Musical Midnight; An Angry Sea...Prayer For Phuket

It's 5 am on July 16, 2015. I am sitting outside a pool villa in Pullman's Resort I'm Phuket, Thailand. The night shift for the film 'One Night Stand' is going on. The sea waves are lashing against the rocks underneath the Resort. They've been aggressive about displaying their passion for the last five hours or so. It rained as well for some time. Very strange sort of sounds are being made by animals. The entire area is totally swamped by trees. It is a forest area after all. I managed to sleep for maybe an hour or so. Over all it is a very unique experience that is surely unforgettable.

An hour before midnight, I ventured out of the Resort for a walk. I saw a small pub where a group of boys played live music. I listened to a boy belting out a Thai song while his friend played acoustic guitar. Somehow they could see that I'm passionate about music too. I sang a couple of songs with them, clicked pictures and shared them on instagram. It is great to make new friends. We were unable to communicate in the same language but the language of music is universal.

The sea waves are making outrageous sounds. Tsunami had struck Phuket in 2004. I just happened to see the video of what really happened that fateful morning on December 26 at Patong beach, Phi Phi Island and in Indonesia. It was absolutely devastating. It is kinda scary. Looking forward to the morning now. We must thank God for his blessings and pray that ourselves and our loved ones never fall prey to the havoc of Nature.

Stunning Nai Thon Beach, Playful Rain, Sand Castles For Posterity

It was a beautiful day. In every sense of the word. We spent the entire day at the majestic Nai Thon beach in Phuket. The waves roared all throughout the day and the white-foam-aided-green-water held me captive. There's so much to discover, for each sea wave is different from the other. The forever energetic zeal is infectious.

The interesting part was that rain once again played games with us. I did a couple of interviews while it rained gingerly. While we had an awesome desi lunch, we were treated to a sharp spell of rain and we ate amidst spraying-n-flying rain drops. It was simply fascinating. And romantic to the core.

The sea was choppy. The waves naughtily engulfed me as I stepped somewhat into the sea. I laughed-out-loud. The shoes were drenched and so was the jeans. It was difficult to walk on the soft sand as the legs got sucked inside. Nevertheless, it was an experience in self discovery. Watching various changing hues-n-shades of the sky and how it affected the sea colour was relaxing. Someone had made a sand castle. Before the high tide ruthlessly washed it away I quickly clicked its picture. We don't realise it but our lives are like sand castles that are destined to be washed away. Some sand castles are worth being documented and remembered for posterity. I hope I am one such sand castle.

Funny Rain, Frothy Sea, Communication Issues

It is funny how the rain in Phuket hammers down in a sudden gush. The God's rain machine doesn't change gears, it just directly hits the top gear. If you're out in the open, be rest assured that you'd get drenched. And it was a rainy day out here. The even more funnier aspect is that it usually doesn't rain for long spells. It pours heavily and within no time the heaven's flood gates close down.

We headed towards the location of the shoot of 'One Night Stand' at 5 am in the morning. The majestic sea welcomed with open arms with gushing white waves scampering towards the shore. During the course of the day, at many an occasion, I gazed at the frothy waves and the amazingly green water. It was very calming.

Whenever you visit new places, the charm lies in meeting new people and developing an insight into new cultures. The online production team from Thailand is comprised of hard working professionals. They are totally committed. Even when it's raining you could see the commitment they bring to the table. Language is an issue as most of the people don't speak or understand English and the ones who do understand and speak a bit of English aren't too proficient in communicating their thoughts.

Our video cameraman Tahir hurt his elbow today. The ice pack, the ointment and medicines are sorted but tomorrow morning will give a clarity on how his elbow will react. Hoping for the best, since for a video cameraman, right elbow is his bread-n-butter.

It has been a long day. Time to doze off and catch some sweet dreams. Good night!

Exotic Sea, Caressing Breeze, Priceless Images For The Memory Bank...

A good night's sleep after a tiring day of hectic travelling is the best recipe for getting into a good frame of mind. It was a bright and sunny morning and I leisurely prepared for the long day ahead. As we moved towards the location of the shoot of 'One Night Stand' the greenery all around calmed me immensely. The exotic resort (an hour's drive away from the main Phuket city) is simply breathtaking as you can see from the picture. The greenery all around seems to have reflected in the colour of the sea and the clarity in the water is hard to miss.

I spent most part of the day soaking in the glorious sea in my mind. I'm sure I shall revisit these fascinating images for a long time to come. I kept on observing the frothy waves and how they made circular jumps (each being different from the other). Post lunch I dozed off on a rocking chair. The cool sea breeze was very relaxing. As the sun prepared to descend, the sight of the placid ripples in the Resort pool overlooking the sea was another image that shall stay in my mind for ever. Apart from the work, I also caught up on some reading. I plan to read a lot more in the days to come.

The swim in the hotel pool later in the evening was very relaxing. After an early dinner, I am going off to sleep shortly since its going to be an early morning shoot tomorrow morning. Hope you're enjoying my Phuket diaries :-)

A Cloud Of White Beauty...Touchdown Phuket!

It was a very early morning, sunlight filtered through the emergency door window and I peeped out to look at the fascinating sight of cotton white clouds hanging in the air languidly. This image always leaves a lasting impact on my mind and I guess it is one of the reasons why I look forward to air travel. Even though I couldn't catch much sleep on the Mumbai-Bangkok overnight flight but the morning surely energised me. I was travelling by Bangkok Airways for the first time. Their on ground service in Mumbai wasn't impressive but their in flight service was really nice.

The flight was delayed by an hour and we had very less time for our connecting flight to Phuket. On top of it we also had to get our Visa-on-arrival at Bangkok Airport. It was rather swift but they took 1200 Thai baht for priority service but they gave a receipt of only 1000 baht. For a reputed international airport, it left a sour taste. Flight to Phuket is a breezy one hour. The distance of the main city from the airport is a good forty five minutes and the greenery on the way is definitely pleasant. It was hot and humid when we arrived in Phuket but half an hour later it was pouring heavily.

Indian food is a blessing whenever you're travelling to countries like Thailand, Singapore or Japan. Somehow the local food there isn't up to my liking at all. I'm glad we could have delicious Indian delicacies both for lunch as well as dinner. The remaining day was spent relaxing and getting acclimatised with the city. We shall start covering the on location of the Sunny Leone starrer film 'One Night Stand' from tomorrow. I really hope that we could find some time to check out the beautiful beaches nearby. Hearing great things about Phi Phi Island. Fingers crossed. Hopefully I'll be regular with my Phuket diaries too :-) Thanks!

Oasis Of Tepid Brightness

Oasis Of Tepid Brightness
By Faridoon Shahryar

Truth has turned into a Lie,
In this game of one upmanship
Aren't we deceiving ourselves;
The business of silence
Can be counter productive,
When the bloodshod eyes
Are hell bent on revenge
Maybe from their own weaknesses,
The wind knives through
The trembling breathlessness
Sleepless eyes blinded by tiredness
Darkness digs its claws
Deeper into an abyss of nothingness
Eyes pierce into the
Oasis of tepid brightness
When the road seems endless but its not,
A flicker of hope
Lights up in a heart
Determined to beat on,
When the Real stops being daunting,
The imagination takes over,
The Journey has just begun...

Sukoon bechain jab se hua hai

Sukoon bechain jab se hua hai
A Nazm by Faridoon Shahryar

Sukoon bechain jab se hua hai...Waqt ki dor bandh si gayi Hai/Aankhon mein neend ke siva na jaane kya kya manzar khaid hain...sukoon bechain jab se hua hai...

Dil machalta hai dhadakne ke liye, khwaab aahaten dastak dene se ghabraati hain, saanson mein siskiyon ki goonj larazti Hai...sukoon bechain jab se hua Hai

Dosti hisaab maangti hai guzre zamaane se, vo tafree ki daulat shaayad kaafi nahin thi, tijaarat rishton ki, daraaren paida karti Hai...sukoon bechain jab se hua Hai...

Muskurahaton ka sauda mehenga pada hamen, neeyat apni hi kharaab thi, ghair ko ilzaam dena vaajib nahin, Khayalon mein afra tafri ka ye silsila...sukoon bechain jab se hua Hai...

Sab kuch vaisa hi ho jaisa hum chaahen, ye to mumkin nahin...ek khaas pehchaan ki jaddo-jahad maqsad hai mera...sukoon bechain jab se hua Hai..