Meandering Through Twilight: Zindagi kaisi hai paheli haaye, kabhi ye hasaaye, kabhi ye rulaaye...

Manna Dey must have sung this beautiful song for the movie Anand thinking about the on-screen story of Rajesh Khanna back then in 1970, but 34 years later this song exactly describes my mixed emotions after attending the Mumbai Zee Zindagi #Jodeydilonko Indiblogger meet..

At the Zee JodeyDilonKo meet

It was undoubtedly one of the bigger events of the recent times with Zee launching a brand new channel “Zindagi”, a reflection of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), one of India's leading television, media and entertainment companies’ corporate philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' meaning "The World Is My Family'. The channel will bring international content to India with an underlying theme that people may be culturally different, celebrating different festivals, living across borders, however the stories of our lives which are universal bind us together and bring us closer. Hence, the positioning: 'Zindagi- Jodey Dilon Ko'.

The beautiful hall at the Hotel Leela in Mumbai for the meet

Zindagi aims to showcase Real, Friendly, Vibrant and Premium stories and will engage and interact with its audience through diverse shows written by award-winning novelists, literary stalwarts and many of these shows are adapted from famous novels and books.

The event itself was an attempt by Zindagi and Indiblogger at joiing the hearts of people from two totally different cities of India in all aspects, Delhi and Mumbai. With the bloggers spanning a whooping 501 seats and still these were all occupied before the launch itself, was a testimony of how popular the theme and Indiblogger events are across the cities.

Bloggers from Delhi and Mumbai registered themselves for the Indimeet

1. In the beginning(with registrations and a sumptuous meal.. :-P ):

The meet was scheduled at 12. However enthusiastic bloggers from both the cities began thronging the Leela Kempinski Hotel at Mumbai and the Taj Mahal hotel in Delhi much before the scheduled time. Finally, the meet opened with registrations and to the delight of the Indibloggers for a lovely lunch spanning a nice spacious lobby arranged by the indiblogger team. In addition to the lovely Indian veg starters and main course, there were mouth-watering desserts too! The bloggers ate to their hearts content..

Sumptuous lunch was served at the meet venue

2. A Tale of two cities:

Quite Literally!! The event began to an energetic note as the lovely hosts and dost Anup and Nihal were running the show from Mumbai and Delhi respectively..Anup could’nt help but take a couple of friendly digs at Nihal for his dull-in-response Delhi bloggers, to which the Delhi bloggers replied with a huge roar to beat Mumbai’s decibels.

Decibels soaring at the meet!

Then there were fantastic prizes given to bloggers for their awesome photographs clicked in outside cities, to which the audience was entertained by some interesting stories revolving around pics of bloggers over Mumbai and Delhi. This was followed by a debate between the two cities on topics like which city had better looking men, better fast food, better climate on which people came up with some common and some exteremely funny and interesting propostions. Finally thw winner as expected was adjudged as Mumba for its enthusiastic participation in the debate and great refute points.

Bloggers Delhi v/s Mumbai fighting it out at the debate!!

3. Dil Mil Gaye:

It was a time for Hud- Hud moment(a signature step of indibloggers which symbolises their energy) before inviting the lovely Zee Zindagi team on the stage. And then came the biggest surprise of it all, the entry of famous Pakisani TV star Imran Abbas who ignited the stage with his lovely energy and great looks.

Imran Abbas at the launch of Zindgi

4. Aisa Des hai mera!!

This famous song in Veer-Zaara movie was sung beautifully by Imran who enchanted the 500+ aduidence with his super voice. As rightly pointed out by a blogger that it is high time talent from Pakistan got its due in the film industry across the globe..Imran was a testimony to that fact. The multi-talented star not only faced numerous controversial questions ranging from Indo-pak relationship to his own personal life with utter poise and diligence and entertained the audience thoroughly. He even let shutterbugs pose for pictures along with him and readily obliged to give his autographs to young desirous fans. Indeed dispayed a flavour of the fact that India and Pakistan are like two brothers of the same mother..

Imran Abbas enthralled the audience with his singing skills!!

5. The all new Zindagi channel- a relief from the daily saas-bahu soaps:

Unlike the usual saas-bahu daily soaps which are so prominent in Indian Television where the story is stretched like an elastic and the same Bunglows are repeated in every other show, Zindgi offers a host of refreshingly real experience of watching life on Televison. Shows like Zindagi Gulzar hai, Aunn Zara, Kaash main teri beti na hoti, and Kitni Girhain baaki hai all have been shot at real locations and with truly believable stories. A real change to the Indian housewives and couch-potatoes.

Zindagi is a boon to the Indian TV audience who need welcome change

6. The 1 to 10 game:

Post high tea it was time for the “One to ten” game, a favourite with the bloggers where the host asks the blogger to choose any number from one to ten and he may win-lose anything depending on his luck. It was an utter madness as bloggers fought to get the chance to be picked up by Anoop to choose the number. There were cool prizes to be won too..

Loads of fun and prizes to be one in the one to ten game!!

7. The traitor:

I like most other bloggers was as excited about me being selected to pick the number, which nearly happened, as Anoop pointed towards me and in his characteristic heavy accent “Hey ya, the one in black you choose” when shockingly on the same table a guy wearing a White shirt wuth just faint check printed on it, got up and within no time gave the answer and won a handsome Wildcraft Rucksack..Watch the delight on his face in the pic while receiving the rucksack! Hard Luck indeed!!

However I took it in a sporting way and I congratulated him on winning the rucksack just to be overjoyed the very next moment as my name was called up for a tweet and was overjoyed to win a flipkart voucher!! Indeed it was a sweet-sour day going on..

Traitor winning the Wild Craft rucksack, which could be mine :P

8. A memorable end!!

In the end, it was a great moment for Indiblogger, which is completing its 6^th year, as it celebrated by bringing the bloggers from different platforms all at one place and drew the curtains to the awesome event in the Hud-Hud pose- A trademark of Indiblogger!!