THE SECRET OF LEADERSHIP

AUTHOR: PRAKASH IYER

ORIGINAL LANGUAGE:ENGLISH

Before I began reading this I was skeptical with the title “Secret of Leadership” I have rarely found secret associated with the word leadership. Secret refers to a mystic characteristic while Leadership is an evident characteristic. So I was doubtful before I began as to what secrets it would tell me. I have found some wonderful points. These are told hundreds of times all through the life and re-emphasized in this book.

When I am down in life, I need something to pull me up. Although, I am not low still it’s good if something pulls me up. This book is one such thing that happened. I was told to read this book by my boss and my boss is right all the time. There are many insights on leadership and it is a pretty easy read.  

Cricket, is something that we as Indians relate easily. In this book, there are many cricketing stories and many memorable ones and they are in a unique leadership style. The author Prakash Iyer I am sure is a huge cricket enthusiast and thus the cricket references.

As an example, the VVS Laxman and Ishant Sharma Partnership of Mohali 2010 against Australia showed how entrusting responsibilities on less capable team members might work wonders.

There are numerous examples as mentioned above. Rahul Dravid giving the foreword is add-on and overall this is a book that is worth a read.

Lessons worth noting from “The Secret of Leadership”

•   Find my mountain that is worth the climb.
•  Become Passionate, Have Hunger, Practice Discipline
•   I need to run my race
•  It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up
•  Develop the habit of perseverance.
•  Perseverance pays.
•  Always find what works for and go with it.
• Stop focusing on obstacles and start focusing on opportunities
• To achieve something in this lifetime, wake up early.
•  Hope is not good enough. I need to take responsibility and action.
• Learn to forgive. Don’t carry grudge.
• Whatever I am, must be a good one.
•  Be careful what I say when I am angry.
• Writing down goals is the first and most significant step towards achieving success
• Excellence is an attitude.

Write down things to do for the day each morning and do them. This is the simplest mantra to success but the toughest thing to do. Those who practice such work ethic and discipline become leaders. Now, this is just a start and there are many other characteristics that we shall acquire once we have discipline in place.

It’s a push I need and I hope to write things down and accomplish them each day. 

A 3/5 for a good book.

BRAHMOTSAVAM (2016) - TELUGU

A terrible film for people like me who are anti-melodrama and anti-Telugu serials.

Perhaps, it's an excellent film for those who are overtly in family dramas and emotional stuff.

Mahesh Babu's thinking behind sharing the production of the movie makes me seriously question his rationale for choice and his decision making. I am just not OK that an actor of his caliber misused. Also, a comedian of great potential like Vennela Kishore was also not used rightly. Perhaps, he is the only actor in the whole film who brought a smile sporadically. Rao Ramesh emoted well, although purposelessly. Indeed, Rao Ramesh character is the only one I empathized.

Technically, I liked only the song "Nayudolla Inti Kaada" all the rest just did their job for the sake of doing.

I am not wasting any more words or time in this film that's so horrible for me. It's 0/5.

THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) - ENGLISH

This I suppose, is the greatest fantasy film made till date.

There are many reasons why this is the greatest. The visual effects were spectacular and they have increased the scope of any film. This film took the film-making to new heights which were previously not thought of. Peter Jackson for this very reason became one of the greatest filmmakers ever. 

The beginning is very simple, and it takes us to the backstory of the ring. The battle scenes are nothing short of epic. The culmination is happy and this has a feel good ending. everything is so perfectly commercial on the face of it. But, to tell it the way it has been told is stupendous. 

The acts by all, especially Elijah Wood as Frodo, Sean Austin as Sam, Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn are the most memorable for me. These are characters I shall not forget ever in my lifetime. 

The writing by JRR Tolkein is a masterpiece in itself but to translate such visual strength to the celluloid would have been the greatest challenge for any filmmaker. Just happy that Peter Jackson did his bit in bringing one of the greatest fantasy novels to the public reach, He actually did a great service by doing so. He served the book readers and the film viewers hugely. 

Thanks to all, who have made this film and the trilogy a possibility and I am going with 5/5. Nothing less for one of the greatest films.

CONTAGION (2011) - ENGLISH

A definite must watch for the way it terrifies sans supernatural elements.

It's about an epidemic, a disease breakthrough yet very powerful in making impact psychologically. It's a rare film I must say that dares to take an ensemble cast, and go the whole hog of creating an epidemic. The film has Matt Damon, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow and many others. This implies that this is a script that convinced so many stars to be a part of it. So the script is great in itself. What makes it greater is the way it is directed. As a good director, Steven Soderbergh takes this script and adds pace making it a thriller than a medical autopsy of an epidemic.

Yes, I must say it's a thriller and that's the genre of this film. It thrilled me from the word go and made me sit the very end and even after it's over it made me ponder. It actually gave me a lump in my throat. Kudos, to all those involved in making this and I rate this as one of the very important films for doctors and patients above the normal film viewers.

Also, I stay in Hong Kong currently so I can relate to this film. I have seen, the MTR, the ferry and those streets that are shown in this film and actually felt very happy. But from Hong Kong to the USA and meanwhile citizens of other countries should be aware of any epidemic. There was SARS, there was Ebola, and now there is MERS and ZIKA now. We do not know their origins and the investigation is on and in future, there shall be more such epidemics if we are not careful. 

This film just acts as a mirror in showing to us, what life can be like if we are not just doing the right things. One person's carelessness, can cause a lot of damage. This film, inherently, gives a message to focus on personal hygiene in anything we do.

The technical aspects are great and the atmosphere that this film created is chilling and amazing. It's a film that's a must watch and a 5/5.

SEVEN (1995) - ENGLISH

Calling this film 'Terrific' would still be an understatement.

Engaging right from the word go, and shocking at the end, this film is an epitome of writing and shows that if a well-written script is directed well, then everything becomes great. David Fincher was not a great well-known when he was making this. His first film Alien 3 was supposedly panned by most people. Then, he took on directing this cold blooded murder mystery film, and boy he did the job extremely well.

The dialogues are extremely important and they have a lot of weight. It's rare to see a thriller filled with such nuances and have a deep meaning to words. The action is minimal and yet has a very high impact. The culmination or finale is a shocker. To say the least, the last 30 minutes are riveting and spine chilling. 

The nearly 130 minutes film becomes highly action packed after 90 minutes. In the last 40 minutes, actually, there is a lot of dialogue that's very provocative than action. Yet. it's so very engaging that it takes me to the edge of seat each time I see this film thus, I call it as action-packed. I must say, I have seen this film multiple times, with multiple people as my viewing partners, and each time I like it more. So this film just keeps growing on me. 

The cinematography is amazing and so is the editing. These two departments technically are supreme. Other departments did their job well too. Of all, it's the direction that mattered. Fincher gave us a glimpse what he is capable of with this supreme film, his next one was "The Fight Club" which is a cult in itself.

It's a 5/5 for a great film that surpasses time to stand out as a classic thriller. I have not named the actual supreme character in this film, so go and find out who it is and what he does.

THE TWO TOWERS (2002) - ENGLISH

The adventure is poised and rightly so gets more fascinating. 

This is the second film of the trilogy and adds up more elements to the story. There are newer characters and few old ones seem to have been rested, for good. Yet, the fascination does not stop and it gets more engaging with this one. 

I am actually happy revisiting these films as I seem to understand more points about the story than I did earlier. I cannot put them here and become a spoiler as I am an ardent fan of the Lord of the Rings. Rather, I can say that everyone must see why this is one of the finest fantasies brought alive on celluloid.

The fellowship of the earlier film is split and yet each one is in the same pursuit. Their ways are different now, but the goal is still the same. The characterisations are still consistent and it makes it easier to understand the intention of each one. Also, it makes the story all the more fascinating. 

I love the technical aspects of the film, and that's one of the very reasons why this fantasy is highly appreciated. The visuals, the sound, the whole landscape. It seems so unreal and yet is so very connected. Peter Jackson is a genius who brought the whole middle earth in front of our eyes and yet everything seems like it existed at one point of time in reality. Also, he knows when to end and what to do with the material at hand.  That's where his genius is. This film takes off from a good point and lands at a very wonderful point, making us more eager to be on the next adventure.

It's a 5/5 for this one and is one of the greatest films and adventures ever. 

HACHI (2009) - ENGLISH

A heart-rending tale of an extremely loyal dog. 

I have seen some films where dogs talk, do funny things and even be very serious, those were unreal and cinematic. This one is a real dog and a real story. It does not, it does not do funny things or never becomes serious, it just plays itself as a dog. Hachiko, the dog is an amazing one and the story is fascinating too. 

It was hard to believe that such a dog existed, till I got to read the real story. Akita, the breed of Hachiko seems to be most loyal of all the dog breeds and we are lucky to have such beings accompany us in this world. I am lucky enough to have known and seen the story by myself, although in a cinematic form. 

It's a story that's worth telling and is worth knowing. There are aspects from where we as humans can learn something I believe. I learned to be more humble, and will try to be more down to earth. Death is a certainty that no mortal being can escape but the way we die makes what we are. This is the take away from the film. I hope to die in a way where I am remembered not just by my family and friends but by many more persons for the rightful deeds. 

Thanks to the technical team of this film, for taking this story and making us a film, so that many more will get to know of this. Thanks to Richard Gere for acting in this low-key film and making his performance and also the film special. He seems to be a generous human, by playing his part in a film like this one. Of all the technical aspects, I liked the music by Jan A P Kaczmarek. 

It's a 4/5 for a film that's tear-jerking, moving and memorable.

SHUTTER ISLAND (2010) - ENGLISH

It was one hell of a shattering film for me.

Definitely well written and well made, above all it was supremely acted. The poise by Ben Kingsley, the vulnerability by Leonardo DiCaprio and fitting into the characters by all others. It was a job well done by all. 

It dealt with a lot of psychological elements and effects without bloating or being preachy. Right from the word go, we have an action-packed film in words. Though there is no physical violence, there is a lot of psychological violence. The content of drama is terrific I felt. The film is surely 140 minutes but for me most of it is justified and I did not find anything that was out of place or was deliberately added. So editing takes a bow for keeping the content that is just as required. 

The master director Martin Scorcese comes with a terrific thriller and he seems to have done away with those gangster films, he made earlier. from "Taxi Driver" to "The Departed" there were always many dark shades to characters in his films and this film is no exception. The darkest character in this film was the protagonist himself like it was in "Taxi Driver".

Some of the appreciation must go to the original novel writer Dennis Lehane for writing the novel "Shutter Island". This would have surely been an unputdownable book. 

There are hallucinations, metaphors, dreams, reality and philosophy and much more embedded in this package and I loved most of it. 

My favorite line is "I wonder, is it better to live like a monster, or die a good man?"  from the protagonist Teddy Daniels. 

I am surprised that this is the third film that was made from his novel and I have seen the other two too. So Dennis Lehane should be the one I should make time to read some day. I saw his other adaptations "Gone Baby Gone" and "Mystic River" and I liked both of them too. 

This film is a 4/5 and I am afraid I may not sit through this film another time. Yet, I am going to remember this for a long time to come.

THE GOOD DINOSAUR (2015) - ENGLISH

A touching homecoming adventure of a Dinosaur.

Like in most Pixar films, there are moments that are heart wrenching, touching, exciting and endearing.  In the good dinosaur, there are a lot of such moments thankfully. The dull moments are spared and the editing of making this just 93 minutes feature helped I believe. The film is a thrilling adventure that has a lot of family values and emotional substance. In storytelling, this may quite not match up with the Pixar standards but in visual appeal, it surpasses Pixar's own standards. Technically, this film is just brilliant.

The visual effects are pleasing to the eye and the music pleased my ears. So, it was a great time for my eyes and ears and I liked it. Music by Mychael  Danna can be worth hearing independently too, and it has a universal appeal. Just loved the score of this film. 

The visual effects, the choice of colors, the depiction of natural elements and the dinosaurs itself, are all treat to the vision. It's a great feat in terms of achievement in the animation industry, I fell for the visual aspect of the film and happy to have seen the film in a theater in 3d. 

The writers, I wish had written or shown us a tighter story. Some elements were let loose and the film would have been better even without them. But I can easily spare them, coz they are tough  for a couple of minutes in this 93-minute feature, making 91 minutes totally worth the time.

Thanks to Peter Sohn to give us this film. We are happy about this and I felt to be lucky to have caught this in theaters.

It' a 4/5 for this film. Nice one, that should be watched for a good film experience.

Also, a special mention about the short film "Sanjay's Super Team". This is awesome and indeed, the best-animated shorts I saw in a long long time. The animation work done for the short film is amazing and being an Indian, I was proud with what I saw. Thanks to the director Sanjay Patel for this.

यही जन्नत है

बदलता है सब कुछ यहाँ पर हम न बदले यही चाहत है 
अगर हम बदलते नहीं, तो लोग केहते है 
हम इस ज़माने के है नहीं, यही तो मुसीबत है 
कितना भी कहे कोई, अगर हम खुद से खुश है तो यही जन्नत है 

अदा को सलाम

ज़माना ने दिया हमें तुम्हे प्यार करने का इलज़ाम 
पर हम थे इस ज़माने से अंजान 
हमने तो दिया नहीं इस रिश्ते को कोई नाम 
गुज़ारता हूँ ज़िन्दगी करते हुए तेरी हर अदा को सलाम 

अगर जीना ही है

क्यों आना था उन्हें अगर जाना ही है तो 
क्यों गए वो अगर किसी को रुलाना ही है तो 
आएंगे फिर से सब यहाँ, जीता हूँ इस आस से 
समझाना अब खुद को है, अगर जीना ही है तो 

आज़ादी देने वाले शहीदों

हमें आज़ादी देने वाले शहीदों को करता हूँ सलाम 
उनके बिना मिलता नहीं हमें ये आज़ादी का इनाम 
आज़ाद है हम, मरेंगे आज़ाद ही, पर भूलेंगे नहीं उनका नाम 

इतनी सी गुज़ारिश

हम जो सही समझते है वही केहते है पर करते नहीं खुद की नुमाइश 
समझे यहाँ कोई भी ये, है बस मेरी इतनी सी गुज़ारिश 

मेरी तन्हाई

सुनसान जगह था जिस में अपना जहाँ बनाया 
जब नज़र आया तेरा चेहरा तो गम हुआ मेरी तन्हाई 
सोचा की तुम भी तन्हा हो, पर ऐसा हुआ नहीं 
साथ लायी थी अपनी मौत को, फिर मैंने पाया तन्हाई 

सवेरा का इंतज़ार

उस सवेरा का इंतज़ार है, जो अभी तक आया नहीं 
ख्वाब सजा के रखा हूँ, बातें सोच कर बैठा हूँ 
पर अभी पता चाला कि वो सवेरा आएगा ही नहीं 
इस सोचता हूँ, की चल बसू, पर मौत भी हमें आज़माती नहीं 

अपना काम

शायर है मेरा नाम, शायरी है मेरा काम 
किसी को पसंद आया, तो वही है मेरा इनाम 
लाया था अपने साथ लफ़्ज़ों को और न था कोई इंतेज़ाम 
मर भी गए तो ग़म नहीं, कर जो दिया अपना काम 

HITCHCOCK (2012) - ENGLISH

A narrowed down film, myopic and predictable.

It is a film that deals with how Alfred Hitchcock made the thriller called 'Psycho'. It is good nonetheless but never becomes great. 

Are there any moments of greatness at least? Absolutely not. It comes across as a fictionalised documentary more than a fascinating drama. Having said that, the performance by Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock is worth appreciating. Other performances are good enough too. 

What failed me was the script that kept many things obvious. There was no guile, secrecy or a metaphor in any of the scenes. The screenplay followed a well-documented path. Yes, for few instances it gets into the psyche of Hitchcock and tries to interpret some actions but they come very much late in the film. 

Overall, I must say the viewing of this film was daunting more than being insightful for me. The actual interviews of Hitchcock himself are more interesting than this film.

It's a 2/5 for showing few days of an illustrious career and personality. 

FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009) - ENGLISH

A film that’s nostalgic in many terms and terrific technically.

This is an animated stop-motion film and one of it’s kind in today’s world where there is a huge amount of technical brilliance. Stop-motion animation is one of the oldest techniques as old as Alice in wonderland in 1903 and even much before that. This film adopts the same technology and adds up a lot of speediness to make the stop motion to look real animation. So technically it is great.

The content is fun, but there is a strong script over a not so strong story which is an inherent ingredient of  Wes Anderson film.  Had there been a stronger story, this would have been more wonderful. The voice over is stupendous and the dialogues are well written too. Above all, the humor is subtle and yet hilarious. 

Music by Alexandre Desplat is worth a mention as it adds a lot of weight to this film. It's a great score and gels well with the film, 

Wes Anderson can take a simple story and make it more than a worthwhile watch and he proves yet again with this. The art direction and the colors used are great and made the film an treat to the eye. 

The characterisation is one that you would find in a typical commercial film. There is a hero, a heroine, a sidekick and a villain. Together, there is a family too. So this is a perfect stop-motion family entertainer I would say.

I loved this for many reasons and thanks to Anderson for bringing stop-motion back. Big thanks for his wit and sense of humor that are displayed generously in the film.

A 4/5 to a great stop motion animation film.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001) - ENGLISH

The Lord of the Rings has changed the scope of fantasy films forever. The Fellowship of the Ring was just the beginning.

This is a fantastic fantasy film and just a start yet.

I have seen the trilogy 3 times and after nearly 10 years, I am revisiting the trilogy. Even now, if give me a thrill that is unparalleled. Now, I know what is going to come but still I wait for the unfolding. I am seeing this in awe and for appreciation of the caliber that was put in the making of these films.

The fellowship gave details and the tone is perfectly right. There is a backdrop story that is explained so that those who have not read the book can understand what the story is all about. Why is the title named "Lord of The Rings in the first place? Also, why is this part called "The Fellowship of the Ring".

As we travel with the film, the mysteries and solved and we get a clear and bright picture of what the whole thing is about. 

I watch these films and am now revisiting them because in all these years I have not seen any fantasy film that has such great usage of graphics and keeps things real. The sky, the grasslands, the mountains, the marshes, the landscape everything seems real. Perhaps, all these exist in some part of the world today.

The major part of the film was shot in Norther Islands of New Zealand and no film I believe I can capture or depict New Zealand's landscape as this film has done.

Peter Jackson deserves all the kudos for translating a novel by the same name, into a near perfect film on celluloid.

Perhaps, I will revisit this some time again. Till then 5/5. Thanks to all those, who made this film and this trilogy a possibility of such magnanimity. 

IN THE SCHOOL

When I was in the school
I had made myself a fool
I saw her coming to my side
She seemed to be a high tide
From, the sea for an unknown reason
Turning this moment a romantic season
As she was about to cross
I held her hand in a fizzy
She said “It’s so Gross”
And slapped me back that make me dizzy
I fell into the dreams of her where she embraced me
But, truly she did walk away while fell on ground
Going round and round as I dreamt, she embraced me
But when I opened my eyes
I saw many laughed at me, and even her
That made me a fool
When I was in the school.

THE REVENANT (2016) - ENGLISH

A revengeful survivor story set in a terrific landscape.

It's beautiful to look at from the word go but it's a painful to see the protagonist coping with adversities and becoming a hero. It's a story set in the 19th century so there are horses for commuting and stones for making fire. Yet, the theme is universal and so it can be considered a contemporary story with a couple of centuries old backdrop. 

I went to see the film for two reasons, the director Alejandro Inarittu and the actor Leonardo DiCaprio and both seemed to in good form although not in their prime form. Nevertheless, that's enough to make a good film. 

Technically, the cinematography is top notch and the production design is terrific. The whole crew has to be complimented for working a whole film in such a drastic and unpredictable weather and landscape. The editing could have been more precise. Too many frames of nature, I felt and I hoped for more characters than nature. Makeup is amazing and I suppose it's makeup and costume design is one of the finest I saw in recent times. What disappointed me was the screenplay. This film seemed a bit stretched out and predictability killed the fun. When you know, the path and also the destiny, there is no fun anymore and this film showed me both after few minutes into it.

Leonardo has invested a lot of his time and his physical transformation and fearless acting tells why he is one of the finest actors ever. I got my money worth, solely by his performance. Though for me his Aviator, Blood Diamond, and The Departed are his best, this performance stands tall too.

Overall, it's a well-written film but 20 minutes short, this would be a great film. As it is, it's fine for me.

A 3/5 for a good film, but once again full marks to Leonardo DiCaprio. Respect.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE

AUTHOR: GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ

ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: SPANISH

TRANSLATOR: GREGORY RABASSA (translated from Spanish)

This is a masterpiece for sure, but it's not an easy read. 

I found myself to be going back and forth many times while reading this book. The reason is that I had to figure out the time frame for most instances. This book is not as linear as I thought it would be. Also, the names are tough to get a hold of. Yeah, too many Aurelianos, Arcadios and Remedios. After a point, I lost count of how many Aurelianos were there. So, I mapped the to different names in my virtual memory for ease of understanding. Yes, it's not an easy read and it took me nearly 6 months of on-off reading to complete this. 

Nevertheless, this a book from which a whole country perhaps a continent can be created. The Caribbean and the people in it would have been easily created even if they did not exist. So, in one way, it acts as a travel help book that can help familiarise with the conditions of Caribbean. As a fiction novel, I certainly shall put this a must read and a book that deserves to be on every book readers shelf.

It created a century of time travel and generations of a family in nearly 300 pages. That in itself is a feat and I bow my head in humility to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. He is a great writer I can confirm, after reading this novel. Let me tell you, that this is the only book of his, I read. Yet, as per what this book gave me, I concluded that he is a great man and a great writer. 

I loved the book, the characters, the objectivity and above all, the feeling it gave after completing it. 

A 5/5 for a definite masterpiece written by a master.

THE ABOMINABLE BRIDE (2015) - ENGLISH

Sherlock: The abominable bride. This seemed an abominable ride for me.

I am a fan of the sherlock series as Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman formed a terrific duo as Holmes and Watson. In this special one-off film, the viewers were given a Christmas treat. I can confess it was not as delicious as I thought it would be. There are moments of awe, but there are few in this film as compared to previous nine episodes of the three seasons.

This is a special film and the only one till date, to be coming in theatres from the series. There are many special things after the film is done. While the film was on, I only wondered what happened to specialities of Holmes and Watson.

Yes, I could explore very much of the mind palace of holmes and also a period which was thus far not shown as the episodes are contemporary. This film is not a one-off case but seemed like a curtain raiser to the coming season. It tried to blend the now and the then, but it seemed flawed overall. I only wished to be watching a real sherlock holmes doing real business in real time. But his mind wanders centuries too quickly which is not to my liking.

The technicalities are superb as always in this terrifically presented film. Yet, I wish the screenplay was more fluid and not as haphazard as it was.

Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis are terrific writers as per earlier episodes but I felt that they could not pull off this experimental one-off special.

I am going with 3/5 in a good film, but it's average as a sherlock episode. 

WHIPLASH (2014) - ENGLISH‏

Drums, drumming and drummer. I precisely put what this film is about.

There is a kid in his twenties who joins the so-called best music school in America and it's about how he goes about his passion that is Drums.

Drums are percussion instruments that make a lot of noise if not played well. But here, they seem to have been played to the beat.

Okay, now let me give this to all the jazz lovers. If you are going to watch with an expectation to learn or know more or to understand jazz music, stay away, please. Except for few mentions of Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Buddy Rich and a few more, this film has not got any jazz. In the garb of jazz, it has got music that is as good as any other film with no greatness added.

The movie is more about abuse of power and authority than Jazz for sure. Not one frame I saw can be termed "musical".

The acting is superb above all else. The whole outlook is dark and I was very surprised because that's so not music. Perhaps, it deals with dark emotions thus, it is set dark.

I am going with a 3/5 for a good one, but only for some good acting. All else, is just OK.

NEW YEAR'S EVE

Fireworks for New Year's Eve 2016 in Hong Kong. Taken at Wan Chai Pier, Hong Kong.  

हमारी मुमताज़

न आवाज़ में और न अल्फ़ाज़ में बया कर सकता आपकी अंदाज़ 
नमाज़ ये कर रहा कि तुम बनो हमारी साज़ की हमसाज़ 
नाज़ है मुझे तुम्हे जान कर, पर आज भी  हो तुम मेरे लिये गेहरी राज़
रियाज़ कितना भी करे, कोई पा न सकेंगे इतनी खूब जो है आपकी रिवाज़ 
अल्फ़ाज़ भी हुए ख़तम आपकी तारीफ़ में फिर भी आप हो मेहफ़ूज़
मेहफ़ूज़ तो हम नहीं रहेंगे जब तक आप बनेंगे नहीं हमारी मुमताज़ 

केह नहीं सकता

तेरा जैसा दोस्त मिलना बहुत बड़ी बात है 
तुझे मिलने को बेक़रार हूँ, ऐसा तुमसे मुलाक़ात है 
तेरे बिना एक पल भी बिताना बहुत मुश्किल है 
अब तो तुम्हे मिलना ही मेरी मक्सत है 
न जाने क्या रोक रहा है हमारी मिलान को 
फिर भी तुझसे दूरी सेह नहीं सकता 
महसूस करती होगी तू भी ऐसे ही, ये भी केह नहीं सकता 

इश्क़ की कमाल

जीते है हम तुमसे रूठे मिसाल में
शादी होगयी होगी सुहाग रात भी ख़याल में 
पर रूठे थे कब, हर पल गुज़रता इसी सवाल में 
अब तो मान लो मिलान को और जी लो इश्क़ की कमाल में  

उम्मीद

उम्मीद नहीं मुझे तुमसे कोई सवाल या जवाब 
उम्मीद है तो सिर्फ ये कि हक़ीक़त बने तुम्हे पाने का ख़्वाब