Genelia Dsouza's Hindustan Times Columns
Horsing around
Genelia Dsouza
August 12, 2010
Life, as we know by now, is all about seizing opportunities, and embracing the challenges. Which is why I love my life — especially the part that allows me the freedom of being an actor. It’s not just the varied roles that we get to play — it’s also the innumerable obstacles-turned-opportunities that fall into place once you have zeroed in on a particular role.
Take last week for instance. Does the term ‘Warrior-Princess’ excite you? It sure gives me a euphoric rush, and what’s more exciting is that it’s my character in a film that I’m shooting for. And what exactly does a “Warrior-Princess” do? Horse-ride. So, I’ve added a new skill, and hopefully, a new hobby to my repertoire of talents. I am now a HORSE-RIDER! What was an activity least considered in the past became a challenging opportunity for me when I signed on to play a the role.
Horses are majestic creatures. Their limbs, their shiny skin and their glistening manes are beautiful and mesmerising. What we don’t know about horses is that they are very easily spooked! You will need some jaggery and sugar cubes to break the ice with them and have them begin to like you. Horses are like newfound lovers — to win their trust, you need to whisper sweet nothings into their ears, ruffle their manes and stroke their necks. Once the pleasantries are out of the way, you can get down to business.
But they can also be big bullies, so if you don’t establish control right at the start, it’s more likely that the horse will take you for a ride and that won’t necessarily be a good thing. I was taught that when a horse breaks into a canter, he expects you to lead him, to tell him what to do, and that’s precisely the rule you should follow.
Horses love being talked to — they are almost human in this aspect.When I mounted Basha, I leaned down to tell him how much I was going to enjoy this ride, and then slowly but surely began to lead him forward. My knees closed in on his sides and the wind began to gain momentum around my face. I had become the Warrior-Princess. Everything around me was a blur and the world whizzed past. Trust me, the feeling of riding a horse is magical, one of absolute power, like flying without wings. I have found Basha. Why don’t you go find your equine buddy, too?
============================
Genelia Dsouza's Hindustan Times Columns
Indians After All
Genelia Dsouza
Posted On August 5, 2010
Last week was a revelation for me in terms of being a responsible Indian. I discovered that if I can find in myself the ability to think strongly on issues that shape our future as a country, then I can also find in me the strength to be able to do something about it. This discovery gained momentum from the script that I’ve been reading for the past couple of days. It is a period film and its setting made me imagine how different things must have been back then. And with our Independence Day coming up next week, it raised a few questions in my mind. Are we the same patriots that we were 63 years ago? Back then, there was a sizzling passion. To be asked to lay down your life for your country was considered an honour beyond God’s greatest blessings. Many volunteered, scores perished and thousands became martyrs so that Gen Next could make their country proud.
Every year, we lament on how these ideals of patriotism are no more upheld. We are confronted with the harsh reality that Indian youth can no longer be mobilised to passionately defend their country. But why should it always be aggression that leads to true patriotism? A few years back, there came the storm in the wake of a brilliant film — Rang De Basanti — that brought revolution back into the blood of the young. But aggression is an emotion difficult to sustain when it’s pitted against the lure of material satisfaction. The grass is always greener on the other side. The standard of living is better abroad, the streets are cleaner, the houses are bigger, the schools safer. But if we work hard enough on our part of the land, we can have a beautiful garden instead of just grass. There are 9 billion of us and even if 10 per cent of us set our minds on being the ‘best’, ‘greatest’ and ‘biggest’ — nothing is impossible!
Let’s start small. Let’s just inculcate a sense of pride into ourselves for simply being Indian. Yes, we have a funny accent but so what? There are more English-speaking Indians in the world than there are English-speaking Englishmen! Our food smells funny but it is the Indian Chicken Tikka Masala that’s made its way to the menus of the best gourmet restaurants in the world.
============================
Genelia Dsouza's Hindustan Times Columns
CITY REFLECTIONS
Genelia Dsouza
Posted On July 29, 2010
26th July 2005 is a day that is etched in the memory of our city forever. Mumbai — the city of dreams and the city of gold — came to a standstill. For the first time in the history of this legendary city, a deluge so devastating swept across its every corner and lashed out a fury that nobody had ever witnessed before.
It’s been five years since, and I still have questions. What went wrong? Have we rectified it? Can it happen again? If you ask public information channels, you’ll get the answer for question one in terms of the quantity of rain, inability to cope with this unheard-of rain fury etc. But when I pose the other two questions before someone or myself, I am left with nothing but a blank.
As the city bounced back, one key aspect came to the fore — the iconic, indomitable spirit of Mumbai. Most of us realised that our need for survival governs our spirit. An average Mumbaikar needs to wake up every morning and go to work so that he can survive. He is not thinking of his power of withstanding, but of the daily wages he needs to earn to feed his family. Most people mistake the spirit of this city as an attitudinal outcome rather than an instinctive need. The big question still remains — have we rectified the issues that arose so as to avoid its repetition? The answer is, no.
Mumbai has braved terrorist attacks, floods and inflation not because of its resilience, but for our inability to change and make a difference. We have forgotten that the change first needs to come about within. We get back to our routine so easily that it never results in action. What went wrong? Would the deluge attain the magnitude it did, if the drains weren’t blocked by plastic bags we used and threw out of the window? A lot of what happens on the outside has first happened at a miniature level inside of us. If there is turmoil within you, it is bound to reflect outside. The change must come from within.
I take responsibility for my city being under siege, and vow to make a difference. Do you?
============================
Genelia Dsouza's Hindustan Times Columns
Horsing aroundGenelia Dsouza
August 12, 2010
Life, as we know by now, is all about seizing opportunities, and embracing the challenges. Which is why I love my life — especially the part that allows me the freedom of being an actor. It’s not just the varied roles that we get to play — it’s also the innumerable obstacles-turned-opportunities that fall into place once you have zeroed in on a particular role.
Take last week for instance. Does the term ‘Warrior-Princess’ excite you? It sure gives me a euphoric rush, and what’s more exciting is that it’s my character in a film that I’m shooting for. And what exactly does a “Warrior-Princess” do? Horse-ride. So, I’ve added a new skill, and hopefully, a new hobby to my repertoire of talents. I am now a HORSE-RIDER! What was an activity least considered in the past became a challenging opportunity for me when I signed on to play a the role.
Horses are majestic creatures. Their limbs, their shiny skin and their glistening manes are beautiful and mesmerising. What we don’t know about horses is that they are very easily spooked! You will need some jaggery and sugar cubes to break the ice with them and have them begin to like you. Horses are like newfound lovers — to win their trust, you need to whisper sweet nothings into their ears, ruffle their manes and stroke their necks. Once the pleasantries are out of the way, you can get down to business.
But they can also be big bullies, so if you don’t establish control right at the start, it’s more likely that the horse will take you for a ride and that won’t necessarily be a good thing. I was taught that when a horse breaks into a canter, he expects you to lead him, to tell him what to do, and that’s precisely the rule you should follow.
Horses love being talked to — they are almost human in this aspect.When I mounted Basha, I leaned down to tell him how much I was going to enjoy this ride, and then slowly but surely began to lead him forward. My knees closed in on his sides and the wind began to gain momentum around my face. I had become the Warrior-Princess. Everything around me was a blur and the world whizzed past. Trust me, the feeling of riding a horse is magical, one of absolute power, like flying without wings. I have found Basha. Why don’t you go find your equine buddy, too?
============================
Genelia Dsouza's Hindustan Times Columns
Indians After AllGenelia Dsouza
Posted On August 5, 2010
Last week was a revelation for me in terms of being a responsible Indian. I discovered that if I can find in myself the ability to think strongly on issues that shape our future as a country, then I can also find in me the strength to be able to do something about it. This discovery gained momentum from the script that I’ve been reading for the past couple of days. It is a period film and its setting made me imagine how different things must have been back then. And with our Independence Day coming up next week, it raised a few questions in my mind. Are we the same patriots that we were 63 years ago? Back then, there was a sizzling passion. To be asked to lay down your life for your country was considered an honour beyond God’s greatest blessings. Many volunteered, scores perished and thousands became martyrs so that Gen Next could make their country proud.
Every year, we lament on how these ideals of patriotism are no more upheld. We are confronted with the harsh reality that Indian youth can no longer be mobilised to passionately defend their country. But why should it always be aggression that leads to true patriotism? A few years back, there came the storm in the wake of a brilliant film — Rang De Basanti — that brought revolution back into the blood of the young. But aggression is an emotion difficult to sustain when it’s pitted against the lure of material satisfaction. The grass is always greener on the other side. The standard of living is better abroad, the streets are cleaner, the houses are bigger, the schools safer. But if we work hard enough on our part of the land, we can have a beautiful garden instead of just grass. There are 9 billion of us and even if 10 per cent of us set our minds on being the ‘best’, ‘greatest’ and ‘biggest’ — nothing is impossible!
Let’s start small. Let’s just inculcate a sense of pride into ourselves for simply being Indian. Yes, we have a funny accent but so what? There are more English-speaking Indians in the world than there are English-speaking Englishmen! Our food smells funny but it is the Indian Chicken Tikka Masala that’s made its way to the menus of the best gourmet restaurants in the world.
============================
Genelia Dsouza's Hindustan Times Columns
CITY REFLECTIONSGenelia Dsouza
Posted On July 29, 2010
26th July 2005 is a day that is etched in the memory of our city forever. Mumbai — the city of dreams and the city of gold — came to a standstill. For the first time in the history of this legendary city, a deluge so devastating swept across its every corner and lashed out a fury that nobody had ever witnessed before.
It’s been five years since, and I still have questions. What went wrong? Have we rectified it? Can it happen again? If you ask public information channels, you’ll get the answer for question one in terms of the quantity of rain, inability to cope with this unheard-of rain fury etc. But when I pose the other two questions before someone or myself, I am left with nothing but a blank.
As the city bounced back, one key aspect came to the fore — the iconic, indomitable spirit of Mumbai. Most of us realised that our need for survival governs our spirit. An average Mumbaikar needs to wake up every morning and go to work so that he can survive. He is not thinking of his power of withstanding, but of the daily wages he needs to earn to feed his family. Most people mistake the spirit of this city as an attitudinal outcome rather than an instinctive need. The big question still remains — have we rectified the issues that arose so as to avoid its repetition? The answer is, no.
Mumbai has braved terrorist attacks, floods and inflation not because of its resilience, but for our inability to change and make a difference. We have forgotten that the change first needs to come about within. We get back to our routine so easily that it never results in action. What went wrong? Would the deluge attain the magnitude it did, if the drains weren’t blocked by plastic bags we used and threw out of the window? A lot of what happens on the outside has first happened at a miniature level inside of us. If there is turmoil within you, it is bound to reflect outside. The change must come from within.
I take responsibility for my city being under siege, and vow to make a difference. Do you?
============================
Genelia Dsouza's Hindustan Times Columns
Fashionable foot forwardGenelia Dsouza
Posted On July 22, 2010
We are no strangers to anxiety while dealing with first-off experiences. The pressure of the proverbial ‘first impression’ has rendered a lot of us nervous wrecks. But fear not, girlies! I can help you out with cultivating an inner confidence from looking your best and putting your best foot forward fashionably. Simply because I’ve been there, done that (including a faux pas here and there) as well as tripped on my stilettos at some point. So here goes.
FIRST DAY AT COLLEGE
My advice would be to try and be as simple as possible and not go in for making a statement. College is all about fitting in, and at the same time, coming into your own. It is more worthwhile to be remembered for being an amazing writer/singer/actor than be the one who wore the most branded clothes. Wear what you would with your friends and family. Don’t forget the most crucial accessory — a smile!
FIRST DATE
Remember the cardinal rule: you are going on this date because he likes you already. Now, all you have to do is clinch the deal and have him gasping for more. Never ever wear clothes that reveal too much on a first date. Trust me, there’s a lot of excitement in leaving a lot to the imagination. If it’s a day date, wear something like a maxi dress or a spaghetti dress in bright colours, with gladiator flats and a headband. If it is a night-time date, you can add some sequinned drama. Put together skinny jeans and a racer-back tunic with some bling on the neck-line, and put on bracelets and earrings.
FIRST DAY AT WORK
If you bend towards traditional clothes, opt for printed kurtis, fitted denims and trousers and colourful jootis or sequinned wedges. Chunky earrings and bangles and interesting pendants complete the look. Otherwise, collared teeshirts, polo necks, 3/4th sleeved v-neck teeshirts and printed button-down shirts with denims, corduroy or linen pants offer you the variety as well as keep you within the desired decorum of dress code.
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