Maine abhii tak decide nahee.n kiyaa hai

Film : Road

Year of release : 2002

Spoken by : Babu (Manoj Bajpai)

Spoken to : Lakshmi (Antara Mali)

Babu convinces the young couple Lakshmi and Arvind to give him a lift. He then manages to shake off Arvind and makes off with Lakshmi. A scared Lakshmi is trying to figure out what he wants from her. At one point - exasperated - she asks

"lekin tum mujhse chaahte kyaa ho?"

Babu comes up with another classic line (like so many others that you can read by clicking on the Label at the bottom of this post)

"मैंने अभी तक decide नहीं किया है"
"maine abhii tak decide nahee.n kiyaa hai"

The line is part funny and part chilling - given the context of the film. This is a very common scenario in corporates. A tyrant of a boss and a traumatised employee. Finally the employee breaks down and asks - what is it that you really want? A great line if you are such a boss!

Yeh to cheating hai

Film : Road
Year of release : 2002
Spoken by : Babu (Manoj Bajpai)
Spoken to : Arvind Chauhan (Viveik Oberoi)

The road thriller once again. Arvind and Lakshmi have given a lift in their SUV to Babu. Once he is inside the vehicle, he says he is hungry. Arvind says they have some biscuits in the car. Babu is offended and says that biscuits are for dogs. He manages to convince them to stop at a roadside eatery (Dhaabaa). Do read this post for an interesting line when Babu orders food at the Dhaabaa.

When the couple realises that they have probably made a mistake by giving a lift to Babu, Lakshmi convinces Arvind to make some excuse and refuse to carry him any further. Arvind goes to Babu and says

"हमें राजगढ़ नहीं बस्सी जाना है"

And asks him to make his own arrangement. Babu comes up with this classic

"ये तो चीटिंग है"

He says that now that he has had a full meal and even gulped down a large glass of lassi (buttermilk), he cannot walk. And now Arvind tells him that he cannot give him a lift as originally planned. This according to him is 'cheating'.

Qutub minar par malaai maar ke le aa

Film : Road

Year of release: 2002

Spoken by : Babu (Manoj Bajpai)

Spoken to : Dhaba waiter

Manoj Bajpai excelled in this film as Babu, the criminal. The couple in love - Arvind and Lakshmi (Vivek Oberoi and Antara Mali) see the first glimpse of his darker side at the dhaabaa. They have given him a lift. He forces them to stop a dhaabaa saying he is very hungry. When the dhaabaa waiter comes to serve him, Babu asks him

"kyaa milegaa?"

The dhaabaa waiter says

"sab kuchh milegaa"

Babu responds with

"Qutub minar par malaai maar ke le aa"

"क़ुतुब मीनार पर मलाई मार के ले आ"

Now this is a perfectly normal joke, but it is the way Babu says it that underlines a certain menace to his character. He follows this line by asking the waiter boy why he had said 'sab kuchh milegaa'. The audience and the waiter boy both are very uncomfortable with this character called Babu by now. The young couple have started wondering now, but the full import will hit them soon after.

So. If you stop by at a restaurant where the waiter tells you 'sab kuchh milegaa' try this line. Unless you say it the way Babu says it, I think you will only generate laughter.

Us waqt tumhaare paas choice naheeN thii

Film : Road
Year of release : 2002
Spoken by : Babu (Manoj Bajpai)
Spoken to : Lakshmi (Antara Mali)

This was a line that I was looking for a long long time. It has special relevance for me. I will tell you why, later.

Road is a thriller which, as the name suggests, revolves around a road journey which becomes a nightmare. Babu, a criminal, takes a lift from Arvind (Vivek Oberoi) and Lakshmi. Halfway through the journey, he hijacks the Tata Safari along with Lakshmi, leaving Arvind stranded in the middle of the highway. He also develops a liking for Lakshmi and asks her would she have chosen Arvind if she had met both Babu and Arvind at the same time. As he puts it while describing the situation,

"तो तुम किसे पसन्द करतीं, उसे...या मुझे...उस वक़्त तुम्हारे पास चॉइस नहीं थी...सोच में पड़ गयी ना, जब चुनने का वक़्त आया...चॉइस चॉइस की बात है"

"to tum kise pasand karteeN, use ya mujhe...us waqt tumhaare paas choice naheeN thii. soch meN paD gayeeN naa, jab chunane kaa waqt aayaa. choice choice kee baat hai"

I have worked in the insurance industry where for over 50 years, the customers had only one service provider - LIC. And while peddling the private insurers products I often tell people, that they bought LIC when they did because

उस वक़्त उनके पास चॉइस नही थी