My tales about Aashiqui & Aashiqui 2

I know a lot of people who claim Aashiqui to be their favorite music album. For me, it goes much beyond that. I was 10 when the movie released and till then I had no particular favorites among movies, songs, actors etc.

One fine day in a song program chitrahar, I saw this song "Nazar ke saamne" which stuck my ears and I got unusually addicted to that. Next few days, I got my parents buy me a music system and I purchased my first ever audio cassette "Aashiqui" with my pocket money for Rs.16.

The kind of words used in those lyrics were part urdu and part poetic hindi which I hadn't come across earlier in my bookish hindi references, I didn't know who the actors were, forget about the music director or singers. But those songs stirred my tender soul in a very big way. Such a big way that from that day till date I've been listening to those songs continually at least once a month...yes, for the last 23 years.

Aashiqui's album has a song for every emotion. If you ever fell in love, ever heartbroken, ever in awe, ever in anticipation, ever in romance - you would know what I meant. It was a collection of anthems. It was sheer poetic, romantic, soul-stirring and EPIC.

Thus Aashiqui's music opened floodgates to my music sense, but also more notably transitioned me from childhood to adolescence and further to adulthood. I enjoyed melody, music through those haunting renditions and understood the essence of the word "favorite". Nadeem Shravan became my default favorite musician duo and Kumar Sanu, the GOD.

The hangover spilled over to similar instrument and rhythm driven melodies of Saajan, Sadak, Deewana, Phool Aur Kaante, Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahin, Sapne Saajan Ke, Dil ka Kya Kasoor, Dilwale, Jaan Tere Naam and many more till 1995. My wife often says that I got stuck in early 90's which in a way is true. No music genre did that magic to me later on. Close on the heels come Ilayaraja and RD Burman-Kishoreda immortal classics.

Even today, Aashiqui's album is formidably placed as the most number of music units sold in the history of Bollywood at 1,50,000. Only 3 other movie albums could cross 1,00,000. This proves I'm not the only crazy fellow around :)

Fast forward to 2013: When Mahesh Bhatt announced the making of Aashiqui 2, I got terribly disappointed and felt somebody was ripping off a part of my heart. Moreover am not a big fan of Bhatt camp's steamy flicks genre which was at its nadir with Sunny Leone's jism sequel or whatever. Aashiqui music was so close to my heart that I deliberately avoided the music album of the sequel. Didn't even heed to the noise created among chartbuster arena. But yesterday I reluctantly bought the DVD and watched the movie today.

Honestly (and surprisingly) I liked the movie, narrative and the interwoven music. Or maybe I liked it because I saw it with rock bottom expectations with a huge grudge and ego. Though there are some technical glitches like immature acting, ametuer taking etc, I felt this is one of the honest and intense love stories of recent times. A true romance, a melodramatic love which takes viewers to peaks of emotion, which melts hearts, which chokes throats and which stirs souls; or maybe it's just I who felt that; or maybe you must watch it with heart !

And something I hate to admit is that I loved the music too. 'Tum hi ho' is hopelessly addictive and so is "sun raha hai na tu" (especially female version sung by Shreya is matchless). Since history can't be repeated, the magic of Aashiqui can never be recreated, but Aashiqui 2 with it's intense love story and haunting music stands firmly.

A Manipulator called Dhoni, a Mafia called BCCI, Brokers called Media, Politicians, Police !

Some interesting facts about BCCI and current cricket controversy post IPL 6.

• BCCI president Srinivasan heads India Cements, a $750 million company and yet brazenly defies entire country's unequivocal demand for his resignation from his post of BCCI president. What's so dear about BCCI ? Fishy, isn't it ?

• MS Dhoni who has a say in selecting Indian cricket's playing eleven is a partner (and indeed a ghost owner) in a sports management company 'Rhiti sports' (a third grade company with a shabby website) which manages endorsements of Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and others who are default members of Indian team and his Chennai Super Kings team. Fishy, isn't it ?

• The very Rhiti Sports company is a marketing sponsor of Chennai Super Kings team which is owned by BCCI chief Srinivasan's India Cements. And Dhoni is a vice president of India Cements. A full circle of conflicts of interest by Srini-Dhoni combo. Fishy, isn't it ?

• Srinivasan is carefully guarded and diplomatically saved by BJP's Arun Jaitley, Anurag Thakur and Congress' Rajeev Shukla (cabinet minister too). BJP and Congress members who can kill each other in Lok Sabha stand together to save tainted BCCI chief. Fishy, isn't it ?

• Bookie Vindoo Dara Singh was introduced to Srini's betting son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan by Dhoni's friend and partner (Rhiti Sports owner) and the same bookie was accompanied by Dhoni's lady at matches..bwahahaha...Fishy, isn't it ?

• Sreesanth and co who were caught red-handed were not banned or reprimanded by BCCI. Fishy, isn't it ?

• Srinivasan didn't resign but just "stepped-aside" to facilitate the probe against his son-in-law. Look at who the investigators are - BCCI secretary Madgale, BCCI paid commentator Ravi Shastri. And the incumbent interim incharge of BCCI is Jagmohan Dalmiya, another notorious lobbyist and pro-Srinivasan cronie. Fishy, isn't it ? 

• BCCI, a multi billion dollar worth association is the richest sporting body but is neither answerable to Government, not accountable to RTI act. Nobody knows what's going on with finances;  Fishy, isn't it ? 

• Indian cricket has continuously been administered by politicians and businessmen who have nothing to do with cricket. Eg: Sharad Pawar, Narendra Modi, Farooq Abdullah etc. Why on earth are they interested in cricket boards ? Fishy, isn't it ? 

• Media has been constantly and strangely discussing BCCI / IPL controversies one after another starting with Sreesanth, then Vindoo, then Gurunath, then Srinivasan, then Dhoni and......on and on. All this especially when central government was under a juggernaut of coal scam, railways scam, dismissal of ministers over corruption etc. Not even Maoist attack could divert over-indulgent media from their orgasmic excitement over the cricket chain of controversies. Fishy, isn't it ?

• Delhi police and Mumbai police have been so extra efficient in finding out the chain behind IPL betting and fixing racket that they have been fighting against each other for control and credit. Where were they when rape cases (on a daily basis), law and order situation, protests are going on unabashedly. Why are they so interested in cricket fixing over multi thousand-crore scams ? Fishy, isn't it ?

Cricket is not just a sport, but a religion in India and saying that is a cliche. Passion and obsession about the sport made it attractive, lucrative and hence justifiably attracted politicians, businessmen, lobbyists, underworld, bookies, fixers, con-men alike thus alienating the religion from it's followers i.e., genuine fans.

Gone are the days when there was a Dada to show what winning spirit was and a Jammy to show what being a gentleman was. Soon would there be a day when there will be no Sachin to show us what brilliance is. Cricket like WWE and beauty pageants would soon become a sham, a scam and a shame.