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Feng Shui: To make a Wealth Vase

On the occasion of the New Chinese Year, the Year of the Sheep 2015.
You should get a suitably beautiful and valuable vase to contain your precious items. You may use a container made of the earth or metal element, although the earth vases are more efficient than metal ones.
Earth element vases can be made of porcelain, crystal or earthenware, while metal element vases can be made of copper, brass, silver or gold. Of course, the more expensive the material, the more auspicious the vase; but don’t go overboard and buy a very expensive solid gold vase – a gold-plated silver one would be more than sufficient.
The best shape for a Wealth Vase is one with a fairly wide mouth that narrows into a slender neck and then broadens out into a wide bottom, to resemble an hourglass. This shape allows plenty of money or wealth to flow in through the narrow neck and down into the broad base, where it will accumulate and remain for a long, long time. The vase can be as big or as small as you desire. As long as you use it properly, it should yield satisfying results.
The first thing to put in your new Wealth Vase is three, six, or nine Chinese coins tied with red string. Next, fill half of the vase with seven types of semi-precious stones; here are some examples of what you can use: amethyst, citrine, clear quartz, topaz, tiger’s eye, malachite, coral, lapis lazuli, sodalite, cornelian, jade, pearl, jasper, aquamarine, crystal, rose quartz, turquoise, etc. You may even put diamonds or other gems as well as your jewellery or colourful beads in the vase.

After that, if you can get it, put a bit of soil from a rich person’s garden (but you should use your wits to ask for it, as soil given to you is very lucky) into your vase to ‘borrow’ some of their wealth energy. You may also put a red packet filled with real money in the vase.
Next, in your Wealth Vase, place five types of ‘nourishing fruits’ (seeds and grain), such as millet, wheat, barley, rice, sorghum, red beans, green beans or soybeans, to signify an abundant and constant supply of food in the family. You may put this (uncooked) grain in a small plastic bag before putting it in the vase.
Whatever you use, the vase should be filled to the brim. If there’s still some space in the vase, top it up with more semi-precious stones. Cover it with five pieces of satin / silk in the following order:
Yellow (on the top), Red, Green, Blue and White, tied with threads in the same order.
You can keep your Wealth Vase in your cupboard, hidden from the prying eyes of others.
Take it out every New Year; clean the outside surface but never open it.

*****

My first connect with Feng Shui

Even as the Year of the Sheep – 2015 – comes closer (it is on 19th Feb 2015) – my thoughts go to the year gone. It is great to feel that Feng Shui has in many ways transformed the fortunes of many.
It matter a lot to me if people who consulted me figure in a 100 crore club or even 200 crore club, or become a part of the governments formed the last year. I am also elated if my Feng Shui transforms the lives, enriches people with Love and Harmony, Success, Money, Fame and Health.
Though I think noticing that a certain seat is your class is lucky and another would always get you bashed up by your teacher and even treating a Parker pen as lucky is a Feng Shui of sorts, one of my fantasies during school days was to have the ability to tell a hotelier to shift his counter and he gratefully telling me, on my next visit, that his business has boomed. I didn’t even know whether this would be possible. I did read a book on this in one of the many libraries I used to haunt. But soon forgot about it as a skeptical and cynical journalist.
And decades later I am a Feng Shui Master!
Feng Shui is the blessing of our ancestors. They were the ones who worked, discovered the secrets of Feng Shui. I was lucky to stumble upon some interesting facts which arouse my interest in the ancient science of geomancy. Who can believe that I first read the references to Oriental culture and even Fuk Luk Sau in crime fiction written in 1937 by Erle Stanley Gardner (writing as A. A. Fair)? I read it during eighties when no one had heard of Feng Shui.
The lead character, Terry Clane who has spent a few years in China, suspects that cops had searched his apartment in his absence because they hadn’t put back the Trinity of Chinese Gods Fuk Luk Sau to their correct position! Sou, was in the left!
The correct position was Fuk that stands for the Wealth in the left, Luk that represents Fame and Stature in the middle and Sou that symbolizes Health in the right.
Of course, what brought me closer to the Oriental philosophy was the painting of Chow Kok Koh. He is one of the Eight Immortals. I wrote about him in 1994-95 in Suvidha Express, a weekly newspaper of which I was the editor.

The old Chinese man in the painting is Chow Kok Koh. He is one of the eight Chinese immortals. The old bearded man is supposed to have supernatural powers. He carries a sunshade and on his back, hung by a is Yuku, a primitive musical instrument made of bamboo tube. It is like our sitar.
This figure and its fatalism fascinated me.
The lines on his face show that he has lived a full, rich life. He is happy. He is filled with a zest for life and for life’s adventure. And he rides his mule backwards.
Chow Kok Koh believes that the various vicissitudes of life are but the tools with which the divine architect shapes one’s character. He believes mortals are placed here on earth for character development.
Whether a man has good fortune or whether he has bad fortune is relatively unimportant. It is only his reaction to the good and bad that counts.
“A man who suffers adversity and reacts in the proper way in that adversity, has so developed spiritually that he has achieved a net asset, so that in the long run, he has been fully benefited as though he has had good fortune.
And because Chow Kok Koh recognizes these things he rides his mule backwards, because, he says, it makes no difference where he is going. A destination in life is unimportant. It is only what one does along the way that counts.”
So I rode my mule backwards!
I started reading everything I could lay my hands on and experimenting. On myself and on friends. I was amazed to see it working. This was much before Feng Shui became a fad.

The Cop Hates you, lady!

Netizens going hoarse urging the government and the police to ‘prevent’ the incidents of rape (this is what all the checks and bans are all about) should read what the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott has to say about the siege in Sidney. Said Abbott, “Even if this individual, this sick and disturbed individual, had been front and center on our watch list, even if this individual had been monitored 24-hours a day, it’s quite likely, certainly possible, that this incident could have taken place.”
It is truer in India.
Think of the pressures on the police.
Whether there is a complaint when someone violates the limit of noise level, and this can happen anytime anywhere, or there is an offensive post on the FB we involve the cops. Ours cop is over-worked and under-paid – don’t look at the bribes, gifts and tips which are shared up to the highest level – and, like it or not, he resents your fast car, high-end mobile phone and life style.
You want him to be a government servant or at best a helpful friend but he has inherited the culture handed down from the British days, the Moghul days. He believes he is the government. You are the public.
Look at his body language. Watch the ads. Hear his sermon.
He is not with you. The cop in India, like everyone who works in government office, is never on your side.
You chill out, after a period of heavy work, he is jealous. Whether you sit in a group and share a hookah or have a time of your life, the cop hates it.
AND IF YOU ARE A GIRL, HE HATES YOU MORE.
Maybe he thinks you’re giving it to the others, but not to him.
He puts on the cloak of a self-righteous indignation when you light an expensive cigarette.
HE HATES, YOU SLUT!
Girl, you are more alone in Mumbai (or Delhi, or any other Indian city) than in London or New York.
This is why I tell you, girlie –
Don’t let it hang out…
Don’t be alone and vulnerable…
Look after yourself!

Our letter to the CM of Maharashtra

The support is growing!
Thank you friends for signing the petition to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, requesting him to urge the BMC to take over the roads in Upper Oshiwara, Andheri (West). But more support is required. More signature, more campaign…
Going through the feedback I find –
Celebrated Film actor and scriptwriter Rohit Roy supports the petition as, “his Film Writers Association also falls in this area.” Famous glamour Photographer Jayesh Sheth, also located in this area concurs with these thoughts. Scriptwriter Govind Sharma demanding accountability states that, “I pay taxes. I want accountability.” Amod Mehra, a leading film critic endorses the cause, signs it.
Noted publicist Hilla Sethna too endorses her support.
Taking an aggressive stands Malaika Khan of Sussan Roshan House of Design says, “This problem is for common interest of people , who has been harassed by local goons who operates this private roads.
Pratik Khara from Oberoi Springs says, “I am signing because the roads are pathetic and my car expenses have increased tenfold. We pay so much in taxes. Good infrastructure is what we expect first and foremost.”
Tulsidas Bhatia demands the right to have a better life and clean & the neat environment surrounding Oberoi Springs. Rajesh K Parikh signs simply because he lives at Oberoi Springs and has seen the problem the residents are facing. Vikram Thakur says that he believes in the BJP government and this problem needs the immediate attention of the CM.
Kajol Mukherjee goes a step further and alleges that as per her knowledge the road is currently under the grasp of a local goon, who is merrily collecting parking fees and is least bit interested in the upkeep of the road. If BMC takes over, not only can we expect a better surrounding, even the parking fees will contribute to the BMC exchequer.
While Reema Lalwani is clear that BMC should provide basic infrastructure to the public after collecting the huge taxes and on the projects approved by them, Kajal Bhagia gives a word picture, “I live here and the potholes are backbreaking and like moon craters. Something seriously needs to be done as the current owner of roads refuses to repair these.”
I find Shalini Sharma elaborately voicing the issue. Writes the lady, “I reside in this place. My office is also in the same locality. The roads are narrow and congested. Parking is done on both sides of the roads leaving very little maneuverable space for vehicles and parking charges are collected by the private owner… Our society is spending money from its funds to keep basic road in place, but after paying such hefty taxes, we still suffer every day. Mrs. Geeta Dasauni, also residing in the same society raises the issue that has been bothering the Mumbaikar, “Uncleanliness and unmaintained roads become a breeding ground for Mosquitoes leading to fatal diseases like Dengue.”
Rajeev Mittal, who lives in a society that is situated on a private road in Oshiwara since 5 years says, “These roads not being maintained by private road owners, there are no street lights, there is no method to parking and not to mention endless potholes.”
Balwant Dullat sends me a message,“Mohan Deep ji,At this time I am in US(NYC) I ndon’t think it will be proper for me to Sign the Petition with US address. It will be better if it is Signed with Andheri West address. I have Shared it with Ajay Tandon (cameraman), Jagmohan Anand (sound Recordist) Raman Kumar, Javed Siddiqui (writer) Kuldip Singh (Music Director) and 5 other friends who are Living in Andheri West area. I have my flat in Oshiwara and know the Problem.Once I am back will call you.
There are many more.
Virendra Khanna, Ajay Ghisad, Vyomesh Kapasi, Deepa Pau, Thomas Mathew, Kishin Chandiramani, Sangita Sen, Ashok Kumar, Alka G, Mukesh Jagwani, Arpana Jadhwani, Narendr Khandelwaal, Dheerin Motwani and more…
But these signatures won’t be enough. We need more signatures, some volunteers… and e need to turn this into a campaign to make it successful.

Glorious Phoenix

The bird proudly willing to burn,
So that he may live again,
Chooses the flames of fires
That burn the aged Phoenix
The nature stands still
Till a new young bird starts again,
and begins the legend of the Phoenix.

– Claudian (Roman author)

One day in the ancient times, the sun looked down and saw a large bird with bright red and dazzling gold feathers. The sun god blessed him, “Glorious Phoenix, you shall be my bird and live forever!”
The Phoenix was overjoyed to hear these words and sang, “I shall sing my songs for you alone!” But living forever didn’t make him happy for long. Men, women, and children were always chasing him, wanting some of those beautiful, shiny feathers for themselves.
Tired, the phoenix flew off toward the east, where the sun rises in the morning.
The Phoenix flew for a long time, and then came to a far away, hidden desert where no humans lived. Here, flying freely he would sing the songs of praise to the sun alone.
Five centuries passed. The Phoenix was still alive, but it had grown old. It couldn’t soar so high in the sky, nor fly as fast or as far as it was young. It wasn’t as strong.
The Phoenix sang, “Sun, glorious sun, make me young and strong again!”
The sun didn’t answer. When the sun still didn’t answer, the Phoenix decided to return to the place of its origin.
The journey was long, and because the Phoenix was old and weak, it had to rest along the way. Each time it landed, it collected pieces of cinnamon bark and all kinds of fragrant leaves.

Phoenix on the top of the tree

When at last the bird returned to its home, it landed on a tall palm tree. Right at the top of the tree, the Phoenix built a nest with the cinnamon bark and lined it with the fragrant leaves. Then the Phoenix collected myrrh, a sharp-scented gum and made an egg from it. It carried the egg back to the nest.

The Phoenix sat down in its nest, and once again, sang, “Sun, glorious sun, make me young and strong again!”
This time the sun heard the song. It shone down on the mountainside with all its strength. Everyone, every animal, reptile, bird hid from the sun’s fierce rays — in caves and holes, under shady rocks and trees.
Only the Phoenix sat upon its nest at the top of the tallest palm tree on the highest mountain and let the suns rays beat down upon it beautiful, shiny feathers. Suddenly there was a flash of light, flames leaped out of the nest, and the Phoenix became a big round ball of fire.
Continue reading “Glorious Phoenix”

Books, books and books

Unlike my friends I haven’t selected my 10 favorite books, and find the task extremely difficult. I prefer reading fiction – though, many books of non-fiction too have left an impact on my life – and biographies.
My current favorites include Michael Connelly, the creator of the Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller series, Jeffrey Archer, Mario Puzo, and Frederick Forsyth; and the authors I repeat include Harold Robbins (specially his earlier books), Irving Wallace and Arthur Hailey.
Parallel to these books is the fiction of Ernest Hemingway, Guy de Maupassant, O Henry, W. Somerset Maugham and DH Lawrence.
I may still have one of the earliest editions of Lady Chatterley’s Lover. I read this as a curiosity, and then read ‘Sons and Lovers’. Sons and Lovers remind me of Joseph Conrad’s ‘Lord Jim’. I found a lot of similarity between Lord Jim and the character Amitabh Bachchan played in Yash Chopra‘s ‘Kala Pathar’. Of course, there is no comparison, but then there can be no comparison between The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Paa.
Love for reading began with Phantom, Diana and Dave Palmer, Mandrake, Narda & Lothar, Jiggs Maggi and Bimmy, Archie’s, Blondy and other comics when I was in my teens. Having shelves full of books, brought from Karachi by my mother, along with the belonging Sindhi refugees brought during partition were my introduction to serious literature from different languages and countries. These books along with a lot of reading of Indian mythology shaped an attitude. Read Sufi writings in Sindhi, novels of Rabindranath Tagore, Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, Khandekar, Bhagwati Charan Sharma and pulp of Ibne Safi BA, Om Prakash Sharma along with stories, books, poetry and plays of Agyaya, Dharam Veer Bharati, Mohan Rakesh, Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, Krishan Chandra, Yashpal, Gulshan Nanda and many others
And then there are books on Feng Shui and Vastu.
My reading and writing began very early with books from Hindi, Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Bengali and Marathi.
To select 10 books is doing an injustice to all of them. A hundred is more like that.

Lord Ganesha’s Milk Miracle

Today begins the 11-days festival that will culminate in ganeshvisrajan.
I have been a follower of Lord Ganesha from the day the world saw the miracle of Lord Ganesha, the day every Ganesha Idol drank milk!
On September 21st 1995.
My first thought when I heard about this was that BJP or VHP or some right wing Hindu groups have unloaded thousands of statues with suction pumps or some other gimmick to politically capitalize on the sentiments. Or perhaps it was a new show-piece we would be able to buy after this publicity gimmick.
I didn’t even bother to check it by standing in the long queues. I wasn’t a temple-goer and loathed queues.
I shrugged off the story again when the lady I was interviewing received a call from Solan about Ganpati drinking milk. “It has been organized very well but then BJP has a powerful presence all over,” I said and returned to questioning the lady.
My next stop was Santacruz Police Station where I was investigating a story. I had to get some documents photo-copied. This got me the opportunity to witness the miracle, without even standing in the queue. I found a general store which also had a photo-copier. Even as the documents were being copies, I noticed a couple of persons were offering milk to an idol of Ganesha. I was mildly curious.
My first question to the shopkeeper was, “Where did you buy the idol? Who sold it to you?”
“Sir, this idol has been with us since decades!” said the shopkeeper.
Amazed, I picked up a spoon and offered milk to the stone idol. As the spoon touched the lips of the idol it disappeared. I offered one more spoon of milk. Again, it disappeared!
The unworldly happening brought worldly cities and towns to a standstill, and its vast stocks of milk – more than a million liters – sold out within hours. Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped in just 24 hours.
Television stations (among them CNN and BBC, radio and newspapers (among them Washington Post, New York Times, The Guardian and Daily Express) eagerly covered this unique phenomenon, and even cynical journalists held their milk-filled spoons to the statues of gods – and watched as the milk disappeared.
The scientists from India’s Ministry of Science and Technology offered capillary action as an explanation; insisted that the surface tension of the milk was pulling the liquid up and out of the spoon, before gravity caused it to run down the front of the statue. Skeptics called it mass hysteria.
And whether you call it a miracle or ‘capillary action’, every statue of Lord Ganesh drank milk at the hands of lesser mortals – even the disbelievers and half-believers.

A Hollywood Indie shot in India gets Manhattan Film Festival Award

Casting Director Vidya Iyengar flanked by Production Head Srivinay salian on her right and director Michael Keller on her left.

Red Gold got the award for the best thriller – at Manhattan Film Festival – and I found one of my FB friends Vidya Iyengar thrilled. She turned out to be the casting director for this Hollywood film that was shot in India, in fact Dharavi; the largest slum in Asia.

Read Vidya Iyengar’s first person account.
Excerpts:

..And the award for the best thriller in international film category goes to RED GOLD … I heard this from one of my cast and I could visualize Michael Keller the director holding the coveted trophy with a lot of people.
I wanted to scream and hug my husband who has stood by me and held the fort at home when I was away managing a circus like scenario of casting and production. But I didn’t.
I went to my balcony, stretched out and went through slides of my life as it was for nearly a decade being in this caravan. I smiled and smiled as the word ACHIEVED echoes in my mind again and again. I am from an Iyengar family where a cinema means to plan a week in advance book the tickets, deliberate whether stall and balcony and dress to kill and watch the movie in a nearby movie hall which means taking no cab. This journey has been at my terms and on my calling in this challenging creative world of cinema.
The morning of November 2012 found me reading a Facebook post about an international film to be shot in Mumbai. A Hollywood Director was looking for someone to assist in production as a Casting Director. After meeting Srivinay, the Production Head and the Director Michael Keller I was lucky enough to be there to go along for that ride.
The synergy worked. We went around the lanes and by Lanes of Dharavi (Mumbai) because of the subject matter to familiarize with the script and the way of life and to relate with the characters of the casts.
Casting for Red Gold was a real challenge, as this was the slum based Indian story made to be in English. More than 200 artists came for Audition. Choosing the cast was a tough task.
The film was shot in a Vasai village, 90 km from Mumbai. Due to severe budgetary restrictions; I almost worked for free but got paid when the movie won the Manhattan award.
Last but not the least, I would like to thank Srivinay Salian , Michael Keller and my entire cast including Shivam Sharma, Richa Meena, Mayur Bansal, Major.Bikramjeet Kunwarpal, Sundeep Hemnaoni, Akul Raje, rest of the team members and my family and friends to be part and allowed me to enjoy the award. I am confident and believe my team winning this recognition has opened the doors for all of us in their respective art work to walk through and make their caravan a colourful journey.
It’s also given me the opportunity to realize my potential as a human being and make positive changes.

Three wars of YUDH

Amitabh Bachchan has often changed the rules of the game, and Bollywood history of the last 40 years has witnessed it. He did the same to TV with Kaun Banega Karodpati too. He is always a treat to watch. I have expectations from Yudh.
I thought his entry would be dramatic, worked out brilliantly and we may have to wait for the buildup. Known for his legendary punctuality, Amitabh playing Yudhishtir Sikarwar or Yudh, didn’t waste a single frame before making his appearance.
The theme has exciting possibilities. Yudh is a successful builder with integrity and principles. He seems to have antagonized a powerful group including a politician played by Tigmanshu Dhulia, a Police Commissioner (Kay Kay Menon) and some others. Yudh seems to suffer from some strange neuro-psychological ailment. He is delusional – seeing a clown instead of a normal person – and is unable to control his left arm. This conflict is difficult to understand though it gives an unusual dimension to the story. He has two wives (Sarika is the ex and Ayesha Raza is the second wife) and has a daughter and a son from both, respectively.
So we have three wars – 1. Amitabh V/S Business rivals. 2. Amitabh V/S his wives (this has yet to become clear.) and 3. Amitabh V/S Amitabh because of his strange ailment. The third conflict may be more interesting.
But seeing that this is supposed to be an ‘expensive’ mini-series I was disappointed to see a rather unimpressive office of Amitabh, the construction magnate. I’d advise the set designer to take a look at the offices of Hiranandanis, Oberoi Reality, Lokhandwala and other builders. But how much of the production values you see on the screen and how much is gobbled up by the big names would be confidential information with Anurag Kashyap, Shoojit Sircar and Ribhu Dasgupta.
I’ve talked of possibilities but it all depends on how the story shapes up. Unlike most of the soaps, this seems an intelligently told story. The second episode will tell.

Bobby Jasoos Review

Booby_Jasoos

I preferred to watch Vidya Balan in Bobby Jasoos over two untried fresh faces in Lekar Hum Deewana Dil.
I am more than familiar with this milieu (jasoosi and Moslim mohlas) and a movie like this had immense possibilities of an absorbing and entertaining film.
Vidya is great!
But if you are looking for an edge of the seat film, this film is not for you. There is no suspense and surprise ending. This is an amateur’s way of looking at an amateur jasoos.
Someone somewhere decides to make a woman-centric film because it has worked for Vidya Balan in the past. It works.
Have some scenes, in fact many of them, where she dominates the ‘men’ playing second fiddle to her. Throw a situation where a young woman wants to prove herself, bring fame to her family ‘by playing a detective’ and you see an emancipated woman being portrayed.
Jasoos?
Vidya’s wonderful disguises of a bearded old maulvi, a beggar, a bangle-seller, a buck-toothed and balding palm reader are more interesting in promo than in the film, where they are wasted.
The successful jasoos is always inconspicuous. He may be clad in a faded jeans… Well, this one is she. She is known in the entire Shahjanpura as ‘Bobby Jasoos’ and is even called, “Ae jasoos!” But of course let’s not expect realism though the style for the rest of the film is realistic what with Supriya Pathak playing her very believable mother and Rajendra Gupta her father.
Ali Fazal impresses despite being given a step-motherly second fiddle to play as the friend turned lover of Vidya and KiranKumar is superb as the victim of riots father hiring Bobby Jasoos to locate his lost children.
Director Samar Shaikh will go a long way if he focuses on the ethos familiar to him, like in this film. But please no sequel unless you take script from me 🙂