To celeberate my birthday we decided to watch 'Cheeni Kum'a movie about a mature romance .Everyone including the press gave rave reviews going gaga over the humor and the sensitivity .Well at the risk of being unpopular I must say it is juvenile ,stupid,shallowand absolutely immature .It has its moments of humour but they are childish .Imagine a sixty four year being called 'Ghaas phoos and calling his beloved 'tangdikabab .As an actor Amitabh is good but the role has no authencity so he ends up looking a fool .With tasteless risque dialogues it seems he is just out to prove his virility.And if he was so much so virile what stopped him till then ?Was it his Zafaraani Pulaoo or had he gone simply berserk so as to address a six year old child sexy ?Also Amitabh bad mouthing his mother in a convulted display of affection seems totally out of place .Tabu looks beautiful alright but is totally unconvincing in falling in love with "Ghaas Phoos" as she chooses to call Amitabh .Paresh Rawal a super Comedian is totally wasted cause he is not being funny when he is shocked at finding that his daughter wants to marry a man six years older than him .Which father would willingly give his blessings to such a union ?It could have been a beautiful love story ,people can fall in love at any age but it turns out to be a farce ."Joggers Park "was one such movie which had a feeling of authenticity .A mature love should be just that mature ,understated .subtle and deep.The movie fails on all the counts and I wonder how someone could see humour in making fun of someone,s teeth or pronunciation .The praises lavished on "Cheeni kum "remind me of the story about the King who wore no clothes andyet no one was willing to admit it to his face for the fear of being ridiculed .So is it with Amitabh no one has the guts to tell him that this role is an insult to his intelligence .The only saving grace I must say is Zohra Sehgalwho never to fails to enthrall.

I just read about Fatima ,Sheik Salar ,s wife who completed the engineering course and got a job in Infosys .Nothing unique about it but the fact that Salar sells Pani puri on the streets of Vishakha Patnam .He worked hard and saved money to let his wife pursue her dream Fatima was just fifteen and had completed high school when she was married off .In fact Salar is a unique person .How many men would scrimp and save and also face ridicule to let his wife fulfill the dream .Not only this he also took the risk that once she gains education and financial security she may find him illiterate and unsophisticated .So maybe this is Love .Love is not only when Shahjehan constructs a Tajmahal for his beloved .Love is when Maajim single handed paves a path across the mountain for his wife .When Baba Amte carries a leper on his shoulders and devotes his life for them .When mother Teresa holds a sick and dying beggar to her bosom .I can think of several examples but the thing that bothers me is different.My cynical cousin says no love is selfless .We do something because it pleases us .gives us satisfaction ,panders to our ego .She does not undermine the efforts of Salar .Maajim ,Baba Amte ,Mother Teresa and innumerable others but she says ultimately the fact remains thet we all do every thing for ourselves even if a sacrifice is made it gives us mental satisfaction .I am totally confused .