The Red Pickup Truck

I see a long winding road in the countryside, the way you would if you were in a helicopter. Fields, radiant with golden yellow harvests and right there, in the middle of it all, a bright red pickup truck making its way along the snake-like road. I watch from the skies. Having risen long ago from this world, I keep coming back to be with my daughter. The girl driving the red pickup.

I see her face, radiant, yet her eyes are vacant. My ‘absence’ has made them so. On the radio plays a song. Our morning song. It cheered us up. She hums it absently, believing she is alone. If only she knew…

Rise and shine! This could be your neighburhood, but are your eyes really open?

there are tears in my eyes and a smile on my lips
sometimes there is a little sunshine with a lot of rain.

i can fly real high in dreams...
right before i really take off
it helps sometimes
to take leaps of faith

the heart has bled enough, and now to music it shall sway
today i'm down and there's a song on my lips
sometimes there is a little sunshine with a lot of rain.

Unshackled

freedom is a thing of beauty...
to want to be free inspires thoughts, actions and words that are far beyond the reach of the indidvidual mind...
a free thought transcends everything...it lets us dream...it fuels our desire to reach out and create a profound effect...
we are free when we know we deserve to be...nothing can come between us and our dreams once we realise this...
the physical plane is slower to change, true change begins in the mind.

Sensuous Living...

Imagine…
a cool breeze on a warm tropical afternoon…
melting ice-cream tasted slowly…
burning ice...liquid heat...

the discreet purr of a grey Persian cat…
over a Persian rug…
distant tinkering of bells…like diamonds falling on glass…

Sensuality is the shape of black, emerging from shades of white…unfathomable…
A drop of cream in a lake of coffee…slivers of white devoured by deep brown…

secret smiles…for secret reasons…

the play of violins over songs of silence…
notes that stir the passions within…

the play of light over intense eyes…
engrossed in listening through sight….

her long dark hair when it falls just right…
shades of red…a flicker of delight…

warm cake when fresh from the oven infused
with intoxicating scents of ground coffee on a rainy afternoon…

hot on cold..
demure…bold
quixotic…mysterious…
its elusive but not quite…
sensuality is my way of life!

My experiments with the camera....

Depth of field...well..almost!

No filters? No problem! The car's windsheild does a perfect job!

A diamond in the rough

An intense pain that sears through the heart….
Ripping across the soul…
Transcending across barriers all physical…

Heartache, tears, loneliness, grief…
Whatever be your ailment…
The cloak you choose to don…

The smile that you wear today,
The feeling that you feel…
‘Tis all a masquerade…
for the benefit of a passing parade..

a whirlwind called life…
sliced by a knife
kept aside for dreams that may never be

put away and stored, and pretended ignored
like pieces of the past
that tore you apart
never to be acknowledged, but you know they’re there

the fragments of your soul long lost, are smidgen
life was never meant to be a fancy fairytale

its about being one, then coming apart…
then being whole again
this is how it was always meant to be.

like a diamond in the rough..
the beauty of life is ethereal
I’m no mystic myself…
But trust me, this is real.

Look beyond...

post pain...the smiles come easily...
once i surrendered...only to gain

when hurt hurts
and is difficult to bear...

when life's a mess...
one rotten affair.

just look beyond...its difficult...but try...
lift up your head...and cease to cry...

what you're looking for, its right there...
its been there too long...a lost and forgotten treasure,
taken for granted in pursuits of a fragile pleasure.

it is life itself i'm talkin' about...
did you forget that walk in the clouds?

when each day was filled with wonder anew,
when the littlest things brought a smile to your lips...

the times you laughed at my quips.

look at it again, with a fresh perspective...
i'm right here, to walk by side...
your truest love,
i am your soul...

let's be friends again
lets learn to live...
your deepest sorrows haven't been lived in vain.

My view on Rang De Basanti...

Every once in a person's lifetime there comes a film that touches a chord with the cynical, astray, self-possessed youth of that era. Rang de basanti is one such film. It starts on a humorous, outspoken note ( as would be characterised individually by the protagonists of the film).

Yes, after having lived my entire life in the capital, I can say I know all of them personally; I've encountered the deejays, sukkis, the ashfaqs and the die-hard (but maybe not so honest) patriots that this city breeds in its university.

The plot is so cleverly contrived that at the end of the film, if my favourite characters decided to stage their non-violent dharna on the moon, I'd have been gung ho about it.
This is what's so different about the movie, the characters. They're real. What they say, what they think, what they speak, their aspirations are all mine.

I was so comfortable with them, that when they shot the minister of external affairs (a bad idea...I would have warned them) I, in all earnestness, felt an acute discomfort of being weighed down with a friend's dark secret.

The transitions from the past leaders to the transformation of today's youth, added a depth to the narrative, giving it a substance. However, I did feel that the revolutionary counterparts could have had a more convincing getup. In all honesty, the moustaches looked out of place, and their faces too fresh and unlined for what they were going through. Also, the past felt like a drag in some portions and could have been cut short to create a faster pace.

The two transitions I liked best were the reconstruction of the Jallianwallah bagh tragedy and the recount of the torture and the one-hundred and something day fast that our heroes willingly undertook. These were best liked simply because they showed in greater detail something we took for granted and were able to see something new, a braver side of the Indian People.

Aamir Khan, was, as always brilliant. This 40-something actor never once made me feel like he was too old for the part he was playing. What more can I say about him?

The film had many subtleties and nuances that only served to highlight the complexities between real human relationships. Soha Ali Khan was natural and comfortable in her character and siddharth can count on a new fan :)

This film reminded me that i need to speak up as an Indian. Thank you for risking your money on such a thought-provoking subject (a big no-no for most producers). Thank you for doing what you truly believed in!

The Blindfolded Contradictions

They scream out their ignorance
bound by self-made chains of defiance.

They Insist they're right
by virtue of their plight.

They never ceased to ponder
upon problems too yonder.

It taxes their mind
limited and defined.

I try to be humble and give you your space
but you just hate the very sight of my face.

Carefree, guiltless, happy and free
is that why, you're after me?

Could you try to think?
Could you try to try?
Could you discover your wings
and prepare to fly?
To places unknown and heights unscaled?

But you're an example of all those
who tried to live life blindfolded...
but failed!

Pritika Sethi

Copyright ©2006 Pritika Sethi

Sometimes...

Sometimes my eyes are filled with tears...
You know what, they're secretly shedding my fears!

Sometimes love finds me round the corner...
And leaves me feeling lonely..
That's when i learn
that true love can be found within myself only

Sometimes when anger and jealousy weigh down upon my soul
I just breathe...and lightness engulfs me tenfold

Sometimes i'm helpless
trapped in a mould...
That's when inspiration is struck
Like in the middle of nowhere...
when one finds gold!

What things may seem
they never are
the seemingly good...the seemingly bad...
its all there for a reason
that for sure i know...
the answers to all of life's questions begin with a humble bow

Welcome.

Hi! Welcome to my whimsical world woven around the truth(s) of life that i attempt to uncover...as i try to enjoy each moment of this amazing journey on this dimension of space and time, have a great time unravelling your gifts from this abundant universe!

- Pritika