How did I miss this?

My weekly Google Alert on the search terms "Shahrukh Khan/Shah Rukh Khan" (oy, the things I'll admit in public) has alerted me to the fact that apparently the Israeli rhythmic gymnastics team performed a clubs and hoops routine at the Beijing Olympics to the music of Om Shanti Om, including musical bits of Dhoom Taana.

See articles http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2008/om-shanti-om-olympics-250808.html  and   http://sports.in.msn.com/olympics/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1647876.

A while ago I saw the youtube performance of the two dancers on that tv show So You Think You Can Dance, or whatever it's called, who also did a routine to Dhoom Taana, but the Olympics is something I actually watch. Eeeeeeeeeeee!

Update: I've finally found a clip of what must be the same routine from the European Championships. I don't think the first half of the music is from Om Shanti Om (it's hard to hear) but the second half is definitely Dhoom Taana.

And now I've found a better clip (and a better performance) from the World Cup(?).  [Random aside: If you want to see really good rhythmic gymnastics routines, however, check out the Russian, Chinese, and Belarus medal-winning 2008 Olympic performances.]

 

In other news, I'm working on a sort-of-review of the movie itself, Om Shanti Om, but I'm 1. slow and 2. lazy. It's kind of ironic that I haven't watched any Bollywood movies in the past two weeks because I've been too busy watching the Olympics instead, and yet still didn't see the Olympic Dhoom Taana performance.

This is deewani

I have a stack of knitting magazines sitting on my floor, unread. Not just a few, I'm talking eight or nine, and one more just came in the mail today. You'd think I would have read them right as soon as I got them, but no. (Instead, here I sit, watching the Olympics and writing pointless blogs.)

I can't bring myself to read all those magazines, because then I won't have any more knitting magazines to read. Either that, or I'm really, really, lazy.

Hindi Word of the Day Archives for July 2008

This month, I focused on names. Four out of every five of the words this month are actually names of either characters from movies, or of actors and actresses. Names are not usually translated in the subtitles of movies, so I had to do a lot of looking up in the dictionary this month. I apologize for any mistranslations.

My other mini-theme for the month is words that are the same or similar in Hindi and English. (Some of them are the same because they are both derived from Arabic or Persian.) And then there are a few random words rounding out the list.

shantii (calmness, quiet, peace)

shakti ( power, strength, energy)

shashii (the moon; see also chandaa, chandra)

rishi (a sage, a seer)

safarii (pertaining to a journey); safar karna (to make a journey)

geet, geeta (a song)

puujaa (worship, adoration of a deity, prayer)

priya (dear, beloved; agreeable, kind person)

preeti (love, affection)

duurdarshan (television [literally=far-sightedness, long-sightedness, foresight])

aishvaryaa, aishwarya (supremacy, dominion; superhuman quality, divine majesty; grandeur)

abhishek (anointing, usually with sacred water; investiture, consecration; religious ablutions, the ceremonial bathing of an idol)

jayaa, jaya (the victorious one: a title of several goddesses, including Parvati and Durga); also "Jaya Hind!" = "Long Live India!"

amitabh (supremely brilliant, magnificent); amit (immeasurable, incalculable)

zameen (earth, ground, soil); zamindar (landowner, landlord)

amaan (1. modest; 2. incalculable, vast)

rohan (rising)

amar (immortal; eternal)

aakash (1. space; 2. the sky, the heavens)

jangal (forest, woods; a wild, uninhabited place)

sharmiilaa, sharmila (bashful, shy; modest);

rakhee (a protective talisman)

rehkha (a line, streak, mark, sign; a line such as on the palm [figuratively=fate])

madhubaalaa, madhubala (bee attracted to honey);           maadhurii, madhuri (1. type of jasmine 2. sweetness; 3. charm); madhu-raaj (bee)

paajaamaa (loose cotton trousers)

amir (of rank or distinction; rich, wealthy)

roshan, adj. (light, bright, lighted); roshnii, noun (light; brightness; illumination)

akshay (imperishable; permanent, durable; undecaying)

anupam (incomparable; excellent, best)

sahraa (desert, wilderness)

raaj, raaja (king; prince; ruler); raanii (queen)

 

 

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Disclaimers:

I am not a native Hindi speaker. The words I list are either ones I have picked up by watching Bollywood movies or from perusing my Hindi reference books, including Teach Yourself Beginner's Hindi Script, Teach Yourself Hindi Dictionary, Teach Yourself Hindi Complete Course, Living Language Hindi Complete Course, and best of all, the enormous Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary. Despite all these reference sources, it is still totally possible that I read something wrong or misunderstood it--so keep in mind that this list is made by someone who's only been watching Hindi movies on a regular basis since November 2007 and has no previous experience with the language.