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Brief reminiscence on Sarla Thakral, India’s first lady pilotFiled Under: Delhi Flying Club, India, Indians, Sarla Thakral

The British in 1929 opened Delhi Flying Club to Indians and not many joined the Club. One of the student was P.D. Sharma, Sarla’s husband. After he became a full fledged Pilot, Sharma and Sarla got married.Sarla was 16 at that time.

But instead of giving kitchen as endowment to his wife, as a normal Indian husband, he convinced her to join Flying Club. You are talking about 1936, when you were fictional about women becoming pilot, they don’t expect the women to go out the kitchen. I mean it is a men’s world all the time, there are husbands who do not like their wives even to drive their personal car, it was awe-inspiring on the side of Cap. Sharma who persuaded his wife to join the Aviation Flying Club—standing ovation to him.

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Sarla had taken only 9 hours of  flying lessons, but she was successful in  ingoing the cockpit of a Gypsy Moth and flew into the blue skies, and made a history as India’s first lady pilot in the year 1936.  That’s why Sarla Thakral’s accomplishment had got no more analogs. There was no barricade for Sarla from accepting that unaccompanied flight. She is so dashing and courageous, at a time when the flying was like dream, flying in air was like phenomenon.

On that point comprised entirely a fistful of manly pilots in India. For women, of course aviating constituted ludicrous.” I used to hand over my chunni to my flying aide before I sat in the cockpit. One day Rai Bahadur Roop Chand who later went on to become the Indian ambassador to America, told my husband to scolded me and told me not to be such a be-sharam and that I should not take off my chunni while flying,” she says with an express amusement.

In those days she could take flying lessons for Rs. 30 an hour. ” Learning flying was cheap because not many wanted to risk their life. Sarla obtained her ‘A’ license when she accrued over 1000 hours of flying.

Sarla  was now gearing up herself to apply for the group B license that would permit her to fly as a commercial pilot, but the destiny did not cooperate, the  Jodhpur club closed down soon afterwards with the outbreak of World War ll.

To append supplementary catastrophe, she was widowed at the tender age of 24.Her husband died in a crash. She had a four year old daughter too. Her parents got her re-married. But her new husband too very cooperating and did not stand up in his wife’s way of evolution. He took his wives interests also in view.her previous husbands’ bereavement ruined her. She did not want to become a pilot any more.  Sarla abandoned her plans to adapt a commercial pilot and divulged into various fields much in advanced at that time. She joined the Mayo School of Arts in Lahore. Along with paintings she also began designing clothes and costume jewelery.

She had also started textile printing and her sari prints were a frenzy with the designer mass and one of the clients was Vijaylaxmi Pandit.Sarla Thakral is 91 years old young lady still flying high in her life.

She had later shifted to Delhi and now she stay put in Bengali market, a place where only the privileged lives. She supplied her jewellery designs to several cottage industries for over 20 years.

Sarla was in recent times honoured for being the oldest yet the fittest person in her neighbourhood. She is 90+ now. Women of today should take the epitomize life of this prototypical lady who had  a dynamism and energy other than the far side that of the kitchen and office  and attending the cockpit flying high; I salute the first lady pilot.

Sarla Thakral is all the same flourishing and thriving till date.  May God make her more hale and hearty and prosperous life, she is a superwoman indeed, because success is being able to spend your life your own way.

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Tags: Ali, Ash, British, Car, coming, daughter, day, Delhi Flying Club, desi, Don, EMI, Endowment, First, fit, in, India, Indian, Indians, join, King, kitchen, learning, Lot, Men, of, Old, Pilot, Sari, Sarla Thakral, Star, supple, talk, Today, UP, Vijay, wed, with, Woman, Women, Year

Sushmita Sen returns money to producerFiled Under: Bollywood, Shaka Laka Boom Boom

• This former Miss Universe-turned movie star is quite a proficient. Recently, she returned the advance money - or signing amount in Bollywood parlance - of Rs.2.1 million to producer Vijay Galani who had signed her up for a movie. Reason? She was not provided the bound script of the movie on time as promised.
• Vijay Galani Moviez had signed Sushmita for a movie to be directed by “Shaka Laka Boom Boom” director Dharmesh Darshan. The actress said she had initially agreed to do the movie after she heard its narration from the director in August last year.
• When she signed the Letter of Intent the next month and was paid advance money out of her total fee of Rs.10.25 million, it was agreed that a bound script would be sent to her in November.
  But instead of a script, what she received was a piece of paper in which the director had briefly outlined her role in the movie.
• Sushmita got annoyed at the producer going back on his word, she was also surprised that the role outlined in the piece of paper was completely dissimilar from the director’s portrayal of it prior.
• The chronicle does not stop there. No sooner did Sushmita distance herself from the movie than Govinda, the movie’s leading man, also walked out of it saying without the actress playing the female lead, the whole concept of the movie would change. And he would not like that.
• Professionalism and unity exemplified by Govinda and Sushmita has put the producer in a stain and the director in a impasse.
  

Tags: 2008, 25, actress, ads, aka, Ali, Best, bolly, Bollywood, desi, Dharmesh Darshan, Female, Galani, Govinda, in, Lion, movie, of, Sen, Shaka Laka Boom Boom, Star, Sushmita, top, UP, Vijay, Vijay Galani, Vijay Galani Moviez, with, Year

Jodhaa AkbarFiled Under: Aishwaria Rai Bachchan, Bollywood, Desi General, Hrithik Roshan, Jodhaa Akbar, Music, Video, Visual Computing Labs, lyrics

The magnum opus, Jodhaa- Akbar, will now be released in April 2008

Video:

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Wait, don’t blow the bugles yet. Its date of release has been announced so
often that yet
another postponement isn’t exactly surprising. The Mughal opus which was to be
released on
January 15 has been postponed to April. Not to worry, we’re talking April 2008.
Long wait
Perhaps the wait will make the heart grow fonder for Ashutosh Gowariker’s
Jodhaa-Akbar
featuring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan in the eponymous roles. The film has
been so
painstakingly shot that its first cut clocked in at five-and-ahalf-hours. Now
all efforts are
being made to reduced the length to a more endurable three hours.

Meanwhile, many of the film’s supporting actors who gave months on end of their
dates for the
shooting schedules are simmering under their breath. More work, less pay Not
only were they
paid precious little money but had to forego other assignments - all in the hope
of getting
exposure on the Mughal-sized screen.

Yet, there is no denying that sometimes there are unavoidable delays. At
present, director
Gowariker is confined to bed because of a severe back ailment. He has been
advised to rest in
bed for two months, or so goes the trade talk. He is not taking phone calls or
responding to
SMSs.

First, the film produced by Gowariker with UTV was scheduled to be released
during the Diwali
season. It was then shifted to January 15 and then again to February 24.

CAST:

• Hrithik Roshan … Emperor Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar
• Aishwaria Rai Bachchan … Jodhaa
• Abir Abrar … Bakshi Banu Begum
• Kulbhushan Kharbanda … Raja Bharmal
• Sonu Sood … Rajkumar Sujamal
• Suhasini Mulay … Rani Padmawati
• Shaji Choudhary …Adham Khan
• Mrs. Punam S Sinha… Mallika Hamida Banu
• Digvijay Purohit…Rajkumar Bhagwan das
• Pradeep Sharma…Sheikh Mubarak
• Rajiv Sehgal…Raja Viraat
• Gurmmeet Singh…Raja Shundi
• Balraj…Raja Balraj Singh
• Yuri…Bairam Khan
• Disha Vakani…Madhavi
• Indrajeet Sarkar…Maheshdas/ Birbal
• Sudhanshu Singh…Raja Shimalgarh
• Nikitin Dheer…Sharifuddin Hussain
• Rajesh Vivek…Chugtai Khan
• Surendra Pal…Rana Uday Singh
• Raza Murad…Shamsuddin Atka Khan
• Ila Arun…Maham Anga
• Pramod Moutho…Todar Mal
• Pramatesh Mehta…Chandrabhan Singh
• Visswa Badola…Saadir Adaasi
• Manava Naik…Neelakshi
• Sayed Badrul Hasan…Mullah Do Pyaaza
• Dilnaaz Irani…Salima
• Tejpal Singh Rawat…NiMat
• Raju Pandit…Raja Bhaati
• Bharat Kumar…Raja Chauhan
• Jassi Singh…Raja Bhadra
• Ulhas Barve…Raja Mankeshwar
• Abir Abrar…Bakshi Banu Begum
• Aman Dhaliwal…Rajkumar Ratan Singh
• Shehzor Ali…Raja Hemu
• Sanchita Kaur… Special Appearance
• Amitabh Bacchan… Narrator

Crew

• Production Design: Nitin Chandrakant Desai
• Visual Effects: Pankaj Khandpur (Tata Elxsi - Visual Computing Labs)

The track list is below

1. Jashn-E-Bahaara - Javed Ali
2. Khwaja Mere Khwaja - A.R.Rahman
3. Mann Mohana - Bela Shende
4. In Lamhon Ke Daaman Mein - Sonu Nigam, Madhushree
5. Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah - Mohd. Aslam, Bonny Chakravarti

But it seems quite strange.We dont have anyone singing for Tansen,He is very much in the movie as the cast suggests.
I was expecting a classical song in the voice of AR.
Anyway one thing is clear Jashne has been sung by Javed Ali and not by some Anurag Kashyap as claimed by some forum members before
Music launch stills:
Attending the event were Sonu Nigam, Javed Akhtar, Akbar Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Zayed Khan, Hrithik’s wife Suzanne Khan, Shatrughan Sinha, Kulbushan Kharbanda, Raza Murad, A R Rahman, Ashutosh Gowarikar, and of course the stars of the film Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. Jodhaa Akbar all songs (Lyrics and Translation)

In lamho ke daaman mein (In the intimacy of these moments)

In lamho ke daaman mein, paakeza se rishtey hain
(In the intimacy of these moments, there are some pure relationships)

Koi kalma mohabbat ka, dohratay farishtay hain
(The angels are reiterating the spiritual song of love)

Khamosh si hain zameen, hairaan sa falak hain
(There is a silence in the land, the sky is amazed)

Ek noor hi noor sa ab aasaman talak hain
(There is a radiance right upto the skies)

Nagme hi nagme hain jaagti soti fizaon mein
(There is melody in the active and asleep surroundings)
Husn hain saari adaaon mein
(There is beauty in all your grace)
Ishq hain jaisi hawaon mein
(There is love in the air)

Kaisa yeh Ishq hain, kaisa yeh khwab hain
(What kind of love is this? What kind of dream is this?)

Kaise jazbaat ka umda sailaab hai
(What kind of a flood of emotions have gushed in?)

Din badley, raatein badli, baatein badli, jeene ke andaaz hi badle hain
(The days have changed, nights have changed, conversations changed, the mode of life has changed)

In lamho ke daman mein, pakeeza se rishtay hain
(In the intimacy of these moments, there are some pure relationships)

Koi kalma mohabbat ka, dohratay farishtay hain
(The angels are reiterating the spiritual songof love)

Jodha’s lines:

Hmmm, samay ne yeh kya kiya, ho…badal di hain kaya
(What has time done to us, it has changed my flesh/skin)

Tumhe maine pa liya, mujhe tumne paaya
(I have found you, you have found me)

Miley dekho aise hain hum, ke do sur ho jaise madham, koi zyaada na koi kum kisi raag mein
(We have met like as if two harmonies meet of a rythmn, neither high nor low)
Ke prem aag mein, jalte dono ki hai tan bhi hain man bhi, man bhi hain tan bhi
(As if in the flames of passion, both burn our body and soul, soul and body)

Akbar’s lines:
Mere khwabon ke is gulistaan mein, tumse hi to bahar chayee hain
(In the garden of my dreams/reverie, you have brought the beautiful springtime)

Phoolon mein rang mere they lekin, in mein khushboo tumhi se aayi hain
(The flowers have my colours, but the fragrance is from you)

Kyu hain yeh aarzoo, kyu hai yeh justju
(Why do these desires exist, why does this search lives on?)

Kyu dil bechain hain, kyu dil betaab hain
(Why is the heart so impatient, why is it so impulsive?)

Din badley, raatein badli, baatein badli, jeene ke andaaz hi badle hain
((The days have changed, nights have changed, conversations changed, the mode of life has changed)

In lamho ke daaman mein, paakeza se rishtey hain
(In the intimacy/companionship of these moments, there are some pure relationships)

Koi kalma mohabbat ka, dohratay farishtay hain…..
(The angels are reiterating the spiritual songof love)

p.s. Kalma means Beginning of a verse in Quran, implying a spiritual/holy song

Man Mohana (O lord Krishna)

Man mohana, man mohana
(O lord Krishna)

Kanha suno na, tum bin paaon kaise chain
(Oh lord Krishna listen, how do I find peace without you?)

Tarsoo tumhi ko din rain
(I crave for you day and night)

Chodke apne kashi mathura
(Leave your Kashi mathura behind)
Aake baso more nain
(And come and dwell in my eyes)

Tum bin paaon kaise chain
(How do I find peace without you?)

Tarsoo tumhi ko din rain
(I crave for you day and night)

Verse 1

Ik pal ujiyaara aaye, ik pal andhiyara chaye
(One instant its is brightness, the other moment its all darkness)
Man kyu na ghabraye, kaise na ghabraye
(Why wont the heart fear, how wouldn’t it be anxious)

Man jo koi doraha apni raho mein paaye
(When the mind is on the crossroads)
Koun disha jaaye? Tum bin koun samjhaye
(Which path to follow? Who other than you would explain?)

Raas rachaiyya vrindavan ke gokul ke vaasi
(The dancer, the one who resides in the vrindavan(Forest) of gokul)

Radha tumhri daasi
(Radha is your servant)

Darshan ko hai pyaasi
(Shes craving to see you)

Verse 2
Shyam salone nandlala Krishna banva ri
(The dark skinned, lovely , soulful Krishna)
Tumhri chab hai nyaari
(Your form is gorgeous)

Main to hoon tan man haari
(I have surrenderd my body and soul)

Man mohana man mohana
(O lord krishna. O lord Krishna)

Kanha suno na tum bin paaon kaise chain
(Oh lord listen, how do I find peace without you?)

Tarsoo tumhi ko din rain
(I crave for you day and night)

Verse 3
Jeevan ik nadiyaa hain, lehro lehro behti jaaye
(Life is a river, its waves flow on and on)

Is mein man ki naiyya doobey kabhi utar jaaye
(The heart’s ship sometimes gets drowned sometimes it is saved)

Tum na khevaiyya ho to koi tat kaise paaye
(If you are not the guide, then how will one reach their destination)

Majhdhaar behlaaye, toh tumri sharan aaye
(If the waves get turbulent, then we come in your refuge)

Main hoon tumhari, hain tumhara mera yeh jeevan
(Im yours, and my life is yours)
Tumko hi dekhoon main, dekhoon koi darpan
(I see only you in every reflection)
Bansi ban jaaongi, in hoton ki ho jaaongi
(I’ll become a flute and belong to these lips of yours)
In sapno ke chalkar hain mera man aangan
(In these dreams, I find the home of my heart)

Tags: 2008, actor, ads, Aishwaria Rai Bachchan, Aishwarya, Aishwarya rai, aka, Ali, Aman, Amitabh, Amitabh Bachchan, Ash, Bollywood, day, desi, Desi General, Dil, Don, Feb, film, First, Hai, home, hot, Hrithik, Hrithik Roshan, in, IPS, Jodha, Jodhaa Akbar, Khan, King, Kis, list, lyrics, Mein, Men, movie, Music, of, pay, Raj, Rani, search, Sen, Shaan, Star, talk, TV, UP, Video, Vijay, Visual Computing Labs, Voice, Waves, with, won, ZEE

Kingfisher Calendar unveiled (2008)Filed Under: Bollywood

‘Kingfisher Swimsuit Special’ has always been the specially awaited one. And it’s sixth edition (2008) was unveiled by none other than the dashing Bollywood actor John Abraham (looking all the more dashing in all whites and his killer smile) along with UB Ltd Chairman Dr Vijay Mallya amidst a host of celebrities from the world of fashion, business and celluloid here. Shot by ace photographer Atul Kasbekar, the calendar features seven models.

This year’s calendar has the pride of exhibiting some of the finest and most luxurious brands in the world including La Perla swimwear from their special ‘India inspired line’, shoes by Jimmy Choo, sunglasses by Roberto Cavalli, watches by Watches of Switzerland and accessories by Christian Dior.

Tags: 2008, actor, ads, Ash, Atul Kasbekar, Best, bolly, Bollywood, Christian Dior, desi, Dr Vijay Mallya, Fashion, Hai, hot, in, India, Jimmy Choo shoes, John Abraham, King, Kingfisher Swimsuit Special, La Perla Swimwear, most, New Year 2008, of, Roberto Cavalli, Smile, ties, top, UP, Vijay, with, Year