Babetude Wonders...

Now you might think what makes me wonder. Actually right now, it's the very talented Chris Isaak's song with the same name...




When I was younger I believed, that dreams came true.
Now I wonder.
Cause' I've seen much more dark skies, than blue.
Now I wonder.

I keep on praying for a blue sky, I keep on searching through the rain.
I keep on thinking of the good times, will they ever come again?
Now I wonder.
Now I wonder.

I keep on praying for a blue sky, I keep on searching through the rain.
I keep on thinking of the good times, will they ever come again?
Now I wonder.
Now I wonder.

When I was younger I believed, that I could win.
Now I wonder.
There was a time when you and I, walked hand & hand.
Now I wonder.

I keep on searching for the old me, I keep on thinking I can change.
I keep on hoping for a new day, will I ever feel the same?
Now I wonder.
Oh I wonder.
Now I wonder.



This is soul stirring and seems so very real and touching.

The talented man must have really expressed from his heart, as he sat down to pen these lyrics one fine day and later perform the song with his amazing and expressive voice.

I never liked the cover versions of the same as none can beat the original.

Chris Isaak had many more great songs, but this is my personal favorite.

The song rings true, especially now.

Well, when one is a child(the best times for anyone)one can never understand and feel the depth of these words. One is too young, naive and innocent to understand the reality of life, see the true picture of things.

Now this must have come out in the 90s and I really didn’t notice it until now.

Quite late, huh!

But very natural, since then I too was quite the little girl, not growing up fast( I wish I had) - immature, childish and the big dreamer.

Interestingly I have known the 13 year old Salma Hayek- Mathhew Perry film 'Fools Rush in' for a while now. But I just bumped into it while channel surfing only recently and viewed it.

The movie is alright and it’s actually the song which has been used in the movie touched me far more.

It made me like Chris Isaak all over again.

With his quality voice and the lyrics, he makes it sound even more poignant.

I'm sure I'm not alone. Many others(I’m omitting the lucky few here that have had it very easy in life)who have come up the hard way must have felt the same at some points in their lives.

Just after you grow up a bit and become a teenager, the struggle sets in...

A struggle to make things happen, encountering realities of the world, facing both personal and professional situations, some not very kind folks trying to cut you down without any rhyme or reason (actually it only seems so, but they have the reasons -envy, jealousy, competition, whatever they would call it),losing people you care about and loved, lack of emotional support or people who you thought were your own letting you down or hurt by people you felt were your friends, used for selfish reasons, harmed by the ones who you never thought could do so knowingly or unknowingly, unfortunate, painful happenings in life and so on.

Phew,the list is almost endless...

Life isn’t at all a bad of roses for most people. There are many reasons to get disillusioned especially when dreams break. Sometimes I really wish life was a little simpler…

There would be days when one feels totally hopeless, blue, and down and out. At times such as these, the song would sound true but be a solace as well because it also tells you that you are not alone in this. In fact its subtlety and sweetness can actually cheer you up.

When one's going through a low phase or physically, emotionally, financially weak, it seems some rejoice or try to kick him/ her down even further, walk all over him/her.

So it's always better to pray and try to be strong always.

Actually it would have been better if everyone just tried to do his/ her duties, concentrating on his/ her individual space, being happy there, rather than making things difficult for others. Be constructive and progressive without interfering negatively in others lives.

But then, things were, are and will not be that simple and idealistic. It’s always been so and some things are not within one’s control. How some things happen, you never really know…

Yeah guys, when you are little you mostly don’t realize all this and you are so very happy. But the age of innocence comes to an end fast. And that’s the reality of life.

There was this girl from my small town whom I knew as a kid and we were kind of close for a while. She once told me not very long ago that life didn’t give her the opportunity to work after marriage.

Well, actually she didn’t go out into the world( I wanted her to accompany me), experience the city life, slog it out and try to have a professional life. She remained the protected little girl at home, looked after by her mother. Yet she faced many other personal issues and traumas (her mom couldn’t protect her from the same)and today has regrets.

I’ve seen and heard of a few others as well and some admitted to the same too. And I've read enough history including film & entertainment history, seen movies and observed current situations to know what even the rich, the famous, the celebs went/ go through.

My mother who feels she couldn’t realize her full potential in life, said how when one ages, one’s hopes slowly die when things don’t turn out the way one plans.

It sounds negative, but that’s the truth.

There are some mysteries in the world which remain unexplained.

I like to think a lot and that's why such topics keep coming up in my posts. There was a time when my mother used to chide me for being too much of a thinker and a dreamer. Well, now I guess she understands a bit.

Victor Hugo, novelist and dramatist said, "A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor". So thinking is important along with doing things. "Think before you speak, look before you leap"- the old adage is wise and worth practicing too.

We just have to keep the hope alive and the spirits up,whatever the situation might be. Listening to all those who matter and who are worth following, things worth doing can help to heal, to overcome a sad situation. It's easier said than done and it's always up to the person involved.

You got to fight it out and be a survivor and winner.

So don’t think I’m depressing you guys.

Face the realities, keep the faith and don’t ever give up. I know I'm sounding preachy, it's cliché, yet so very true…

Musical, lyrical, poetic…

India is celebrating her 63rd Independence Day.

Well, like every year(especially so in more recent years)there’s been a lot of talk about the country’s economic growth and development in other sectors.

It’s nice to read and hear the nice things being said and discussed. Especially so, when the wonderful stuff is being said about the country of my birth by the non Indians too, so many miles away from home.

There sure is a lot of growth. But then what about the never ending socio-economic problems as well which haven't decreased as such, in all these years? Poverty, unemployment, the disparity between the rich and the poor, etc is still there. I believe it could have been better. Gandhi and his ideals are still being talked about and were inspirations for others around the world, notably Rev Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela( I just got reminded of the same!). But had Gandhi’s ideals been really imbibed by many more in the country whose freedom he brought about, rather than just a few, things sure would indeed have been much better!

Anyway, I won’t get into too much of a heavy discussion of that kind.Simply because I like to talk more about the lighter stuff.

Babetude is going down memory lane as well. But as you know I'm not political.

I would love to talk about and be proud today of Hindi film music since it’s been so popular since the inception of the movie industry. Such is its popularity that pop music and non film music hardly had a market in India.

I also got a recent opportunity to discuss Indian music and movies with a media personality, respected, knowledgeable and totally passionate about art of this kind in the western world. He's taught himself the same in a place where it has limited fans and that's so very amazing. Some people really are incredible!

So today I feel like talking about music...

A struggling music director in Mumbai once told me, becoming a musician is more difficult than becoming an actor. That’s right in a way, as it’s a God given talent which one needs to nurture, develop and one ought to get lucky as well- the music should click with a wide range of listeners! And while the actors took the cake, and got the accolades,became more popular, the singers, the music directors, lyricists and even the directors remained in the back ground and became pillars of their success.

A few interesting Indian films are being churned out very year and it’s good to know that some film makers are trying to make their movies according to the tastes of the international audience- shorter, crisper and more real. And that suits the tastes of the fast moving new generation as well. Many over the years have found our unrelated song sequences and running around trees rather funny. So much so that, somebody once pointed out, “Why are all Indian films musicals?”

Guess it started because music is the lifeblood of Indian culture. Romancing and emoting was associated with music. Singing, dancing and so on...

Thankfully some Indian movies have gotten better and not every film is a formula film where the same story is being told over and over again with some twists and turns.

Also considering the state of film music right now, it’s okay if songs are omitted out in most films.

Techno sounds, unbearable nasal tones, loud beats which could almost damage people’s ear drums, making one feel like banging one's head against the wall, meaningless Hinglish lyrics...

Okay, some of them are foot tapping and can be used to shake a leg or two.

But the fact remains that the compositions have zero staying power. It's easy to forget them a few months after release.

Plus there's the plagiarism, blatantly and shamelessly in the open.

And on top of that, some of them think they can impress all of us by turning westernized!

Hello, wake up guys! Not everyone can be fooled. It's better if you stick to your culture, just like A.R Rahman who's original, versatile and deserving Oscar and Grammy winner.

Gosh, no wonder even younger music lovers like to get away and listen to the oldie-goldies!

And they are far more popular out of the country too, the way true blue fans remember them.

Someone knowledgeable said that the best times for Hindi film music were the 50s to the mid 80s.

Currently the poetry is almost out of the picture, except for a few songs written by the stalwarts- Javed Akhtar, Gulzar and the talented Prasoon Joshi and composed by A.R Rahman and some others.

Take a look at the song( video below). The singer (Kishore Kumar here, one of the best voices from the film music scene) celebrates his love and his love interest comparing it with colors of nature, the beauty of dreams, in fact all things beautiful and so on. He's totally lost in love and his love he says is true, pure, beautiful, and transcends anything material. One lifetime is not enough to enjoy this kind of love. The movie was aptly called 'Prem Pujari'(worshiper of love)!


Idealistic but will always stand out as a wonderful song. Ably supported by the music director and the lyricist of course, who’s a wonderful poet.

This other song( video below) talks about the reality in most people’s lives.
Time just flies and a moment once gone by, will never come back, no matter what. The journey of life is like that.

Before one realises, tables turn and things change. If one has regrets, one has to live with them forever.With his heart touching rendition( Kishore Kumar again),it seems as though the singer is reminding one of the reality- do the right things at the right time, especially in your adult life, to avoid regret and repentance.

Someone rightly commented when he said that in those days it seems that the songs told a story of their own.

Urdu is another great language and it helped to bring out the beauty in most Hindi film songs.


Well, the two actors in the videos- Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna were lucky enough to get the best songs in the industry during that time. They owe quite a bit of their success to the musical figures behind the songs. It’s another matter though that they are no longer associated with anything remotely close to what they once achieved.

That's for it today. I'll be back again soon to talk about something meaningful! Till then, ciao.

When Babetude met Big W!

Now this happened almost four and a half years ago, but I must say, it will always remain a memorable experience of my life.

I might be from the entertainment industry but not star stuck in any way. But even after all the growing up I did in the last few years, this experience feels remarkable. Well, that alone goes on to show it was something special. After all, Babetude only roots for the special stuff.

I wasn't an experienced journo then, but I made sure I did my job well and also enjoy it up, close and personal.

Well, I’m calling him Big W here because this is what he christened himself that day.

He had said: ""The first Hindi film that I saw was ‘Sarkar’ and I was blown away by the Big B (Indian megastar Amitabh Bachchan). I want to be known as Big W from today..."

Yeah guys, if you haven’t guessed it as yet, it’s Will Smith, I’m talking about.

He’d come to Mumbai to launch the English movie channel PIX, a presentation of Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India in February of 2006.

I was writing and researching for a few Sony India TV shows and given my knowledge of Hollywood, I was asked to do a complete coverage. I’d to frame the questions, help my reporter friend and thankfully it turned out to be a pretty neat job.
My colleagues had to admit the same too! Some days turn out to be really good, right?

The press conference was at the Taj Mahal Hotel which almost two years later would be attacked by terrorists during the infamous Mumbai carnage of 2008. Even Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would stay in the same hotel later that year while shooting for ‘A Mighty Heart’.

A sad co-incidence but thankfully the hotel has been rebuilt and the damages taken care of…

Talking of the presscon, there was of course a mad rush and not surprisingly the room was almost crowded. Thankfully I and my crew got some of the front seats and it was worth it.

The born entertainer was entertaining with a capital E and completely at ease with the media contingent. He made sure he kept us all charmed and captivated with his appeal and wit.


He had talked in length about Indian actress Aishwarya Rai, how his film ‘Hitch’ was offered to her, but she was filming ‘Bride and Prejudice’ and it didn’t happen. He’d said, “She’s quite well known in our part of the world. She’s so smart, beautiful and she has a powerful energy around her. She doesn’t have to say anything, [or] do anything; just stand there. I’m here to make any movie she wants to make.” Interestingly when he was asked what things he would do if he were to be the President of the United States for a day, he had remarked wittily, “I would immediately give Aishwarya Rai US citizenship!”

I later heard that she did meet him at a film awards function later during his visit, where he was the presenter.

But unfortunately even after this and many talks between the two parties later, a movie with the two never materialized.

Ash got caught up with managing her marriage and career, thereby breaking the dreams of the Indian fans who would have liked to see her in a true blue Hollywood film!Some are still hoping, but no one can tell for sure whether it would become a reality or not.

He also talked about his long relationship with Sony Pictures thanks to the MIB Films, Bad Boys movies etc and how they were like a family to him and how when he got the opportunity to visit India and launch the channel, he saw it as a prospect to make Hollywood more popular in the country.

I can't say about Hollywood as a whole, but he sure made himself even more popular with the crowd that day. His aura was amazing; and he knew how to ensure there were many smiles and lots of laughter.

Here was an actor, one of Hollywood’s highest paid stars, standing in front of us, totally modest and grounded. He joked with the crowd and did the ‘jiggy’ with the reporters. He even distributed hugs, making the whole situation humorous.

He had said: "I think my best performance to date was ‘Ali’. My next release will be ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’, which will be released towards the end of the year. My seven-year-old son is acting in it too. I think we have both done a great job in the movie."

This very movie had gone on to win a lot of critical acclaim, awards and nominations.

After hearing many good things about it over the last few years, I only got to see it on TV recently (I know I should have done that earlier but didn’t really get the chance) and the memories of that event just flooded back…

Well, that was quite a day. I saw him again at the party thrown in his honor at the poolside of a suburban hotel that very evening. Double whammy of the best kind!

Later I also went on to recount the whole experience for an American website( filmstew.com) for which I was freelancing. This very article was proudly circulated till as late as last year by one of my well wishers. I don't blame him. It was really so good!

Yours truely loves to flaunt the article about the same too!

Like most people, celebs or otherwise, Smith had made it a a point to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, one of the seven wonders of the world with son Jaden and entourage. He had said, "We drove to The Taj Mahal from Delhi. I felt an instant connection. Walking around there, I understood why Shah Jahan built the Taj. I understood the kind of love and passion he had for his wife. In my property in LA, I have something dedicated to the love of my wife. I thought to myself - I’m Shah Jahan."

Things of this sort just goes on to show that not only did Big W develop a wonderful career; in the process he made sure he’s a great family man too.

I think by now you guys know that Babetude has a soft corner for the few who balance it out so well in life.

Jaden was younger then and waiting for his big launch. Not surprisingly he didn’t make any media appearances. Today it’s nice to see Jaden flower into a big ‘little’ star himself.

Apart from enjoying his cute acting in ‘ A Pursuit of Happyness’, I checked out ‘The Day the earth stood still’ and the recent ‘ The Karate Kid’/'The Kung Fu Kid'. Like many wise 'film forecasters', I can see that Jaden has the trappings of a super star. He’s very likely to do better in the years to come. Must say, he owes a lot of that to his great dad and mum Jada as well.

And big daddy Will is a proud man too. I'm not a parent yet, but I know it feels really good when one's offspring, someone you mentor, goes on to shine so bright.

I had interviewed a mom of a recent Indian superstar (Shahid Kapur,if you would like to know his name) once and she had said what a heartwarming feeling it was for her to see her son do so well in life.


As for the movie itself, I too think Will Smith really did full justice to the role and the movie.

The amazingly true and inspirational story of a father (Chris Gardener who became a self made millionaire in real life) trying to have a better life, struggling against all odds, trying to make sure he kept his vow of being a good father, never giving up and losing his spirit is very, very fascinating.

Well, I too feel that there was no one better than a compassionate actor like Will Smith who connects with the audience to play a role like that.

And some of his narrations( Smith as Chris Gardener) from the movie just stayed with me. They were so deeply philosophical.

“I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. I made up my mind that when I had children, my children were going to know who their father was.”

“It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?”



“You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period.”

Things of that sort really touch me. No wonder, I was so impressed.

Well, after enjoying ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ thoroughly, I must admit I feel even more proud to have met Big W. I’m so glad it happened.

That’s it for today. My next post will be of the philosophical type as I've thinking a lot these days. Good, wise and deep things of course!

And please don't worry, it's going to be entertaining as well. So you guys can very well look forward to it. Till then, take care and be blessed.