Monday 17 April 2017

स्याही


मुद्दतों में उठायी क़लम हाथों में, देख कागज़-ए-ख़ाली हम खो गए,
लफ़्ज़ों के आईने में देख ख़ुदा को, ख़ुद ही की मौसीक़ी में मशगूल हो गए |

मन में तराशा बिखरे अल्फाज़ो को, कांटे भी फूल हो गए,
एक बूंद स्याही गिरी दवात से, छिपे सारे राज़ गुफ़्तगू हो गए |

Monday 10 April 2017

मैंने खुशियां ख़रीद ली


शहर की जगमग छोड़ कर मैंने उगते सूरज की रोशनी ख़रीद ली,
सिनेमा का विकर्षण छोड़ कर मैने किताब के पन्नो की खुशबू ख़रीद ली |

अपेक्षा का आसमान छोड़ कर मैंने प्रतीक्षा की ज़मीं ख़रीद ली,
बचपन का दामन छोड़ कर मैंने बचपने की अदाएं समेट ली।

रुई का गद्दा त्याग कर मैंने मां की गोद सहज ली,
दिन की दौड़ धूप त्याग कर मैंने सांझ की छांव सहज ली |

कोलाहल की ध्वनि नकार कर मैंने एक ग़ज़ल ख़रीद ली,
मोबाइल पर दौड़ती अंगुलियों को विराम कर मैंने वक़्त की घड़ियां ख़रीद ली।

सुविधाओं की अनंतता का बोध कर मैंने सुकून की दो रोटियां ख़रीद ली।
ख्वाहिशों को थोड़ा कम किया मैंने और खुशियां ख़रीद ली।

Thursday 16 March 2017

Book Review: Mrs. Funnybones



This book is written by renowned actress Twinkle Khanna. After digging her luck in diverse fields, she began writing. I am a fan of her newspaper column that comes every Sunday in Times of India, and also her scintillating tweets.

I would always admire her for her 
unconventional sense of humor, presence of mind and stark comments. Also, having traveled many roads of life including acting, interior design and, of course, writing, she carries a distinct identity and charm of her own.

This book is about her day-to-day life experiences in a funny manner.



Although, I was expecting a lot more from her debut novel. It seems more like a collection of her newspaper articles. When you spend some money to buy a book, you do not expect it to contain the stuff that a corner of a 5 bucks newspaper has! You are investing time as well as money not to know her autobiography, and that to, not actual autobiography but certain regular events from here and there from which one derives no conclusion.

With 235 pages including a lot of blank pages, text size 12 and 1.5 size line spacing, broad margins, even the slowest reader on the planet can finish this book in no time.

Not everyone wants to be enlightened by how she struggles as a mother, her baby wants to use her hello kitty potty seat in FLIGHT, or that she gets captured by paparazzi often, or that her son has got a girlfriend at eleven or the MIL jokes with her female friends or how much the family travels abroad in FLIGHTS.

Nevertheless, coming to some good points, the book is humorous, you smile and laugh from time to time and feel light when reading it. This is a quick read and hence, it may help you to overcome reader's block, if any. The sarcasm and composition of sentences is quirky.

My rating for this book is 2.5 on 5 and I recommend it to those who are are willing to pass their time on a train journey or a flight.


(PS: the reviews expressed here are based on my personal reading experience, and do not intend to defame, derate or 
degrade the sale or vice-versa for the book. I am not paid for writing this review.)


If you are an author and want your book to be reviewed, drop an email at bookreviews@mansiladha.com.

Wednesday 1 March 2017

Book Review: Band, Baaja, Boys



This a book by author Rachna Singh is a light hearted comedy.

The plot is set in Allahabad. And hence, the humour. Rachna singh has brought up the core and basic aspects of the residents as her characters and translated that into humour. The characters are relatable and very usual.

The story is about Binny Bajpai - 20 year old daughter of hosiery shop owner Brajesh Bajpai and homemaker Kumud Bajpai. Binny is busy making boyfriends and spending her father's money as the only child. Meanwhile, Kumud and Brajesh are keen on getting the best groom for her from the available options. They are juggling between readily available Mr. Chaubey's son and sparsely available Mr. Dubey's son. Raja is the one sided lover of the heartthrob Binny. Rahul is Binny's lover and a politician's spoiled son. This hullabaloo gives you chuckles and giggles throughout, keeps you gripped to what happens next. (I want to control myself from being a spoiler by providing the details).

Rachna brings alive her characters who are easily identifiable and close to real life, no exaggeration. Use of Hinglish is quite funny.

If you are looking for a deep story and a witty plot, this one is not for you. It is predictable at times but a cute filmy tale. But if you are looking for a stress buster and a lot of laughter this is your cup of tea.

I applaud the observation and comic interpretation of fellow Indians (esp. from Allahabad) by the author especially when she herself was swinging between life and death (cancer treatment). It's easy to make people cry, but difficult to make them laugh, and that's what Rachna has excelled at.

I rate the book 3 on 5 and recommend it to those who want to go over a quick and light read combined with doses of fun.

(PS: the reviews expressed here are based on my personal reading experience, and do not intend to defame, derate or 
degrade the sale or vice-versa for the book. I am not paid for writing this review.)

If you are an author and want your book to be reviewed, drop an email at bookreviews@mansiladha.com.

Monday 20 February 2017

Book Review: The Kite Runner




The Kite Runner, an international Bestseller, came to me as a birthday gift, and it is like none other. It is authored by Khaled Hosseni and is his debut novel. I read the 10th anniversary edition, little late indeed!

Khaled Hosseni is an Afghanistan born author, settled in the United States.

Still running my hands on the embossed letters of the book cover, which read "The Kite Runner", my mind riding back on the intelligent portrayal of the grim realities of the contemporary Afghanistan. I am assuming that this story is largely inspired from reality and has something to do with author's real life incidences. If not, I would call it exemplary and intense imagination.

The plot is set in Afghanistan, Pakistan and some in America. It is about two children -Amir and Hassan who are grow up together. Then it turns towards the brutalities of French and Taliban. Amir comes back to Pakistan and then Afghanistan only to find extremities in the country. There are a lot of twists and turns, a lot of thrill and suspense on what shall happen forth. You can hardly predict a subsequent incidence. You keep getting surprised throughout. You will feel as if you are soaked in the agony and pain of the characters. You can feel yourself to be present there and witnessing the incidences. The story telling is excellent. Minute details are covered well. Characters come in and go and come back in when you are anticipating them the least.

It's difficult to put the book down even when you are half asleep. Exactly when you feel that you can predict what is happening next, a twist pops in.

I wonder how I could take so much time to finish this book and still never get bored of it. It kept me hooked to itself, at the end of every chapter I had been tempted to read another one.

Some interesting lines from the book-
"For you, a thousand times over."

"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors."

"...attention shifted to him like sunflowers turning to the sun."

"Every woman needed a husband, even if he did silence the song in her."

This book is for those who are fond of beautifully tragic fiction . However, it's not just about that. But yes, there is nothing HAPPY in this. You may feel gloomy at times. It might feel lengthy since a lot of details are covered, which could have been omitted.

I rate it 4 on 5 and recommend for all the fiction lovers who like surprises at all the stages and ready to read a not so happy-go-lucky plot.

(PS: the reviews expressed here are based on my personal reading experience, and do not intend to defame, derate or 
degrade the sale or vice-versa for the book. I am not paid for writing this review.)

If you are an author and want your book to be reviewed, drop an email at bookreviews@mansiladha.com.