Bollywood's Best Movie of 2007- Taare Zameen Par

Bollywood has finally come up with a real wonderful movie directed by Aamir Khan, as we all know- Taare Zameen Par.I did not want to write about movies anymore because there are so many people already doing it, but after watching TZP, I could not help it.This is the most sensible,sensitive movie of this year and hats off to Aamir and his team.The movie talks about Dyslexia- a specific learning disability.I don't want to talk too much about the story because most of us would have seen it and for those who haven't, don't miss it!

Aamir has very beautifully portrayed the emotions running in the minds of such children.Darsheel Safary(Ishaan- child artist) has done his job splendid. We can call him a Child Prodigy.Every scene is amazingly shot. Aamir has a great chemistry with the kids and all of them look so wonderful! It is not easy to shoot a movie with kids. Everyone in the movie has palyed their role exceptionally well.
It is a special movie for special kids, taken in a very special way.I have no more choice of words to express my feelings about the movie.

As for the songs go, they are awesome. On the whole, TZP rocks and I feel it is The Best Bollywood Movie of the year.

What are your thoughts on the movie? Please feel free to share!

Enjoy the song


Meera signing off...

The Proud Mother - A Short Story

Every mother is proud of her child, whenever the child achieves a new milestone.All moms are simply stricken by seeing their child grow, as a baby, as a toddler, as a kid and as an adult. Even fathers do, but its the moms who spend more time with a child from the beginning.

So was the case with Ranjana, whose son was Rohit. Rohit was one adorable child who could win the admiration of everybody, who gets to meet or see him. He was cute, naughty, talkative , playful, intelligent, like any other child these days.

Ranjana had gone to pick up Rohit today, and everybody who sees her today, says

"Hey Ranjana! Cool! Congrats!"

"You are proud mother today!" said Mrs.Dicksey.

"I don't understand! What happened?"

"Well today your son bagged the Responsible Kid title for this month!" said Mrs. Dicksey.

Ranjana was immensely pleased and ran to her son and showered him with kisses.On their way back home, Ranjana asked how come he got this title.

Rohit said," Mom I saw a 1 dollar bill 2 weeks back on the playground and went to the principal and gave to her. She took down my name and class and said that if no one comes for it, I would get the dollar.No one came, so today, while calling out other Responsible kids who found things and gave it to the principal, my name was also called and look! I got the $1 bill! Whoo!Hoo!"

Saying so, he happily hopped admiring his prize! Ranjana was so proud of her six year old son! She held her head high in pride and smiled at herself. Every child's mother would have been proud when their names get called!

It's also nice that schools help in building character traits like this in children ,encouraging and appreciating children when they do the right things. It might be a small thing for us, but for a child its something like WOW!

Ranjana was very happy and decided to treat her son!Papa was also extremely happy when he got know this and promised Rohit to take him out for a movie and his favorite restaurant in the weekend as a prize!!!

Well, I was the proud mother, and I wanted to share my happiness here.

Meera signing off..

Will You Ever Come Back?

Life is full of colours. But when the colour blue or gray hits you, I think we face the worst times in our life.Everybody needs a vent to shell out their feelings.When there are no more tears left,and when eyes are dry, the pen comes handy.This narration is to dedicated to every mother who has lost her child,whose eyes are still waiting for the child, whose arms are still waiting to give a big hug.....whose dreams still need to be fulfilled and whose wounded hearts are yet to be healed..

Oh My Baby..

I was thrilled to hear when the doctor said, Congrats! My happiness knew no bounds and I was on the top of the world, My child. I sang, My heart was carefree.. I dreamt of you my child!How you would look, how you would cry, how you would squeal and giggle!I dreamt of the first words you would say... "Mama!" or "Papa!" I dreamt of the first steps you would take, holding my fingers with your tiny tiny fingers.I dreamt of teaching you to dance just like me.I spoke to you, right from day one. I shared my happiness.I cherished every moment you were there in my womb.I talked to you about your father,your brother and that there were so many people, waiting, waiting for your arrival,to pour their ocean of love and care on you!I was in full bliss when you kicked me! It was no pain at all! You were growing in me.I enjoyed every bit of it. I couldn't wait for the beautiful day when you step your feet into this awesome world,the day when your cry rings in my ear, and I realize you are there , all for me, to take you into my arms and shower kisses on you.

And the beautiful day had come... Oh! How beautiful you look! lovely large eyes! I was awed by your charm, your beauty, your tender hands and feet! The Lord had really created you with lot of love and lot of care...I thought my dreams are going to come true... and couldn't wait!

But were you so precious a baby to the Creator? He took you back!I am still angry with him. I dreamt of you for 10 months and waited for you! Will you ever come back to me? I cry, I cry everyday. When its dawn , I keep my doors open to see you walk into my empty house, walk like an angel,and say "Amma,I am here." But in vain. Alas! you still cannot hear me.You still cannot feel our love for you! But, I know, I know some day you will come back and my eyes would keep looking at the doors, and see you walk through in....Will you ever come back my child? I miss you a lot!

Meera signing off..

" Shocked "- A Short Story

Hi friends, this is my first attempt to write a short story. So all kinds of criticisms,suggestions and comments are welcome,but they must be clean.

The whole city of Chennai was in a festive mood because it was Shankaranthi.Houses were adorned with the auspicious leaves(Maav- Ilai)tied at the entrance. So was Mr. Krishnan's palatial banglow.It is a family tradition that all siblings of Mr.Krishnan and his wife Rohini, get together with their families on this special day for dinner and have a blast. It was Krishnan's turn to throw the party this time and he was expecting around 25-30 guests.

"Rohini, so what's plan for today? You know about our get-together."

"Yes Krish, I am very much aware of that and I just can't wait for them.Let me get things ready for the Shankaranthi Pooja, we will discuss the menu later!"

"Makes sense.I'll go for the shower and get back in 10minutes. Ask Gokul to get ready for the puja."

"OK! Gokul! Gokul! come on now its time!"

Krishnan went for his shower, Rohini prepared for the Puja, Gokul was running about here and there unable to sit in one place. The puja was done shortly. Now came the big time for the Menu discussion for the night.

"Krish, I have decided to make Badam Kheer, Carrot halwa, Vadas, and our usual Sambhar, Rasam, Potato fried curry, Beans Curry,Papad and pickles ofcourse.So what do you think?"

"Hmm.. that sounds yummy! I have booked tickets for all of us for Vikram's new movie. We will finish the movie first and then get back home for the dinner. So get things ready asap."

"Sure! Everything should be ready by the time we leave."

Everyone had started to come home . Gokul was so excited to see his cousins. On one hand Rohini was preparing for the dinner, and on other making coffee for the guests.The house was filled with laughter! They were all having fun. The oldies chattering, the kids playing, the ladies trying to help Rohini, and at the same time gossipping. The men had started their game of cards in the huge patio of the house.Anyone else should see Krishnan's family today, would envy him.There was happiness and smiles on everyone's face.

"Time for movie! Rohini are you done?"

"Yes!" yelled Rohini.

Everyone were ready, dressed in their best attire for the show.The movie was full of fun and comedy.The whole family was hungry and they all hurried home. All of them sat in a circle ready to eat. Rohini started to bring the yummy food one by one. Badam Keer, Carrot Halwa, Vadas, Sambhar, Rasam, Pickles, Papad. Everything was so perfect.All of them were ready to eat, when suddenly,

"Oh! My God!" screamed Rohini.

The whole house was silent and worried and they all rushed to the kitchen to see what happened.

"Oh My God!Sorry,I forgot to make rice!" she screamed and was almost in tears and her head hung down in shame and embarrassment.

Everybody looked at her and each other.The room was filled with laughter again.In an hour's time rice was ready and the whole family had the best dinner that night!The party was over and everyone started to leave.

"Sorry Krish, I should have also made the rice. It just skipped off my mind." Rohini said just before going to sleep.

"It's OK ,Darling, after all you had to do everything all by yourself. I was shocked when you screamed in the kitchen. My heart skipped a beat and was relieved to see you all safe."

Krish kissed his wife lovingly on her forehead, who was already drifting to sleep after the heavy day's work.

Sometimes, such kind of things happen. Well, this really happened to me hihi, and I thought I would write it as a story.Hope you enjoyed.

Meera signing off.. stay tuned!

A Trip to the Past

Time flies. When we sit back and think about the past, a gush of emotions pass through us. Yesterday morning I was chatting with an old friend,who is in Chennai now. We talked about school and the fun we had.The chat lasted for about 30 minutes, but after logging off , I took a trip to the past.

Thus my journey began.A journey, into the past, which brought back sweet glorious memories that are evergreen and still very much close to my heart. I did not know what to blog.... so I thought I would share my experiences and feelings in here. I joined my school in Chennai,in my 3rd or 4th grade , I guess. But from then, till my XII, I had the best times in life.

A few silly things that I would like to share...The happiest day in my V grade,was when I scored Centum in Maths! Maths was and is always one subject that I hate, but on that day I was escastic! Well, that was the first and last time I scored a Centum! hihi. Another instance is that I used to give my class teacher roses everyday!As a matter of co-incidence, I used to love Social-Studies and she was our social teacher.So I used to get real high marks in Social and my friends would tease me and tell that I scored marks because I gave her roses!

And then ofcourse, when it comes to extra-curricular activities I was the first to participate in any dance competition or programme! I simply used to love to dance.Participating in school choir, school march-past, helping out teachers(one can say MASKA)hihi were my favourite stuff.Reading news in our school was a daily activity, which was done class wise and children had to take turns.I used to die for my turn..... hihi to read on the mike. Once, it was my turn and I was reading, I made a mistake and said "CHI" and the principal glared at me.... I gulped and looked like a fool there...managed to say "I beg your pardon" finished my news, ran into the class and was in full tears!

Not to forget, the best of all, "Teachers Day". I was in XII then, when my class teacher asked me to dance out of the blue and he invited the chemistry sir too..One of my friends had "Kaadhalan" tape. He got the recorder from the lab, and finally I danced for Gopala Gopala, which became a major hit in the class! Hihi. I got a lot of nicknames in class.

Amidst all these were the silly infactuations and love stories happening among friends. This is a usual phenomenon happening among children of this age.. I also had an infactuation! Lastly, the tearful Farewell party which the juniors gave us.They had done so many things for us, right from variety entertainment to yummy snacks.

Now, when I sit back and think, I give a hearty laugh, I laugh as I write these memories.... There are still a lot, but I think that's enough for the day!

Such a trip to the past is really helpful. I was loaded with energy yesterday, feeling happy,and a kind of awe because it is almost 15 years then, that all these things happened!I was in a nostalgic state!Time really flies!Today most of us married and have kids and it is their time to experience the fun of school days and college days!

My friend said he visited the school a few days back, and nothing had changed there, even the benches!except for a few new teachers and of course the young innocent kids who would blossom into stars in the future.Otherwise, the school is the same filled with fun and frolic!I promised myself, the next time I visit India, I would surely go to my school...

Did any of you make a journey to the past? Feel free to share them .....I would love to read them!

Meera signing off.....Stay tuned.

Bump-Top -A New Outlook to Desktops

Anand Agarawala has created this new irrestible desktop that has a software that applies a 3D physicality and also a new approach to interactivity.

You can listen to Anand Agarawala speak about it on TED.


This is how it works.



This link tells you more about Bump-Top

So what do you feel about this new approach?

Meera signing off... Stay Tuned!

Saawariya - Not All that Bad!

I got to see the movie today.Actually it was quiet nice. Ranbir and Sonam have performed great and their chemistry on screen is absolutely outstanding! Sonam and Ranbir look stunning! Agreed the movie is kinda slow, but for the story and theme it fits in well! Guess public response was kind of really harsh.I had also mentioned in one of my blogs that people said that the movie put Mumbai to sleep, my apologies!Infact, I liked it better than Om Shanti Om, in which the second half was dumb!
SRK fans might not agree! Well that's how I feel.The sets in Saawariya is like being in a fantasy world. Costumes of Sonam were OK, could have been better.Rani did her part welland Lilly Pop's role was very emotiional.The songs are enchanting and well picturised.On the whole, I liked it better than OSO.

Feel free to post your comments!

Meera signing off...

Billa 2007 - A Preview

Time for Ajith fans to fasten their belts! Ajith's next project "Billa 2007" for the year is almost done and is awaiting the release on 12th December.The movie is directed by Vishnuvardhan and Music is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja.The movie has the hottest stars- Ajith, Namitha, Nayanthara, Prabhu and Rahman.Most of the movie is shot in Kualalampur. The theatrical trailer was released in Diwali on screens and proved to be the talk of the town.It is becoming a trend to remake hit movies of the past, and Billa is another one. Rajini launched the movie in April'07.

Movie Plot:

In 2007, drug trade is booming. The Malaysian Intelligence and Anti-Narcotic Department are called upon for assistance by their Indian counterparts. There are rumours that a drug gang has recently moved their headquarters to Kuala Lumpur.

The Indian team is headed by the DCP (Rahman) who wants to break the back of the drug operations of a drug lord. He believes that capturing the drug Lord's dangerous and elusive lieutenant, Billa, (Ajith Kumar), will be the most effective way of accomplishing this. Billa's gang consist of Narang (Santhanam) and Anita (Namitha). Soon, Roma (Nayanthara)joins them but she has other plans - kill Billa. Billa was responsible for killing her brother Ramesh as well as his fiancee, Kamini.

During a chase with the police the real Billa is critically injured and is captured by the DSP. He keeps it a secret that he has captured Billa, even from his fellow officers, and tracks down a look-alike called Jeeva, a lowly singer (also played by Ajith Kumar). He asks Jeeva to infiltrate Billa's gang by pretending to be Billa. In return he will make sure that the child Jeeva found and adopted, Deepu gets a proper education. Meanwhile Jasjit who has just been released from prison sets out in search for his son, Deepu, and to get his revenge on the DSP who arrested him and prevented him from rescuing his wife and child from black mailers, this in turn killed his wife and left his son missing.


A song sequence in Malaysia The DSP(Prabhu) trains Jeeva and admits him in a hospital (in which Billa is also admitted and supposedly in coma) to surgically give him all the scars and birthmarks the real Billa has on his body. However Billa dies of heart failure suddenly in front of the DSP and the doctors, who are unable to save him. While Jeeva is infiltrating Billa's gang, the DSP is captured and killed in a fire blast; and Jeeva is forced to run from the police as well as Billa's gang members -- pursuing the last piece of evidence (a disc) which has all of Billa's criminal activities loaded on it, a disc which can get him out of this mess.

Through various plot twists, Jeeva recovers the disc. Eventually, it surfaces that the DSP is alive and is actually Vardhan, a notorious underground criminal with a grudge against the Drug Lord, Billa's boss, and eventually ends up killing him. Jeeva arranges a meeting with Vardhan and assists in his capture.

In a final twist, it emerges that the real Billa is still alive, and was pretending to be Jeeva who he killed and replaced while in the hospital. It was actually Jeeva who had died in the hospital of heart failure in front of Vardhan. In the end both Billa and his girlfriend Anita (Namitha) escape, bewildering the police and Roma.

Music Score and Songs: The music score is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The music was released on 28thNov'07 by Ayngaran International and Rajinikanth at his rescidence in Poes Gardens.

Billa Theme:The beginning of the theme music reminds me either of Anniyan score or Manmathan.The music is kind of loud though.

My Name is Billa: A reprise of Rajin's "My Name is Billa".The singer's voice seems to be softened because of the jarry music.But the beat is fine though and is enjoyable.

Vethalaiya Potendi:Shankar Mahadevan has this song to his credit. The song is a catchy one,again a remake.A typical "Dappanguthu" background blended with guitars!Worth listening, not terrific though!

Sei Yethavathu:This song is rendered by Nithya Mahadevan.When the music started I thought it would a nice melody but dissapointed! The beat of the song was good, but a music director like Yuvan could have created wonders! It's OK... nothing special,just a usual cool song.

Seval Kodi:A real fast number,having a blend of Nadaswarams,and Dangu Dakra music! hihi. The song is rendered by Vijay Yesudas,and a song for the people. I think people may like it. Not sure though! We also have a bit of 'Konnakol' which means reciting a Jathi.I wonder how the actors would have danced.... a way too fast track!

Naan Mattum:Begins with the guitar again. The song is redenderd by Deepika, a new comer. She has a cool husky voice and am sure would blossom into one of the best singers in the future.The song has a violin interlude which is a nice one.

On the whole, the album is OK. I heard that the shops in Chennai are running out of Audio CDs of Billa, which is nice to know and ofcourse one cannot expect a melody or romantic number for a movie like Billa. So, Yuvan can surely get a cheers for his work!

Ifluences: The movie has pulled influences from the originals of Rajini's Billa, Big B's Don and SRK's Don again. Most of them been drawn from SRK's Don.

Hmmmm... Looks like Ajith's fans are in for a treat! Good luck to the whole team!

Meera signing off...

Billa Teaser Trailer Exclusive:

Source: Wikiepedia.

M.F.Hussain Books a Theatre for Madhuri's Comeback!

A cool news for all Madhuri lovers! Indian artist M.F.Hussain has booked a entire show for Madhuri's comeback in Aaja Nachle at Lamcy Theatre in UAE, for special guests from all walks of life.True, Bollywood has been missing such a glorious actress cum dancer for the past 5 years!

A double dhamaka for the ticket invites because they would receive a autograph of Hussain along with one of his sketches of Bollywood diva in the theatre.
He says:

I'll also be exhibiting paintings of Madhuri in the foyer of the theatre. I have made these paintings based on her great hits," he told the Khaleej Times.

"In fact, the paintings are a part of a series I have undertaken and will be exhibited sometime next year as my tribute to Bollywood, the biggest and greatest movie industry in the world."

"It's a tribute to not only her beauty, but also her talent as an actress."

Madhuri told reporters that she was overwhelmed by his gesture and feels flattered!

I feel great for Madhuri and hope her comeback is really very successful.

East or West Madhuri is the best!

Please feel free to comment on what you feel about Madhuri and her come back!

Lehren T.V. on her comeback!


Meera signing off... Stay tuned!

Madhuri's Come Back in Aaja Nachle

As an ardent Madhuri fan, I just cannot hold on to see her back in her next movie after such a long time. Right from her "EK Do Teen from Tezaab, to Maar Daale in Devdas Madhuri has proved to be the most versatile actress and the best dancer that Bollywood could ever have! And Yaa! she is back under the big banners of Yash Raj Productions.Madhuri looks great in the wall papers and promos of "Aaja Nachle."

Movie Synopsis: Dia(Madhuri) was born and brought up in a small village Shamli. There she spent her childhood learning to dance from Guru Makarand.Dia is forced to go New York due to family issues. After a decade she receives a call from her village that her her Guru is very sick.Unfortunately he dies and so does his well groomed Ajanta Theatre. Ajanta Theatre was a local hub then and the most happening place in Shamli village and Dia has a lot of memories attached with it. Dia decides to bring back life to this theatre by staging a show which has participants from Shamli village only. The story is thus about Dia's attempts to resurrect Ajanta Theatre amidst hustles and troubles created by the local politicians who want to destruct Ajanta for it's real-estate value.

Music:The music score of the movie is composed by Salim-Sulaiman. The title song "Aaja Nachle Nachle" is the best track of the album. The music could have been much more better for Madhuri's comeback.

Cast and Crew:
Madhuri Dixit- Dia
Konkona Sen Sharma- Anokhi
KunalKapoor - Imran
Divya Dutta as - Najma
Ranvir Shorey as - Mohan Sharma
Dalai - Radha
Raghubir Yadav- Doctor
Vinay Pathak - Mr. Chojar
Akhilendra Mishra - Chaudhary Om Singh
Jugal Hansraj - Sanjeev Mehta
Yashpal Sharma - S.H.O. Singh
Nowaz - Dhan Kuber
Darshan Zariwala - Makarand
Sushmita Mukherjee - Mrs. Chojar
Akshay Khanna - Dia's Husband (Special Appearance)
Irrfan Khan - (Sepcial Appearance)
Directed by Anil Mehta and Produced by Aditya Chopra, the movie is releasing on 30 Nov'07,that is just a few more days!

Watch how Madhuri beautifully swings!


Theatrical Trailer of Aaja Nachle



Meera signing off.... Keeping fingers crossed for Madhuri Dixit! Stay Tuned...

Space Mystery

Space has always been a mystery to me, most of us I guess.I have always wondered what is there up beyond the skies? I was browsing ABC when I came across these pictures taken by the Hubble Telescope. Aren't they beautiful and amazing?


The Hubble telescope has captured images of the Veil Nebula, the remains of a star that exploded 5,000 years ago. This is a wide-field image of the star's remains, made as a color composite from individual exposures from the Digitized Sky Survey.


Two galaxies, known collectively as Arp 87, are one of hundreds of known interacting and merging galaxies. The corkscrew shape of the "bridge" of shared matter between the two galaxies suggests that some stars and gas drawn from the larger galaxy have been caught in the gravitational pull of the smaller one. The pair was originally discovered by astronomer Halton Arp in the 1970s.


The colorful, intricate shapes in these NASA Hubble Space Telescope images reveal how the glowing gas ejected by dying sunlike stars evolves dramatically over time. These gaseous clouds, called planetary nebulae, are created when stars in the last stages of life cast off their outer layers of material into space. Ultraviolet light from the remnant star makes the material glow.


NGC 5307 displays a spiral pattern, which may have been caused by the dying star wobbling as it expelled jets of gas in different directions. NGC 5307 resides in the southern constellation Centaurus.


This new photo from the Hubble Telescope shows shells of stars around a bright quasar, known as MC2 1635+119, which dominates the center of the galaxy. The stars presence indicate a titanic clash with another galaxy in the relatively recent past. Scientists believe that the stars' presence supports the idea that quasars are born from interactions between galaxies.


Astronomers used Hubble's powerful resolution to study Comet Holmes' core for clues about how the comet brightened.


NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has probed the bright core of Comet Holmes, which has mysteriously brightened by nearly a millionfold in a 24-hour period beginning 23Oct'07.

Meera signing off.. Stay tuned.

King Khan Says "Sorry"

The most talked news of the town is Manoj Kumar, who was totally displeased with his image being insulted in a particular sequence in Om Shanti Om.He felt so bad that he went to the extent of suing Shah Rukh Khan.

Manoj Kumar asked Vashi, his lawyer if he could sue SRK on any basis,but the lawyer remarked that action should be taken on moral grounds rather than legal grounds.Looks like SRK called up Manoj Kumar and tendered an apology.

Khan said "I was completely wrong...If he is hurt, I apologise".

"I called him in the afternoon, and the first thing he said to me was "it is no big deal, son,"

Shah Rukh Khan told his reporters.

It's OK to make fun of people,but not in way that would hurt their image or self-respect. A good lesson for SRK and Farah Khan.

Meera signing off.. Stay tuned!

Madhuri's Jalwa....

She is the Best Dancer Bollywood has ever had after Madhubala of the Olden times.Now watch a few dance numbers of Madhuri and have fun!

Maar Daala from Devdas


Kay Sera Sera from Pukar


Dholna from Dil to Pagal hai


Channe Ke Khet Mein from Anjaam


Dhak Dhak from Beta


Pehla Pehla Pyar Hai from HAHK

And now she'z back! You always rock, Madhuri!I Love You!

Meera signing off.....Stay tuned.

Taare Zameen Par -Music Review

After his successful maiden venture of his productions of "LAGAAN" AamirKhan's next step is "Taare Zameen Par." Aamir khan also comes out as debutant Director in this movie..Taare zameen Par is a story about a teacher (Aamir Khan) and a student(Darsheel Safari) suffering from Dyslexia- a kind of specific learning disabilty.The Music is composed by the TRIO- Shankar Mahadevan,Ehasaan Noorani, and Loy Mendonsa.The lyrics for the songs was composed by Prasoon Joshi.The music was released in a subtle fashion on 10 Nov'07 at the residence of veteran actor Shammi Kapoor.

Coming to the songs.......

Taare Zammen Par : The title song of the movie is a very emotional piece with very few instruments on the background.A sweet song talking about dreams and ambitions is well sung by Shankar Mahadevan, Bugs Bhargava and Vivvinenna Pocha.The lyrics have a poetic touch to it. It has classical instruments like Sitar and the Tabala which makes the song rich and dreamy.

Bheja Kum :A small rock song that starts with the words Idiot! Why can't you? This is a song scolding kids when they score less marks in the subjects. A nice little number having 10 singers to it's credit!

Bum Bum Bole: A real cool catchy number that begins with some gibberish talking by Aamir and sung beautifully by Shaan. The humming "Aye Aye Bum Bum Bole Masti Mein Dole" reminds me of a tune from a Tamil song " Oh Oh Oh Kick Eruthe" from Rajini's movie Baadsha.This song would surely be hit among the kids . It seems to be a real colourful song full of masti.The song talks about the colourful world and asks the children to open their wings and fly out and discover the real world out! Truly a lovely song!

Jame Raho :The song starts with the ticking of the alarm clock.It basically tells the routine life of students right from getting up in the morning and their toil to get success. In between there is a nice classical music touch. One can say it would be a best fit for encouraging the sport stars or the soldiers fighting in the borders. The music beats and tune goes so!

Kolo Kholo :A melodious track nicely sung by Raman Mahadevan belongs to soft-rock style. The song has a guitar as it's base and this creates magic when it blends with Raman's voice. The song again talks about Nature and the Beauty of Nature which still remains a mystery that has to be explored by children.

Maa :A superb number by Shankar Mahadevan. The song beautifully shares the feelings of a kid who is scared and talks about it to his Mother. The lyrics though simple are very effective, and when you hear the song it gives you goosebumps! The lines and the music blend very well.I am sure when we listen to it we become kids and think of the days and fears which we came across as kids!A very nice number indeed!

Mere Jahan : A very superb number rendered by Adnan Sami,and the kids- Auriel Cordo & Ananya Wadkar.It has the rock style number. It would be hard to ignore this song!

Ishaans Theme : The final track of the album is the theme of Taare Zameen Par. A piece of melody ringing in your ears, and makes you want to hear it again and again.

On the whole, the whole album is a good one. It is away from the love songs which has been ruling Bollywood. A nice album filled with colours, fun and masti and emotions. I hope the movie would also be as good as it's music album.The story seems to be different and I just hope the Best for Aamir and his crew. The movie is scheduled to be released by the end of this year.Salutes to Aamir Khan for thinking of making such a phenomenol movie...A Special Movie for Special Kids, taken in a very Special Way...with lovely tunes. I am very eagerly awaiting the release.

Have a look at this Exclusive Promo..Sure,your heart is going to melt!Mine did!


Meera signing off.....Stay tuned.

Environmental Catastrophe

The storm at Black sea on Sunday hit Russian tanker Volgoneft -139, that led to a oil spill of 1,3000 tonnes of oil. Reports say this is one of the major environmental disasters that has hit Russia. The storm has killed 3 seamen and 5 other sea men have been reported missing. Russia is expecting more storms until Tuesday and this has hampered the search.The same storm hit 4 other freighters that carried sulphur and a cargo of scrap metal.On the whole nearly 10 ships were hit by the storm.

Officials say that shipping was warned much before, in spite of this the captains chose to ignore the warning and this has led to the disaster.This has affected the life in the oceans because the temperature of the oil makes it sink into the ocean beds rather than floating.

A flock of 1000 rails were huddled on the beach not able to fly because of the oil that coated their feathers.Spilt fuel oil coated birds in a thick black sludge along a vast expanse of coastline in the northern mouth of the Black Sea, near Russia's border with Ukraine. Russian officials say that this was the worst environmental disasters that happened and would take years to clean it up.

Meera signing off.. Stay tuned

Odds and Rares

Life is always not a bed of roses! Have a look at these people. We have a lot to learn from them.

Four-year-old conjoined twins Maliyah and Kendra Herrin roll around and giggle in their bedroom on June 21, 2006 in Salt Lake City. The twins who share one pair of legs, a liver, one functioning kidney, and part of the large intestine were born in a perpetual hug, their little bodies fused at the midsection so that they are practically face-to-face.

For nearly four decades, Sanju Bhagat carried the body of his own twin inside him. Doctors discovered Bhagat had one of the world's most bizarre medical conditions fetus in fetu, an extremely rare abnormality that occurs when a fetus gets trapped inside its twin.

Tiffany Linker's connective tissue is turning to bone. You can see her back protruding

This is Lakshmi. She is 2 years old and was born with 8 limbs! Last week she went through a 27hr mamoth operation and now has regained consiousness.

Meera signs off for today stay tuned!

Om Shanti Om Dhamaka!

Yaa, Yaa, Yaa! Shah Rukh Khan does it again. Om Shanti Om seems to be welcomed by the crowds of Mumbai. A typical masala movie, OSO also hit the theatres on 9th November. Looks like Shah Rukh and Farah khan had a great Diwali. I was reading the reviews of this movie too. They are mixed. Some of them really welcome it . Many say it is an average, masala, over hyped Bollywood movie, but is on the run because of Shah Rukh Khan!

The idea of bringing in the 80's and 70's really worked. It created a nostalgia among the crowd.As per response of the public, the first half of the movie is really full of fun and humor and is colourful and the second half is really boring. SRK has over-acted but for sure is the crowd-puller and Deepika is a stunning beauty with immense talent. Farah Khan knows what her people want and has worked totally to fulfill it.

The story is about Om(SRK) and Shanti(Deepika). Om is an artist and Shanti is the ruling star of the 80's. Om is her fan and is deeply in love with her. Om dreams of becoming a big star, but he dies in a mishap. Om tries to discover the reasons for his death and comes into the present day world . It is here when we think that the movie has similarities with Shubash Ghai's "Karz." But Farah Khan has very beautifully led the story and it has lot of turning points and jhatkas.

The sets are colourful and lively. V. Manikandan's cinematography has distinction points. The songs and their picturisation are full of life and colourful and dazzling . They have catchy beats, as you all know.Looks like we have another mega block bluster after Chak De India!

Meera signs off for now.... stay tuned!

Want a lullaby? See Saawariya!

Saawariya and Om Shanti Om have hit the theaters and what is the public response? Sanjay Leela Bhansali has put Mumbai to sleep! That's a disappointing one. I was pretty much excited about the movie but reading the reviews,looks like the movie is a devastating flop. People claim it to be so boring and sad and blue! The story of White Nights seemed to be good on paper, but it was not written well. Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for wonderful movies like Devdas, Hum Dil Chuke Sanam, Black, looks like he wants to be known for bad movies too! That is very sad and disappointing!

Saawariya's story goes like this...it is a story about two young -crossed lovers. Raj(Ranbir) a musician, is certain about his ultimate dream arrives at a picturesque town . Destiny has different choices for him. He encounters a lonely girl Sakina there. He is totally driven by her charm, innocence and beauty and falls in love. On the other hand hand, it looks like Sonam and Salman have a first -sight love. Salman disappears suddenly. His 10 minute appearance seems to be impressive but his appearance at the culmination perplexes the audience! Sakina(Sonam) has a very confused character keeps chanting Salman's name, but does not have the slightest idea of who he is!

The ambiance or the sets of the movie is dreamy. But it seems to be blue through out and is boring! People say "Pura picture andhera mein hai!" Ravi.K.Chandran a cinematographer of high International Standards could have brought more sunshine in the sets of Saawariya.

The only plus points in the movie seems to be the music and the new faces. Ranbir and Sonam are promising actors and their debuts in Bollywood came out through real big banners of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Sony Productions.But will the movie do them justice? The songs of Saawariya are rich, melodious and enchanting. Every song is a master-piece. Looks like the mistake happened with the writing of the story. Sad but true Saawariya is a flop.That is what the public says! I am in fix now whether to watch it or not! SLB stories of love,passion, and dreams seem to be missing in "Saawariya."

Meera signs off for the day feeling blue.....Stay tuned!

Saawariya in Theaters on Friday

The most talked movies of the year is Saawariya.Saawariya will be in theatres on Friday, tomorrow Nov9th. Having fantastic reviews for it's music and dreamy numbers, I am hoping the best for Saawariya.With a beautiful script, enchanting music, new artists like Ranbir and Sonam, and lovely lavishing sets and costumes and directed by Sanjay Leela Bansali, I am sure Saawariya is going to steal the hearts of every soul!

All the best to the Saawariya and it's whole team! I hope all of you would join me in wishing Good Luck for the year's best movie!

Meera signing off.... stay tuned!

Operation Successful

The mammoth operation proved to be a success story! Lakshmi's four additional limbs were successfully taken out. Dr. Sharon Patil has declared that Lakshmi is sound and stable,and that her parents can visit her in a while.

In India it is the first time that the doctors are operating conjoined twins.Way to go doctors! Lakshmi's parasitic twin was attached to her pelvic. If not for the operation, Lakshmi could have survived only till her adolescence.

"Every step of it was successful," Patil said of the operation. "There was no set back what so ever. The team worked through the night relentlessly."

Lakshmi is now closely monitored by a team of specialists. Lets keep praying for this child who has bravely fought for her life.Hope this Diwali would shower Joyous Blessings for her and her family, and of course on the doctors who made this happen!

Hats off to the Indian Doctors !

Meera signs off and WISHES EACH AND EVERYONE A WONDERFUL DIWALI!

Girl with 8 limbs is having an operation

Do you see the picture of that cute little girl? She is two years old now.Lakshmi was born in a small village Rampur in Bihar.She was born with 8 limbs. The people believed her to be an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and started to seek the girls blessings! The parents of this girl want to get her operated, but as we know, they cannot afford it.Scientifically this baby had a cojoined twin that failed to develope in the mother's womb but had torso limbs and no head.Dr. Sharan Patil visited the family and was able to mop up$200,000 for the operation.

The 40 hour mammoth operation started on Tuesday and required a team 36 surgeons to perform it. The doctors say the "Parasitic Twin" of Lakshmi has been separated from the spinal cord and that all necessary vital tissues have been retained for the child's survival. The orthopedic surgeons have a tough time thinking about how to separate the fused bones.

While the doctor's team is working real hard for this girl, it is our duty to pray for her for miracles to happen.


For more news visit CNN

Cool Rocking Numbers

Stressed? Feel Blue? It's time to listen to some real cool and rocking numbers.Sit back, listen and enjoy!

Beat it - Michael Jackson


Bad-Michael Jackson


You're the Inspiration- Chicago


If You Don't know me by now-Simply Red


I Just Called- Steive Wonder


My Heart Will Go On -Celine Dion


That's it for today!
Meera signing off........Stay Tuned!

300 - A story of Sacrifice and Bravery....

Greek warriors were always known for their bravery and valour.The story 300,dated 480BC, which I just got to see a few days back, talks about the self-less sacrifices of the Spartans, who died for the sake of achieving personal freedom and putting an end to slavery.

King Leonidas(Gerard Butler)the wise king of the Spartas possesses the qualities of honour and glory, gets the message of the Persian King Xerses(Rodrigo Santoro)wanting to claim the sovereignty over the Spartans. With an aim to put an end to this The King commands his people to fight for their rights, but the elders of the Spartas prohibit this. Concerned about his people,especially the women, Spartan King Leonidas enlists 300 brave soldiers to fight against the Persians who have an army having a million soldiers.They arrive at the Hot Gates also referred as Thermopylae and begin to fight the Persians and claim the lives of lot of Persian soldiers.The "God King" of Persia tries to persuade King Leonidas to surrender. Back in Sparta the Queen tries to persuade the elders to help her King and his forces.Theron an influential Sparta agrees to help her if she sexually surrenders to him.For the sake of her land she does, but Theron betrays her at the Council and charges her of adultery. Enraged by his act, Queen Gorgo stabs him with a sword and walks out. The Counsellors see Persian coins with the dead and label Theron as a traitor. Back at Thermopylae, King Leonidas sends his soldier, Dilios back to Sparta,who narrates the whole story.
The Spartans are surrounded by the Persians and The God King asks him to surrender. The brave king and his soldiers prefer to die a death of Valour and Bravery rather than surrendering. King Leonidas, who promises to shed the blood of the God King, at the end does so with his spear,and falls dead. All the soldiers are killed by a hail of arrows.The whole story revolves on the Glory of the Great King Leonidas and his soldiers who sacrificed their lives.

The whole story is a narrative one in the movie and is beautifully fictionalized by Director Zack Synder.We get into a world of historical fantasy and come across a lot of mysterious monsters, majestic elephants and all.

With a great story, excellent direction and wonderful sound tracks and actors, the movie is the Number One movie today, and thanks to my good friend who saw that I saw the movie.

For those, who have missed it, don't!

Meera signs off for today................

It is already Fall...........

Admiring nature, looking forward to the various season changes and enjoying them is been a passion for most of us in the world. It is Fall now here, and Mother Nature exhibits herself in a wide range of colurs. A time for the trees to shed their leaves and in that process, we get to see spectacular colours like pink, purple and so on. People say Pennsylvania is one place where you enjoy Fall the most. Though I have not been able to visit Pennsylvania, here in California too, it looks amazing...

I am no Frost or Wordsworth, but just as I sit by my patio, and look at the Nature, out, I feel tempted to write .... Hope you enjoy it.

It is already Fall

It is already Fall,
One of the most beautiful seasons of all.
Mother Nature comes out in her best,
In vibrant colours full of zest.

It is time for the trees
To shed their leaves
And before they do so
They are full of
Fun and Frolic.

As the gentle wind whistles by,
The leaves from the trees
fall down and lie,
Flowers gently carpet the road,
In colours red,brown and gold.

The silent day descends,
and the bright Moon ascends,
Darkness skillfully wraps the sky
With shining stars and winds blowing high.

The beginning of the season Fall,
Marks the end of all blues,
For, Mother Nature comes out in her best,
In vibrant colours full of zest.

It is neither too cold nor too warm,
Fall is silent and calm,
Until the wind guhses by,
with the sweet scent of flowers
passing by...

It is already Fall
The most beautiful seasons of all.

Meera signing off... stay tuned

NO SMOKING - MOVIE REVIEW

"CIGARETTE SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH" is the main highlight of the movie.A nice attempt by Anurag Kashyap to render a message to the world about smoking.No Smoking is directed by Anurag Kashyap, under the big banners of Vishal Bharadwaj and Kumar Rangat, was released on 26th of October.The music is composed is Vishal Bharadwaj, and lyrics by Gulzaar.

MAIN CAST: John Abraham as 'K', Ayesha Takia as Anjali, K's wife and as Honey K's secretary, Parwesh Rawal as Baba Bengali.

SYNOPSIS:The story revolves around K who is a chain smoker and doesn't want to stop smoking at any cost and who is really stubborn guy, stubborn as a mammoth! and wouldn't give a listening ear to anyone. His wife Anjali walks out on him, and it is only then K thinks about quitting to smoke and joins a rehabilitation centre.

The rehab is run by Guruji Baba Bengali and K is forced to sign a "freeze contract" meaning K cannot come out of it. The rehab enforces different kinds of punishments to K for trying to smoke,like,chopping of fingers, making his asthmatic brother inhale smoke or trying to harm his wife. Entangled in a smoky situation does K give up smoking or does he give up his near and dear ones for smoking? That's the story.

Anurag has tried to bring about the whole thing by walking us through a life of dreams and unreal things. The first half of the movie was going OK, but the second half was really very confusing.....To appreciate the movie one has to understand it, but this one was very chaotic. Seriously at one point I did not get to know what was happening!

As for music goes Vishal Bharadwaj and Gulzaarji's combo took off well. The music album of No Smoking starts with 'Jab bhi Cigarette' which has a blend of Jazz added to it, with all the perfect instruments required to bring a Jazzy mood. The female version of Jab Bhi cigaratte by Sunidhi Chauhan is a trance.'Phoonk De' by Rekha Bharadwaj is a catchy number and you start humming the tune, once you hear it.'Kash Laga' is another number by Sukhwinder Singh, Daler Mehndi and Vishal. When compared to albums released recently,I think this one is very weak.'Ash tray' by Deva Sengupta who is making his first entry here, creates a blue mood in the listeners. This ending song of the album brings about a haunting feeling, the days and nights of life, which goes well with film's title- No Smoking.....

On the whole, No Smoking, is a different movie with a different story, does not have very enchanting music... It could be rated a 2 for 5....

Meera signing off.......Enjoy the trailer and stay tuned

The Spooky Day.... Halloween almost here!

Halloween is almost here!Halloween is also called as the All Saints Day by the Christians. It was first celebrated on 1st of November and later it came to be celebrated on 31st October.The history of Halloween dates 2000 years back and originated from a European group called Celts.They believed that the dated roamed together on this particular night! It is an "Evening of the Dead."

Halloween is celebrated in high spirits here in the US. I see houses decorated with all kinds of spooky stuff, pumpkins beautifully carved and people enjoying and partying in Halloween costumes! Kids on this day go to every house in the neighbourhood for Tricks and Treats.

I was going out to shop for my kid and all the shops were stocked up with costumes, and beautifully adorned with skeletons,and scary stuff! Wowie! Some were really scary! Halloween fever is up here!

I still have no clue as to why people celebrate the "Dead" here. There has to be some strong point to prove this, which I am unable to understand.... If any of you think, you could tell me something about the whole thing, that would be really nice... Thanks!

Meera WISHES Everyone a Happy Halloween much in advance!..... Stay tuned!

"Chiyaan " Vikram's Bheema

The summers of Chennai did not witness the release of Bheema,which is now postponed for Diwali. The audio was released in August and already hit the waves of success in Chennai. The album is a mega hit. Harris Jayraj has once again proved his calibre.....Directed by N.Lingusamy,who directed Saamy,Vikram and Trisha pair up again in this movie and is under the big banner of A.M.Rathnam Productions. Vikram's new look is rocking!! As an ardent fan of Vikram, I am dying to see the movie!

Heard the songs? Listen and have fun!

1. Mudhal Mazhai Enai-Hariharan and Mahathi.



2.Ragasiya Kanavugal-Madhushree and Hariharan



3.Rangu Rangama-Vijay Yesudas, Khailash Kher and Swarnalatha...



4.Enadhuyire-Sadhana Sargam, Sowmya Rao, Nikhil Mathew,Chinmayi



5.Oru Mughamao-Krish,Naresh Iyer



6.Siru paarvaiyile- Karthik and Harini



Every number is a super hit, and so will the movie I hope.... Keeping fingers crossed for Vikram...

Meera signs off........Stay Tuned

Dasavatharam..

If Bollywood is talking about Saawariya, Om shanti Om, Kollywood seems to be rumbling upon Azhagiya Tamizh Magan, Bheema and K.S.Ravikumar's "Dasaavatharam." Vijay's Azhagiya Tamizh Magan and Vikram's Bheema are scheduled for Diwali, and Dasaavatharam's release has been postponed to Pongal. Oh! What a disappointment!

The 60 crore budgeted movie, brings in Kamal in 10 different avatars. The movie seems to break the records of Shivaji Ganesan who played nine roles in the movie "Navaratri." Dasaavatharam's story is not fully revealed, but it looks like Kamal's roles of a Brahmin, an young lady, a scientist, a robber,and a pimp are confirmed. Kamal is always known for his unique talents.Hence, in the movie he has tried to talk in 10 different voices, which is really amazing and requires a lot of effort!Also, 20 foreign dancers have been hired for a dance sequence with Mallaika.

The movie has Asin as the main heroine, who plays dual roles, for the first time in ,her career. It has Mallika Sherawat from Bollywood who also shares the leading role with Jayapradha, a character artist. Apart from this, the movie stars Napoleon, K.S.Ravikumar,Santhana Bharathi, K.R.Vijaya, in other pivotal roles.K.S.Ravikumar has directed the movie, with Himesh Reshammiya, the well acclaimed music composer of Bollywood, composing the music for the first time in Kollywood.

Thus with so many stars in the movie, there is a lot of expectations from the people in Chennai with this movie. Lets see..... how the movie turns out.......

Sit and enjoy a promo of Dasavatharam from youtube....




Meera signing off now... stay tuned!

Melodies of A.R.Rehman...

Here are really some wonderful songs of A.R.Rehman.Sit back, listen and enjoy!

Vandhe Maataram - A.R.Rehman.


Gentleman-Arjun and Madhubala.


Roja- Madhubala


Love Birds- Nagma and Prabhu Deva


Jodi- Simran and Prashanth

Minsaara Kanavu-Kajol, Prabhu Deva, Arvind Swamy


Had Fun?

Meera says bye, see you again with more nice,and beautiful songs...Stay tuned....

Negligence during surgery!...What a shame!

Isn't this horrible? The head of the Cardio-Vascular Department Dr. Sampath Kumar, performed a surgery on 12 year old Tsering Norbu and closed and tied his arota- the main artery that supplies oxgyen rich blood, instead of correcting the child's patent ductus arteriosus.This is a cogenital heart disease where in the patient's ducuts arteriosus fails to close by itself. The child was admitted on 15 March with complaints of shortness of breath,and irregular heart beat, and was operated the next day.After the operation, the child suffered excessive internal bleeding,no urine output,High BP on the upper limbs and no pulse on the lower limbs. The child was rushed to the theatre and it was found that Dr. Sampath Kumar had closed the wrong organ.The child finally died on 18th!

Shear negligence has claimed the life of a child.Dr.Sampath Kumar was expelled from his post of being the head of the Cardio-Vascular department.

Another senior doctor of Cardio-Thoracic Dept was placed under suspension for leaving a screw in a patient after a heart surgery. The patient died due to multiple-
organ failure!

Why are doctors becoming so negligent? Don't they understand that they are dealing with Life? I was reminded of another incident that happened 3 years ago. A friend of mine was supposed to have delivered a very healthy baby. It was fine , but kind of getting sick often. The doctor said there was nothing to worry about and all of a sudden in 5 months the baby dies. Later after a biopsy, it was reported that the baby had 2-3 holes in the heart! Cant' these things be diagnosed at a earlier stage itself? The question of us being alive itself is a scary one these days! We have so much trust in our doctors, and when some doctors neglect their duty , the belief in them seems to slowly vanish!

I wonder what will be the decision of the judges who are dealing with the above cases... Anyway the lost lives cannot be brought back....

Meera signing off.................

Audio Release of Aaja Nachle...

The sound track of Aaja Nachle was released on the 18th October. The album has 9 numbers, each of them being distinct in their own ways.I got to hear the tracks and I feel the Salim- Sulaiman- Piyush Sharma group could have done much more. The songs are full of fun, have nice catchy tunes... but personally, Madhuri's come back could have been a greater Dhamaka!

Lets have look at the songs....

1.Aaja nachle: The title song of the movie, is one real good number. All Madhuri fans would really love to see her in this song. I am sure Madhuri would have all her Jatak Matak movements and her Nainon ki Bhasha!The song is sung really well by Sunidhi Chauhan and definitely picturised on Madhuri.It would be the number for the youth!Listen to it and have fun!

2.Aaja Nachle Reprise: Thank God! it is different from other remixes.Another fantastic number which says, Come Let's Dance! Well sung by Sunidhi Chauhan.Real nice...Have fun listening to it!

3.Show Me Your Jalwa:One of the most addictive albums is Show me your Jalwa rendered by Richa Sharma,Kailash kher,and Salim Merchant.This number is going to hummed by everyone even kids!More than a song it is a narrative fun story! Nice fun one.....nice lyrics.. Bahot hi Khoob!

4.Soniye Mil ja: The song begins with Madhuri's narration and continues in a nice celebration mood brought in by Sukhwinder Singh, and Sunidhi Chauhan.A thrilling number for the youth.

5.O Re piya:O re Piya, is sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan,nephew of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.A situational track with a blend of Qawwali.We need to hear it again and again to register it in our head!.Could have been better!

6.Dance with Me: An English song in a Hindi movie?Would we accept? Why not? It has a nice catchy beat and is sung by Sonia Saigal.But,it has the familiarities with 80's discos,and good one, but not a wow!

7.Is Pal: A nice romantic song in the album with the magical voices of Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal and sets of Yash Raj productions!Wow! What can u expect? Truly lovely song.

8.Ishq Hua: Shreya and Sonu Nigam have rendered this lovely song. Nice romantic album again,to be hummed by most of us..

9.Koi Pathar Se:This is a sad situational number,one of the weakest songs in the album.Not much to say!The singers Shreya, Sunidhi and Sonu did their jobs...

The songs are nice, but we have a lot of expectations for and from Madhuri! It could have been better....Enjoy the title song!



Meera says bye...............

Pediatricians to FDA: No cold medications for children under 6.

Read the report updated from CNN.....

Cold and cough medicines recently pulled from sale for infants and toddlers shouldn't be given to children as old as 5, either, pediatricians told government health advisers Thursday.

Some doctors say giving cold medicine to children is ineffective, and potentially dangerous.

The expert advisers to the Food and Drug Administration began a two-day meeting to consider a petition from the pediatricians that seeks in part a government statement saying the over-the-counter medicines shouldn't be used in children under 6 because they don't help them and aren't safe.

The FDA has yet to act on the petition, in part pending a recommendation expected late Friday from the joint panel of outside experts in pediatrics and nonprescription drugs, said the agency's Dr. Joel Schiffenbauer.

The meeting opens a week after drug makers pulled from sale oral cough and cold medicines for children under 2. The drug industry maintains the widely used medicines are safe and work but can lead to overdoses when misused in infants.

However the petitioners, including Baltimore city health officials, argue that the medicines not only don't work in children up to age 6 but that they can be dangerous as well.

"Are there safe and effective therapies for the common cold?" asked panelist Dr. Ruth Parker, an Emory University School of Medicine professor.

"Love. Liquids. That's what I recommend," said petitioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore's health commissioner and a pediatrician.

While the medicines have been marketed for use in children for decades -- ad spending now is roughly $50 million a year -- it has long been acknowledged there is negligible or no data from studies in the very young to show they are safe and work. Worse, some studies suggest the medicines are no better than dummy pills in treating cold and cough symptoms in young children, the petitioners said.

"When a treatment is ineffective, its risks -- if not zero -- always will exceed its benefits," said Dr. Michael Shannon, a Children's Hospital Boston pediatrician and Harvard Medical School professor who was another of the petitioners.

The drugs -- they include some Dimetapp, Pediacare, Robitussin and Triaminic products -- have never been tested in children, which a previous FDA panel noted as long ago as 1972. Drug makers instead have used extrapolated data from studies in adults to come up with dosing recommendations based on a child's age or size.

While the focus of the petition and the FDA is on children under 6, the joint panel of experts will be asked if there's evidence that these drugs work in children up to age 12.

The medicines are widely used, with an estimated 95 million packages sold for infant and toddler use each year.

"If these medicines are allegedly not effective or materially unsafe, how is the purchase of millions -- hundreds of millions -- of doses by parents explained?" asked Dr. George Goldstein, the panel's nonvoting industry representative.

Dr. Dan Levy, president of the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said parents buy the medicines for their children because they want quick results. Earlier, Levy also said parents buy the medications for emotional reasons -- out of fear, vulnerability and caring.

The recently pulled medicines had recommended parents "ask a doctor" before giving them to children under 2.

"We all have a lot of friends who call up their pediatricians and the pediatricians tell them to take the drugs," said panelist Ralph D'Agostino, a Boston University public health and statistics expert.

Moms and Dads, please be careful.....

Meera says bye!

FDA hearing on cold and cough medications.

Story highlight: Please be careful while using cold and cough medication for your infant or toddler.

I was shocked to read this article on CNN that said- " Child death leads to hearing on cold cough medications."This is a true story of a family which has faced such a disaster, a shock,a wound that would never heal.Devon Mehlberg was 4 months old when he caught up with a cold. As any mother would do, Dimitri Alvarez went to the doctor's office.The doctor advised to give an over the counter cold and cough medicine. Dimitri followed the instructions properly and medicated her child, just to see it dead, after a few mornings! After further detailed investigations, lab tests showed that the cause of death was "Dextromethorphan intoxication." That is, Devon could not metabolize one of the key ingredients of the medicine.

It is said that in the past 2 years around 1500 infants have been rushed to emergency rooms,because they showed bad reactions after having a cold medication.Also reports indicate that between 1969-2006 around 54 infants have been reported dead due to the use of decongestants and 69 dead with the use of antisthamines. The Food and Drug Administration would meet this Thursday to discuss about the use of over the counter medicines for the children under the age of 6.In August this year ,the Federal Health Officials recommended the use of "Consult your Doctor" labels on medical products.

All mothers please be careful when administering drugs to your kids.Check a dozen times with your doctor!

Meera signing off now.......Stay tuned.

Hype! Hype! too muchof Hype!

Just watch this publicity report of Saawariya and Om Shanti Om from NDTV.I hope both the movies fulfill our expectations of having 3 hours solid entertainment! Both the movies are the hottest topics now..... Too much is Scary...!hihihi


Meera says bye.........stay tuned!