chief for BBC at New Delhi over two decades of important time-span of India’s post-independence journey.

    What to expect from this?

    This is a collection of essays written by Mark Tully when he was working for the BBC. I read this book in 2017 and it has changed a lot ever since. India in 2023 is not the way she used to be. Yet it’s important to know how it was to live in those past decades. These essays cover a wide spectrum of subjects just like a wide diversity of our country. Just like us, our problems are diverse too. We have found the solutions for some of them but some still exist.

    Religious extremism, bonded child labours in carpet weaving industry, heavy corruption in the government, poor condition of our farmers and the burden of ever-increasing debts are few pain-points in our progress as a nation. Mark has done extensive work for these essays. He interviewed many people who are stakeholders of the situation. Research the statistics and numbers before writing these pieces.

    There is a essay which talks about progressive steps of creating a Cyberabad giving a new identity to Hyderabad as an IT city. He traveled with Chandrababu Naidu for a day hopping from meeting to meeting and taking his short interview at the end. This interaction was the base for this essay which highlighted the hopeful picture with a new direction to increase the speed for our progress.

    Last essay; ‘Paradise Lost’; revolves around Kashmir . It covers religion, the India/Pakistan conflict, and politics and the tendency of maintaining the status quo in this area. Much has changed in this context in recent past and I hope it has changed for better. I wish that we regain this lost paradise soon.

    From the blurb

    Mark Tully is incomparable. No one has a greater understanding of the passions, the contradictions, the humour, the tragedy and the staggering resilience that constitute India. In his long awaited new book, he delves further than ever before into this country of one billion people. Covering subjects as diverse as Hindu extremism, bonded child labour, Sufi mysticism, the crisis in agriculture, the persistence of political corruption and the problem of Kashmir, he paints a picture of India at once poignant, funny, startling and deeply humane.

    About the book

    • Book Name: India in Slow Motion
    • Publisher: Penguin Group
    • ISBN 13: 9780143030478
    • Length: 320 pages
    • MRP: ₹ 399.00

    My Ratings

    Stories: 3.5/5
    Writing Style: 4/5
    Cover: 3.5/5

    Overall Rating 4/5

    Where to get your copy

    Check the bookstores near you cause physical copy book is listed for unusually high price on online platforms.

    if you are looking for an eBook, check here.

    Should you read it?

    If you are keen in understanding post-independence history of our country, I think you will like this one. Even though this is non-fiction book, you will not get bored because of his writing style. Mark has written these essays in very engaging ways. There’s a bit of humour which keeps the startling and serious issues readable.

    This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023. For more about my views on books, click here.

  • Fascinating Stories about Bike Rides and Chai

    Fascinating Stories about Bike Rides and Chai

    Us Indians, in general, are addicted to our Chai. Though personally, Coffee is my drink of choice, I can understand and feel the love we share for Chai. And when it come to travel, tea is a better companion while sharing stories on when you meet strangers on roadside redi, katta, tapri or thela.

    Just imagine, you are on road riding a bike for a hundred odd kilometer. Sun is just about to set and you feel that urge to grab that refreshing cup of chai and get back on the road again. Right then you spot a road side place which is obvious looking chai stall. You pull your bike to the side, get down and remove your helmet. Aroma of ever-boiling tea is filling the air. There are stacks of Kulhads or small glasses on the counter. Soon you have a steaming glass in your hands. You take the first sip of hot chai and fatigue is gone. And then you look around for a companion to share some stories around you. ‘Hot Tea Across India’ is full of such stories.

    What to expect from this?

    Rishad Saam Mehta has travelled extensively across India on his bike and has gathered these fantastic experiences, stories about nature, people and his interactions with them. His narration and storytelling is so fluid and unique. The stories he tells will remain with you for a long time.

    When he tells a story about his Himalayan travels, he paints a wonderful picture of those beautiful mountains, rivers and curvy roads. Nature out there is very gorgeous. You can really see it through his words. However, he also tells you that if you ignore the signs of mother nature. Her forces will hit you so hard that you wouldn’t even know what has hit you. He also takes you to Rann of Kutch. There he had shifted to steering wheel from handle bar and taken his four wheels to do all the crazy driving tricks you can for one assignment.

    There are some crazy adventures on rides too. Rishad makes you believe that anything can and will happen when you are on the road, some local thug can make you run away with fear of losing your bike to his son in so-called ‘fair trade’ offer, or some anarchist trying to prove their point in local ‘bandh’ by asking you ‘Please can we burn your car?’. But there are many good people out there who make your trip memorable. He found interesting persons to show him around magnificent temples of Khajuraho, or to take in the times of Rana’s of Jaisalmer.

    Food is also an important aspect of the travels. He narrates about the delicacies he tasted at places where he had least expected. Let it be some house-boat in Kashmir or some roadside ‘dhaba’ on legendary Grand Trunk Road. Or even some native nomads ask you to join them for a meal or help you to cook some of their traditional recipes.

    From the blurb

    On Rishad Saam Mehta’s journeys — and as a travel writer and all-round road-trip junkie, he’s been on many — there’s a particular thing he noticed. There’s not a highway, road or dirt track in India where you can’t find a cup of chai whenever you want it. And with those cuppas come encounters and incidents that make travelling in India a fascinating adventure. In this riveting book, which includes stories of honey- and saffron-infused tea shared with a shepherd in Kashmir, and a strong brew that revives the author after almost getting lynched by an irate mob in Kerala, Rishad takes you across the length and breadth of India, from Manali to Munnar, from the Rann of Kutch to Khajuraho, with a wonderful combination of wit, sensitivity and insight.

    About the book

    • Book Name: Hot Tea Across India
    • Publisher: Westland Publications Ltd.
    • ISBN: 9789381626108
    • Length: 192 pages
    • MRP: ₹ 350.00

    My Ratings

    Story-line: 3.5/5
    Writing Style: 3/5
    Cover: 4.5/5

    Overall Rating 4/5

    Where to get your copy

    Book is currently unavailable online. Try the bookstores near you.

    Should you read it?

    If tea, travel and adventure is your calling, you won’t put this book down till you finish reading it. Rishad’s stories as fantastic and gripping.

    This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023. For more about my views on books, click here.