I Dreamed A Dream...

The latest U Tube singing sensation, Susan Boyle, 47, has taken the world by storm with her perfect performance of "I Dream A Dream" from Les Miserables at Britain's Got Talent Reality show recently (see link below):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

The audience's initial response to Susan was cruel. When the 47-year old frumpy and goofy looking spinster from West Lothian, Scotland, which she described as a collection of villages, appeared on stage and said she dreamt of singing like Elaine Page, many in the audience snickered and talent judge Simon Cowell rolled his eyes. However, when she opened her mouth and belted the first few lines...the audience were ecstatic with appreciation of her moving, emotional and uplifting performance. The rest, as they say, is history.

Starmaker Simon Cowell is now thinking of pairing Susan with Paul Potts, last year's Britain's Got Talent winner, to sing a duet. Potts, an obscure cell phone salesman, shot to stardom when he won the talent show with his operatic voice.

"Don't judge a book by its cover" comes to mind when one reflects on the moral of this story. However, the sad reality is that in today's age- and looks-obsessed world, talent often takes a back seat if it is not packaged with youth and looks.

Susan first sang "Cry Me A River" in a church charity CD in 1999 but did not make any impact at that time, probably also due to inadequate marketing. With the advent of Internet marketing tools, a star is born!

http://www.susan-boyle.com/video/Susan-Boyle-Cry-Me-A-River-HQ

Culture Shock In Makkah...

It is the holiest place in Islam where people from all over the world come to perform their religious obligation - the Hajj. It is also a place where believers perform the 'Umrah which is considered a 'mini' Hajj. I had been warned by many (including my mother) who have been to Makkah that I can expect to be pushed and shoved by the crowd that are usually millions in number.

However, I did not expect to find people who are actually RUDE, and to make it worse, they are women. There were many occasions when late-comers would push their way to get a place in the congregation that is already in line for the prayers. Instead of nicely asking to be accommodated in the line, they would just push others and loudly scold in their mother tongue if we don't give way; as if they have more right to the place than the rest of us who made the extra effort to be early.

I have been warned that these are "tests" to our patience which we should take in our stride and we should not get angry but it is humanly impossible not to be angry. Would you not be angry if someone crosses over/pushes your head while you are prostrating in your prayer? Or if someone crosses over your bag placed in front of you that holds the holy Quran?

There was one occasion when the mosque was packed and I had to pray on the steps of the mosque (in the women's section) as I had just completed the Tawaf. A group of Middle Eastern men wanted to pass in front of me and although they were able to do so, they insisted that I stand up and make way for them. I gestured in sign language that they could pass without my having to stand but they started abusing me in their mother tongue (I knew they were abusive from their facial expressions) so I had to give way. I should not have been surprised by their behavior as women have no standing in their society, but it still makes me wince thinking about how I was treated.

There are separate Zam Zam drinking stations outside Masjid al-Haram for men and women but the men over-ran the women's station and when women tried to go near, they were shooed away as if they had no right to be there. There were police personnel around but no one made any attempt to tell the men they don't belong there.

I could not help but wonder why some people behaved the way they did in the house of Allah - Islam is a peaceful religion and if we submit ourselves to Allah and ask for his forgiveness, should we then turn around and abuse our fellow mankind?

Journey to the Holy Land

It was a journey I had planned to embark upon two years ago but had to be postponed due to unforseen circumstances so it was with trepidation that I made the journey to the Holy Land for the 'Umrah recently.

The 'Umrah (or Arabic: عمرة‎) is a pilgrimage to Mecca (now known as Makkah) performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year. In Arabic 'Umrah means “to visit a populated place”. As a technical term used in the Shari’ah, 'Umrah means to perform Tawaf of Ka'bah and Sa'i between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, after assuming Ihram, either from a Miqat or a place in Hill.

It is sometimes called the 'minor pilgrimage' or 'lesser pilgrimage', the Hajj being the 'major' pilgrimage and which is compulsory for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it. The 'Umrah is not compulsory but highly recommended and is a good preparation for the Hajj.

We left KLIA at about 3.30 p.m. and arrived at Jeddah at around 8 p.m. After collecting our luggage, we took off on a five-hour-plus journey by bus towards Madinah.

En route, we stopped at an R&R in the middle of nowhere - we dubbed this the P&P (Padang Pasir) stop - and had our first taste of things to come. The place offered only Middle Eastern food such as rice and bread with grilled chicken or lamb...at exhorbitant prices. A plate of rice with a half small-sized chicken cost RM17 and a glass of sweet tea cost RM2 (the current Saudi Riyal ex-rate is on par with the Ringgit). The helping of rice is very generous; enough for three adults but with a half small-sized chicken, it was only adequate for two adults.

We arrived Madinah Al-Munawarrah (literally: Glittering Madinah) at 2 a.m. the next day and all of us were exhausted from the 8-hour flight and 5-hour bus ride. Our hotel was located about 300 meters from the Prophet's Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi).

Masjid al-Nabawi at dawn

By the time we checked-in, it was about 3 a.m. and outside the hotel, we could see streams of people heading towards Masjid al-Nabawi for subuh (dawn) prayers which starts at 4 a.m.

Masjid al-Nabawi is the second holiest mosque in Islam and the second largest mosque in the world after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. It is the final resting place of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Masjid al-Haram in Mecca is the holiest and the largest mosque and the Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem is the third holiest in Islam.

The first time I stepped into Masjid al-Nabawi was an awesome experience - the marble architecture is magnificent and it is large enough to hold a congregation of more than a half million people. Praying at the mosque for the first time was also an emotional experience; it gives one a sense of closeness to the Creator and I felt at peace with myself. There was nothing else to think about except to prostrate towards Ka'bah and ask Allah for his forgiveness and blessings.

The magnificent architecture of Masjid al-Nabawi

While in Madinah, we visited several historical sites:

Jabal Uhud (Uhud Mountain)

The historic Battle of Uhud was fought between the non-believing Quraysh tribe of Makkah and the Muslims of Madinah in the vicinity of Jabal Uhud. This war was revenge by the Qurayshis for their earlier defeat at the Battle of Bad'r.

At Uhud Mountain, fifty bowmen were stationed as a line of defence with specific instructions to hold their line whether they won or lost, until further instructions. A fierce battle ensued and the Muslims fought valiantly although they were outnumbered. As they were winning the battle, the sight of the fleeing Qurayshi army was too much for most of the faithful.

Before them lay the booty of the Qurayshi army and ignoring the insturctions of their commanders, they rushed to claim their share. Even the bowmen left their assigned positions to join in the search for the spoils of war.

The Qurayshi army took advantage of this indiscipline and attacked the high ground, and quickly broke through what was left of the Muslim defensive formation.

Jabal Uhud is in the background

Al-Qiblatain Mosque (Mosque with Two Qiblahs)

We did not visit Al-Qiblatain Mosque in Madinah; however it was pointed out to us. It is one of the oldest mosques in Islamic history. It is the mosque in which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was commanded to face the Ka`bah in his Prayers instead of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. Al-Qiblatain Mosque is thus uniquely structured with two mihrabs (Arabic for: niche indicating the direction of Makkah), one facing Makkah and the other facing Jerusalem.

Rawdah

The heart of the Masjid Al-Nabawi houses a very special but small area named ar-Rawdah an-Nabawiyah, which extends from Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) tomb to his pulpit. Close companions of the Prophet, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and Umar ibn al-Khattab, who fought the Battle of Uhud with him, were buried in an adjacent area.

Pilgrims attempt to visit and pray in ar-Rawdah, for there is a tradition that supplications and prayers uttered here are never rejected. Entrance into ar-Rawdah is not always possible (especially during the Hajj season), as the tiny area can accommodate only a few hundred people.

The Rawdah is opened to female visitors from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily and the pushing and shoving to get inside was a monumental test of patience. As a few of us had our cameras and handphones, I was forced to wait outside for one a half hours with the cameras and handphones to allow the others to pray at the Rawdah before I could go in.

Group photo before entering the Rawdah

Before leaving Madinah for Makkah, we prayed at the Rawdah one more time as farewell and to request Allah to enable our return for another visit.

Miqat

We stayed in Madinah for 2 nights and on the third day, we proceeded to Makkah by bus at about 3 p.m. At this time, we were in Ihram, a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the Hajj/Umrah. A pilgrim must enter into this state before crossing the pilgrimage boundary, known as Miqat, by performing the cleansing rituals and wearing the prescribed attire.

For men, the Ihram is an unhemmed white wrap-around robe held by a belt. It is to signify that all men are equal before Allah and it is unhemmed similar to the white cloth Muslims are wrapped in for their burial. For the women, Ihram is typically a long, white robe although they are free to choose other colors as well. We stopped for Miqat by performing prayers at Bir Ali Mosque, about 9 k.m. from the city of Madinnah.

Masjid Bir Ali

From Bir Ali onwards to Makkah, the entire busload recited the Talbiyah, which is a prayer invoked by pilgrims as a conviction that they intend to perform the Hajj only for the glory of Allah. Talbiyah is repeatedly invoked during theHajj/'Umrah, upon putting on the Ihram, so the pilgrims can purify and rid themselves of worldly concerns. This ritual was spiritually uplifting as we continued our way towards Makkah.

The text of the talbiyah is:

Labbaika Allahumma Labbaik. Labbaik La Shareeka Laka Labbaik. Innal-Hamdah, Wan-Nematah, Laka wal Mulk, La Shareeka Laka.

Translation:
"Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Thy service and Thou hast no partners. Thine alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Thine alone is The Sovereignty. Thou hast no partners."

We arrived at Makkah Al-Mukarrama (literally: Honoured Makkah) at about 9 p.m. After checking into our hotel, we freshened up and had dinner before performing the 'Umrah at Masjid Al-Haram (the Grand Mosque).

Masjid Al-Haram by Night

Five Star hotels have sprouted at the doorsteps of Masjid Al-Haram

Tawaf

The Umrah ritual starts with a prayer and then we proceeded to do the Tawaf (طواف) around the Ka'bah. The Tawaf is one of the rituals of the Hajj and 'Umrah. Pilgrims are to circumambulate the Ka'bah (the holiest building in Makkah) seven times, in an anti-clockwise direction.

The circling is believed to demonstrate the unity of the believers in the worship of the One God, as they move in harmony together around their central shrine, while supplicating to God "Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik". During this time, Muslims also pray for forgiveness and it is believed that supplications and prayers uttered here are never rejected by Allah.

We completed the Tawaf at about 1 a.m. and inspite of the late hour, the crowd was massive. There must have been about 1 million people when we were there, inspite of this being the low season for pilgrims to visit Makkah.

As a consquence, we were pushed and shoved by larger sized Arabs and others as pilgrims try to get as close as possible to the Hajar-ul-Aswad (Black Stone) in the eastern corner of the Ka'bah. When pilgrims circle the Ka'bah during Tawaf, many of them try, if possible, to stop and kiss the Black Stone, emulating the kiss that it received from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). If they cannot reach it, they are to point to it on each of their seven circuits around the Ka'bah.

After Tawaf with the Ka'bah in the background

Sa'ee (or Sa'i)

Sa'i (ritual walk) is done seven times between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, which are now housed in a long gallery within the Masjid Al-Haram.

In Islamic tradition, Prophet Ibrahim was commanded by Allah to leave his wife Siti Hajar and their infant son alone in the desert, with only basic provisions, to test their faith. The desert place was between the Al-Safa and the Al-Marwah hills. When their provisions were exhausted, Siti Hajar went in search of help or water.

To make her search easier and faster, she went alone, leaving the infant Ismail on the ground. She first climbed the nearest hill, Al-Safa, to look over the surrounding area. When she saw nothing, she then went to the another hill, Al-Marwah, to look around.

While Siti Hajar was on either hillside, she was able to see Ismail and knew he was safe. However, when she was in the valley between the hills she was unable to see her son. Thus Siti Hajar would run while in the valley between the hills and walk at a normal pace while on the hillsides.

Siti Hajar travelled back and forth between the hills seven times in the scorching heat before she returned to Ismail. When she arrived, she found that a spring had sprouted forth from the crying baby kicking at the sand with his feet. This spring is now known as the Zam Zam Well and there is an endless supply of Zam Zam water for pilgrims to drink at the mosque.

The distance between Safa and Marwah is about 450 meters so that seven trips amount to roughly 3.15 km. Pilgrims are expected to walk although the infirmed may use wheelchairs which can be rented with someone pushing for 40 Saudi Riyals for the entire ritual. Men are required to slowly sprint between the two hills, to emulate Siti Hajar's run when searching for water.

Pilgrims performing the Sa'ee

We completed the 'Umrah ritual by 3.30 a.m. and stayed on in the mosque to await the Subuh (dawn) prayers which start at about 5 a.m. After prayers, we returned to the hotel for breakfast and crashed for the rest of the morning (by that time, we had been awake for more than 24 hours!) before mid-day prayers at 12.30 p.m.

The following day, we decided to perform another 'Umrah (there are no limits on the number of 'Umrahs one can perform, the more the better). This time, we went to the town of Ta'naim (one of the boundries of the sacred territory of Makkah) for the Miqat. Ta'naim is about a 10-minutes bus ride outside of Makkah and the fare is 2 SR. For the third 'Umrah, we went to the historic town of Ja'aranah where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had his Miqat.

The rest of our stay was spent praying at Masjid Al-Haram with some sightseeing in between.

Jabal Al-Rahma (Mountain of Mercy)

Jabal Al-Rahma is a hill in the Plains of Arafat outside Makkah from which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gave his last sermon 14 centuries ago. Pilgrims visit the Plains of Arafat before proceeding to Mudzalifah for the stoning of the Devil.

This is considered the highlight of the Hajj. Pilgrims must spend the afternoon within a defined area on the plain of Arafat until after sunset. No specific rituals or prayers are required during the stay at Arafat, although many pilgrims spend time praying, and thinking about the course of their lives. If a pilgrim does not spend the afternoon on Arafat, then their pilgrimage is considered invalid.

Colorfully-decorated camels available for rides at the foot of Jabal Al-Rahma

We spent the next six days in Makkah praying at Masjid Al-Haram and shopping for souvenirs in between. These shopping trips, mainly by the ladies, became known as Tawaf Kedai.

The 'Umrah trip, although exhausting, is an eye-opening experience for me. It is a test of patience (being jostled in the crowd), stamina (making 10 daily trips to the mosque and back to the hotel - a distance of about 700 meters each way), goodwill (at the Zam Zam drinking stations, although it was my turn, I had to hand out drinks to hands reaching out behind me) and discipline (waking up at 3 a.m. every day to make sure we get a place at the mosque for Subuh prayers). Before leaving Makkah, we did a final Tawaf.

I now have a better appreciation of the rituals of the Hajj/'Umrah and their significance and I look forward to performing the Hajj in the near future...insya'allah.

You Know Times Are Hard When....

Life's Journey...

While I was consoling a bereaved ex-colleague whose husband had passed on, my mobile phone beeped with the message that another friend from way back when also passed on in Kelantan.

This evening, I am going to the hospital to visit a friend's daughter whose newborn baby, her fourth child, was warded due to breathing difficulties and who, hereself, had been warded due to post-partum blues.

The deceased were in their late fifties while the young mother is in her mid-thirties.

The wheel of life goes on...what goes up must come down...the once young and nubile is now old...and the healthy becomes sick. The cycle is unstoppable; we just have to go with the flow...and hope that our time on earth does not come to naught...aah...life's journey!

Rusty Rollers

It is a game I used to excel at more than twenty years ago and I have many trophies to show for my competitive standing back then. So, when a friend asked me to participate in a ten-pin bowling competition last week-end, I did not hesitate. I managed to coax two of my friends, Audie and Mahani, to join me in forming a team.

My bowling bag, which can accommodate two balls, had to be dusted and cleaned as it had gathered dust and cobwebs in the store room. Two balls, why would one need two balls to bowl? Well, according to the pros, one ball is for strikes and the other for spares but it turned out that strikes and spares were few and far between on that day.

We went to the bowling alley early so as to practice because we did not want to be an embarassment since all of us had not bowled for years. Our scores were not too bad so we were really looking forward to the competition.

There were 100 competitors, men and women, and the women were given a handicap of 20 pinfalls as we had to compete with the men. Each competitor had to bowl 3 games.

We did not do too badly considering that we were competing against regular bowlers but during the second game, aches and pains started to surface. It was a torture to finish the third game and boy, were we glad when we did!

Including the practice games, I had bowled a total of 5 games. Assuming that I needed two throws for every frame and spared in the last frame, I would have swung my ball 105 times for the 5 games. To put it in perspective, swinging a 13-pounder 105 times and balancing on one knee when delivering the ball can cause all kinds of aches - to the thighs, upper arms, neck and back!

The real impact of bowling 5 games was felt the next day - I came down with the flu while the other two had to take painkillers just to be able to move around. Moving around felt like a robot due to all the stiffness!

Much as we had a lot of fun during the game, we all unanimously agreed on one thing - NEVER AGAIN!

My Favorite Things

Those of you who had seen the movie "Sound of Music" must remember the song "My Favorite Things" in that movie made popular by actress/singer, Julie Andrews. Ms. Andrews turned 69 recently and to commemorate her birthday, she made a special appearance at Manhattan 's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favorite Things" with lyrics appropriate for a 69er. Sing it, and you will see how hilarious the song is!

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,

Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,

Bundles of magazines tied up in string,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,

Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,

Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,

These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, when the bones creak,

When the knees go bad,

I simply remember my favorite things,

And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,

No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,

Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin',

Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',

And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,

When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, when the hips break,

When the eyes grow dim,

Then I remember the great life I've had,

And then I don't feel so bad.

Well, Ms. Andrews....the truth sure hurts....ouch!

Recession...

While developing countries are now gripped by the worst recession since the Great Depression, Malaysians are being lulled into a false sense of security with our government assuring us that our economic fundamentals are strong, tourist arrivals from the USA have not declined, etc. so let us hope that the rakyat will not be in for a rude shock when (more likely than "if") it happens...

Hell Hath No Fury...

The current global economic crisis has caused many people's lives to turn upside down - from home foreclosures, suicide due to failed investments, the unravelling of investments scams and most recently, the death of a woman involved in a 5-corner fight over the affection of a lover.

A wealthy Chinese enterpreneur by the name of Fan is married and has five (yes, you heard it right, five) mistresses! Each is provided with a monthly allowance of 5,000 yuan (RM2662) and rent-free apartment. When Fan's business ran into trouble due to the financial crisis, he decided to dump all but one of the mistresses - but which one should he keep?

Fan thought of a novel way to lay off four of the women. He held a beauty contest at a private hotel judged by an instructor from a modelling agency. None of the women knew about his intentions. A waitress by the name of Yu was the first woman to be eliminated and the contest was eventually won by a woman named Liu after she won the drinking round.

Yu decided to exact revenge when she was told that she was being dismissed and the apartment she lived in was to be sold. During a group outing, she drove Fan and her four rivals off a mountain road. Yu was killed in the accident while Fan and the four other women were hospitalized. A letter written by Yu was found after the accident which led to the unravelling of the bizarre contest.

Fan paid Yu's parents 580,000 yuan (RM308,847) after the accident as compensation for her death. His wife divorced him and the other four mistresses also left him.

The moral of the story?.....hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!

On Divorce...

It seems that technology is touching every aspect of our lives - even divorces! Neil Brady, a 39-year-old Briton ended his six-year marriage by making an announcement on Facebook. His wife, Emma Brady, 35, only found out about her husband’s intentions when he changed his Facebook status to read, “Neil Brady has ended his marriage to Emma Brady”. Emma only found out after a friend in Denmark called her up to see how she was coping.

Following this report in the local papers, Syariah lawyers have weighed in. And their views? Well, I am sure Muslim men would simply love this - as long as the words used leave no doubt as to the intent (such as I hereby divorce you with talak satu), then the declaration is accepted. It does not matter what medium is used to communicate the divorce (SMS or Facebook)...as long as it is communicated and the intent is clear, then it is acceptable. The issue of time lapse does not arise. If the husband posted his message on Facebook and the wife reads it a week later, the divorce is effective on the date of posting - how much easier can it get???

To my fellow Muslim sisters who are getting divorced, remember Ivana Trump's famous line - "Dont get mean - get everything!" Unfortunately, in many Muslim divorce cases, wives get a raw deal. Enforcement of Syariah court awards is lax and often times, the wife is left to shoulder the burden of raising the children. One lady's solution was to give up custody of children to her ex to make him financially responsible for the children - SAD!

Financial Smooth Operators!

Kazutsugi Nami - Japan's Bernie Madoff

The current financial crisis hitting the globe has unravelled yet another financial scam - this time in Japan. Kazutsugi Nami, chairman of a now-bankrupt bedding company, L&G (Ladies & Gentlemen!) has scammed about 37 thousand investors of US$1.4 billion in the biggest ever pyramid scheme with promises of building a paradise on Earth for investors, some of whom called him "divine".

Nami wooed his so-called 'shareholders' by building a cult-like status, saying he had a 'divine decree' to 'eliminate poverty from this world'. Nami was so charismatic that investors worshipped a 'Nami cult'. Investors were promised annual returns on investments of 36%! Most of the victims were housewives and elderly investors, some of whom risked all of their retirement savings.

For investments of 100,000 Yen and above, Nami introduced a virtual currency called enten (divine yen) that could be loaded on to mobile phones and used to purchase items from an Internet site. However, in 2007, the Company informed all investors that their investments would be converted to enten and this led to a deluge of requests to cancel contracts and even lawsuits demanding the return of principal investments.

The parallel between Nami and Bernie Madoff? They were both smooth operators, they moved in the higher echelons of society and they wiped off dreams of gullible investors!

Movie Review - Changeling

This movie is based on a true story of a single mother, Christine Collins, whose only son, Walter, was kidnapped in Los Angeles in the 1920s. The story is about a mother's fight to find a missing son and in the process, she helped expose a corrupt and inept Police Department - the LAPD.

Months after Walter's disappearance, police found a boy who claimed to be Walter. When he was reunited with Christine, she was convinced that he was not her son. However, as the reunion took place with the police and the press present, she had no choice but to take the boy home.

As Christine continued her efforts to find Walter and decided to give a press conference, she became an inconvenience and embarrassment for LAPD. The powers that be slandered her as an unfit mother and eventually, she was forcibly incarcerated in a mental hospital where she had to endure inhumane treatment as she fought to prove that she did not belong there.

Christine's cause was championed by a local activist, Reverend Briegleb, who hosted a radio talk show. Through the show, he helped to garner public support for LAPD to find the real Walter.

The case took a strange twist when a young boy was arrested for illegally entering the country. Before being deported to Canada, he confessed that he had helped a serial killer kill young boys on a remote ranch - could Walter be one of the serial killer's victims?

Angeline Jolie gave a convincingly moving performance as Christine Collins. She was able to portray the pain and torment of losing one's son and being ridiculed by the powers that be as one who was mentally unfit. This is a movie worth seeing.

Movie Review - Slumdog Millionaire

SM is the story of an 18-year old Mumbai slum dweller, Jamal Malik, who participated in the Indian version of the TV reality show, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire." He was just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million Rupees. When the show broke away for the night, he was arrested by police on suspicion of cheating for it was unthinkable that someone who grew up in the slums could know so much.

To prove his innocence, Jamal recounted the adventures of his life in the slums with his brother Salim and a girl called Latika, the love of his life. By sheer coincidence, the events of his life somehow provided the answers to the questions that were asked on the show. So the movie scenes alternate between Jamal on the game show and the story of his life, in flashbacks - by the way, in case you don't know, no Bollywood movie is complete without flashbacks!

The verdict? SM is an over-rated movie with a far-fetched storyline cleverly marketed by Westerners.