KBC, Kaun Banega Crorepati or ABC, Amitabh Bachchan Charisma...!

Kaun Banega Crorepati - We have become addicted to this programme and this is the 4th season. As everybody knows, Amitabh Bachchan hosted this show in 2000 (KBC 1), which is based on a UK game show 'Who wants to be a millionaire?'. I had seen a few episodes of the UK show and ours is a replica of that show. The way the anchor interacts with the hot-seat participants, like showing concerns in their personal lives and prompting them a little to use the lifelines when they give wrong answers (!), everything was there, too!

Still, we admire Amitabh who is conducting this show like a pro, yes, he is a pro, no doubt about that! He has got a fatherly figure, very intelligent, familiar face, everything. We can see him enjoying meeting common people and knowing about their day-to-day lives, their problems, their special qualities etc. Every participant is in awe of him! Harshwardhan Navathe won the one crore prize in KBC 1.

Many of his famous phrases were used in every household, like 'lock karen?', addressing the computer as 'computerji', etc. Often he uses the phrase 'aap oomda khel rahe hain'...I had never heard the word 'oomda' until then!

KBC 2 (2005) was also anchored by Amitabh and because of health grounds, the show was shelved after 61 episodes of the total of 85 episodes.

Then KBC 3 came, which was anchored by Shah Rukh Khan. After some episodes, we got used to him. He had a huge shadow of Amitabh hovering behind him, though!

In the current show, some interesting people did very well, many of them came from very small villages. Amitabh really loved to interact with them. He doesn't seem to have any ego problem. One person won Rs.One crore and the celebration of winning also was done, with flowers falling on him from the ceiling etc., but when he tried to attempt the Rs.5 crore question, he lost and went home with Rs.3 lakhs. Over confidence is not a good nature, Amitabh said.

A couple of days back, a 37 year old woman, Rahat Taslim from a small town of Giridih in Jharkhand, became the first woman to win the prize money of Rs. one crore. She is a simple but intelligent woman, a Muslim from an unknown village, still under the social and conservative norms of the 'purdah'. She was married off very early but did her BA (Hon.) in History, after her children were grown up and taught tailoring to the local women and children that earned her 2000-3000 rupees in order to run the house. Her husband works in a public sector concern with a salary of Rs.6,000. She has got a 17 year old son and a daughter.

In an interview to the NDTV, Amitabh says, "She never in her life had opened even a bank account of their meagre earnings, had never seen the lakhs that came to her in the form of the zero's on her checque (she counted the zeros in one crore... one, two, three, four - seven zeroes and her typical laughter came after that, with 'yakeen hi nahin ho raha hai'!) and had never ever imagined that she would get to the hot seat at KBC".

She never had any doubt while deciding upon using the lifelines or while answering the correct answers. Amazing. Yes, the questions were not that difficult for normal educated people, but even many of them (educated ones, who were always doubtful and used lifelines for ordinary questions!) struggled for replying ordinary questions. This lady answered happily and when she started winning 25 lakh, she started saying 'yakeen hi naheen ho rahaa hai' and kept on repeating the sentence until she won Rs. One crore.

We felt that Amitabh rejoiced more happily than Rahat, when she won the money! He was nearly jumping with joy! He kept on praising her in his blog and even in the next day's show! He said, "What a fantastic moment for the game. What a fantastic moment for women in our country - that given an opportunity, they had the ability to shine like never before. And that the heart of India resides in that little village or town which we know nothing about!"

Now, Rahat wants to open a boutique and study further! Have a look at her and her family with the great Amitabh!


You can watch here, the last 10 minutes of the programme, where Rahat Taslim wins Rs. One crore! I know most of you, must be watching this programme!




We are wondering how to spend the 9 to 9.30 evening time after this programme is over in a week or so! We are 'sighing' like Amitabh, laughing like him and use his phrases, often at home!



Edited to add (28.11.10): I came across this video now. This is the interview with Amitabh about his view of Rahat and the programme. He is still praising Rahat!



Some people said in the comment section that they were not able to view the video of Rahat winning the contest and some people were able to watch it. I have updated again with a better video. Hope all of you will be able to view this and enjoy!


Rahat Taslim family, image courtesy: Now running.com

Wordless (sorry, with some words) Wednesday!

The growing up stages of our Golie!

Baby Golie in the middle!

(Born on Jan.16th, '10)

Very pregnant adult Golie!

(21st Oct.,'10)

Amma Golie with her tiny babies!

(The babies were born on 3rd Nov., '10)

Typical mother, our Golie! Notice how she is keeping her hand on her baby!

(11th Nov., '10)

The three beautiful babies!

(17th Nov.,'10)



Miniature Golie! Notice the claws and baby fur!

(17th Nov., '10)

This one is not very happy because I was keeping them out of their room on my saree and changing their bed sheet! Appa's lungies are very handy now, too, like they were, when Golie was a baby!

Notice the pinky pinky nose and baby claws!

The very bluuuue eyed kitten! Looks just like Jinju, her grandmother!

Her grandmother, Jinju's family is here!

The 11th Nov., '10 photo is added now, an hour later!

Our First Encounter With A Computer!

ZX Spectrum

A couple of weeks back, I had mentioned in one of my posts about how my children benefited from their experience with a 'computer' and now, I am explaining here, how it was working!

Some of my friends here, must be familiar with this computer. We were not living in a city, but in a small town, Hosur, in the year, must be 1987-88. We had very close family friends there who had children of the same age, as my children. One of the friend's husband got this 'computer' from customs for Rs.6000/- (I still remember the price!). Until then, we never knew about computers or maybe had never heard of it or might have come across the word in newspapers. But it was new for us!

It was like a key-board! Mr.P. (my friend's husband) had got some cassettes which contained games, some chemistry and maths problems too. First, the cassette was inserted in their two-in-one, then it was connected to this 'computer', then connected to their TV monitor! The keys in the keyboard (as in the above picture), were used to give signal to the 'computer'! So, we needed three gadgets to operate the 'computer'!

As you can guess, first their children and our children started playing games with that 'computer'. Then, after some days, they started using the educational material(!), which came to very good use, for all the children, later on. The games were like chasing worm, hurdles, etc. For the first few days, my friend was not allowed to use her two-in-one and TV monitor, because of this 'computer'. Some 'keeeek' sound used to come out of the 'computer' often, which, you know, was irritating!

My friend used to say that normally, everyone will go in for a new VCR, which was also a new gadget, in those days, for watching movies, but her husband got the 'computer' first! All of us were hiring VCRs for rent on holidays!

Even now, this Sinclair ZX Spectrum, is used by some, for playing games, I was told. Does anyone here, who is reading this, has got it?

Later on, we shifted to Chennai and then I think, after a couple of years, my son got a second hand computer from a Computer institute (Rs.13,000/-)! It was also a very primitive computer. My son was playing games in the beginning and then started creating designs like forests etc. Then he tried to make it echo back what we speak, sometimes he would make it speak and I was asked by him to decipher what it said! He was happy if I (an ordinary person) was able to repeat what it said! He was compelling me to play games too, I remember!

Now, all of us are so used to computers, but the first introduction to any new gadget, is memorable, isn't it?

Courtesy: Image from wikipedia

Wordless Wednesday!

Yamraj's Vaahanas blocking our way to Tirupati!

But Ganesha is with us, to protect us!!!

WISHING ALL, A HAPPY DEEPAWALI!

I AND MY FAMILY WISH YOU ALL

A VERY VERY

HAPPY, PROSPEROUS, SAFE AND POLLUTIONLESS

DEEPAWALI!

LET US ALL PRAY FOR A PEACEFUL FUTURE TO ALL OF US!

Wordless Wednesday! Beautiful, Elegant, Royal Birds!

Gifted parents, we are!

We were watching Zee TV's Saregamapa Singing Superstars programme last evening. In this episode, the participants talked about how their parents helped them to come upto this level in this singing competition. Like many of us think, the parents and their family members of the participants, were against their children going into the unpredictable singing career. Then, they said how they changed their mind and allowed and helped their children to make their dream come true against all odds. This is sort of a tribute to the parents by the participants.

Some participants said that their fathers changed their careers to shift to Mumbai to promote their children's singing talent. All the parents were invited to the stage and the judges thanked them for producing such talented singers who would become great singers in the future. The emotion on the faces of the parents was so overwhelming...some were crying, some felt so happy...! The scene should be watched to believe what I am saying here.

Then I and my husband went back in our life (the result of slowly getting older now!) and discussed how our children made/make us proud like this!

As all of you know, we shifted to Chennai from Hosur some years back. My sons were studying in matriculation school in Hosur. That system follows 2 language formula and my sons' second language was Hindi. So I thought I must try only in State Board schools for admitting them in 8th and 5th Std. But accidentally, we met the Principal of a CBSE school and he asked us to send them for the admission test and if they came through it, he would take them in his school, since the third language (Tamil!) was not very important. We took a chance and brought the children to Chennai in Feb. for the test. My son after attending the exam ( for the 8th std.), said that his matriculation books did not cover some science portions which were asked in the current test but since he had come across them in the computer cassettes (oh, I must make one more post about the first computer in my children's lives, which would be very very interesting, please wait!), he was able to attend the questions!

The next day, the Principal said, "Why did you worry so much about admitting your son in CBSE school...he has come first in the test and he is too brilliant and he is admitted in our school!" I can feel how I felt at that time, even now!

I was always attending the School Annual Days of my children until they left school. Both of them participated in the school dramas, oratorical competitions etc. Once when my son gave a speech before the Annual Day celebrations started, the parents sitting near me openly admired the way he spoke. After the speech was over he came and sat with me in the audience. I can still remember the admiring glances the nearby parents gave both of us! I can go on about these types of incidents esp. in their school stage.

I had commented in many posts of other mothers, about children, to always enjoy the school days of their children. In my opinion, those are the happiest days in some way. Then we come across different phases in life which are also interesting, but those days are entirely different!

Now, watch these videos of Saregamapa, where the children pay tribute to their parents, praising them and singing their favourite songs, the quality of which is very high. They are too good. You can hear more songs of different types which they sang in this programme, you will not be bored at all! I am giving the Zee TV link, so that you can hear the other songs of the same singers.

Watch these videos, if and when you have got time!

Sniti Mishra...Surmai adhiyon mein, Sadma film se, Yesudoss was the original singer...this girl's voice is very very good for classical raaga based songs, you will notice!

Kamal Khan: He sings a song which is penned by him as a tribute to his Maa. He has already sang for Akshay Kumar's latest movie! The Mentors, Vishal-Shekhar, were so impressed by his voice that they have made him sing for their film! He is one the best singer here.

Abhilaasha Chellum: This girl's voice is very melodious. This song is from Rang de bansanthi, AR Rehaman's.

Khurram: This boy comes from Pakistan and is a very good, trained singer.

Bishaak Jyoti: This song of Jagjit Singh is my favourite and Bishaak had done justice to this song!

Sugandha Mishra: Sugandha is a gifted singer and Daler Mehandi is a great fan of this girl's voice! Baghban movie song...

Daler Mehandi sings here as a tribute to his mother! Until I started watching these types of programmes, I never knew that most of the music directors sing very well. Here, watch Daler singing...he gave some glimpses of his classical training in music in this programme.