Last Diwali and my treasure trove!

Last Diwali, I hit upon a treasure trove of a sort! I was proudly reminiscing my childhood Diwalis to Arav. Where is Sholinghur, shot back my son! Is it in US (his favorite uncle lives there)? And that's when I thought it is time that I'd taken him to Sholinghur, which is approximately hundred and twenty kilometers from Chennai.

While Arav enjoyed the company of his uncle and nephews, I was busy rummaging through the old boxes stashed away in the attic, yearning for anything that would remind me of my childhood days at Sholinghur. Thanks to my brother, I spotted three of my diaries from 1988-90.

Here is a page from those diaries...!

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நண்பனின் சடங்கிற்காக போகும் அவசரத்திலும்

கூட்டுறவின் (பண்டக சாலை) விலைபட்டியலை 

நின்று நிதானத்துடன் பார்க்கும் 

நடுத்தர வர்க்கங்கள்!

தான் வேலை செய்வதற்காக கிடைத்த 

புதுக் கூடைக்காய் 

சந்தோஷப்பட்டு போகும் 

தெருபெருக்கும்

நகராட்சி ஊழியன்!

அழுது பின்னால் வரும் 

பிள்ளைக்கும் செவிகொடாது

2:30 சினிமா காட்சிக்காய்

பறக்கும் பவுடர் பூசிய அம்மா!

நகரத்திற்கு புதிதாய் வந்த

வேர்க்கும் வெயிலிலும்

மப்லரும் வானவில் 

கண்ணாடியும் அணிந்த 

கிராமத்து இளவட்டங்கள்!

இவர்களை 

ஏளனமாய் பார்த்து

சிரித்து போகும்

கல்லுரி இளைஞ்சிகள்!

மாடியில்

விசிறிக்கடியில் ஷெல்லி 

படிக்கும் தனக்காய் 

சந்தோஷப்படும் இளைஞன்!  

பொய்யான கோபத்துடன் 

இவைகளை வழக்கமாய் பார்த்துப்போகும் நானும்! 

இவைகளில் யார் அல்லது எது மாறும்!

குறிப்பு: எழுதியபோது வயது 16

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Manmadan Ambu

Finally they changed the posters for this Kamal starer from "80's Malayalam bit-padam poster look" to a decent one. Short of budget? Has anyone seen the movie, yet?

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Sarvam

It is not that everyday you get to see talent and hardwork wasted mindlessly. Amazing art direction, wonderful costumes and clever blend of graphics with choreography; none of this had a chance against an absurd storyline and screenplay.

In spite of their general inability to emote varied expressions, you expect to see the leads Arya and Trisha in better movies. Their experience in the industry must have taught them something when it comes to choosing the right movies to act!

Rupa says this movie is from the same director who did Pattial. Hard to believe!

Anyway, I walked out of the theatre with few unanswered questions, though. Was Trisha's death before the intermission as per the original storyline or she requested to be killed off the movie! Was Arya's poisoning his attempt to commit suicide for accepting to act in this movie or part of the original screenplay! I will never know!

Can there be a Obama without a Bush?

I'm not talking about the mere existence of these individuals. Can Mr. Obama be where he is today without Mr. Bush being what he is?

If you are a Tamilian, then you would read or at least heard of this twenty centuries old epic, Silapathikaram. If not, check this out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannagi.

As it goes in a Tamil cine song, had there been no Madhavi, then we would not be talking about Kannagi today; no epic would have been written to praise the virtues of Kannagi!

Had the American political and financial situation been different, had Mr. Bush not been there to screw up things for America, I don't believe a person from a minority community could have made it to the top. Lets face the reality! What is Mr. Obama? First generation immigrant? He was not even brought up in America during his formative years. Relatively inexperienced; less than five years as a law maker. And of course from a minority community. Who would have thought of this man becoming the president.

We have heard of people who destroyed their family (marriage) trying to shore up their career. How many of us have heard of a lady who saved her marriage to shore up her career? How was it possible for Mr. Obama to win over Mrs. Clinton who started out with a strong backing of the majority's support? If not for the mess supposed to have been created by Mr. Bush and the battered image of America all over the world and the possible American-guilt for the unwanted gulf war and cruelty to prisoners, I dont think Mr. Obama would have taken the most solemn oath!

The Americans and many around the world are waiting for a miracle! Poor man, no stress at all! I wish him all the best!

Paruthi Veeran

Have you seen Paruthi Veeran? This Tamil movie was released more than a year ago. It won some awards, national, state or something like that! It was praised for its offbeat storyline and realistic picturization of its characters. The hero, Karthik (his debut) and the heroine, Priya Mani, were congratulated for their stellar performances.

Well! it may be a great movie, but was it a great experience watching the movie? Let me express myself without using any expletives! Why on earth anyone would want to take a movie such as this one? In the name of being realistic, showing the murky miseries of human life does not make a movie great. I'm not exaggerating when I say, halfway through the movie I felt nauseous. Unfortunately, I did not realize, it was the movie that was sickening me until the movie reached its climax! It was too late by then; I could not shake off the depression. I stayed
sick for the rest of the weekend!

As if playing the movie once was not enough, one of the creatively retarded TV channels of Tamil Nadu has chosen this movie for special screening on this New Year day. Probably, they could not think of any other better and brighter ways of starting the New Year!

Anyway, I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year folks!

Gopallapurathu Makkal by K Rajanarayanan

I first read this novel, Gopallapurathu Makkal by K Rajanarayanan, when it was written as a series in a Tamil weekly journal, Ananda Vikatan. After many years, I found this novel as a book of fine printing from the publishing house Annam, at a makeshift bookstore. It is a master piece on the lives of Karisal region in Tamil Nadu.

The story starts at some point in the British-occupied India, when Gopallapuram, a remote village, was not yet impacted by the occupation. As a series of short stories is told, the plot slowly moves from one generation to the next. As the stories roll, we get a glimpse of the villagers' lives and their customs, indigenous and colorful.

The short stories are so rich and deep, they deserve to be novels in their own rights. One of the stories, that of Kittappan and Achindalu, their love for each other and their tradition-breaking reunion was told with a poetic beauty. There are very few authors that can handle the love-making of two animals and the longing of a lonely woman that happens to witness the intense act, without slipping into the realms of obscenity.

As the stories dwell into our nation's struggle for freedom, we get to see the then political events with new perspectives. Be it the hanging of Bhagat Singh or the functioning styles of Congress leaders or the beliefs of the communists or that of a deserted soldier, we get to see each event from a new angle.

In spite of the fine printing and quality packaging, the most I missed in the book are the drawings of Adimoolam, which featured every week in Ananda Vikatan and added an additional dimension to the stories.

This book is a Sakithya academy winner, a work that must be read by every Tamilian and if translated into other languages, by everyone.

Mind over matter

One of the very early works of Science fiction in Tamil may be attributed to Pudhumaipithan (புதுமைப்பித்தன்). In this Kapadapuram (கபாடபுரம்) written in 1945, a head with no-body lives, speaks and cracks jokes with the hero. One's body and it's parts perform acts to satisfy the needs of the brain. If the brain can achive it's needs in some other way then there is no need for the body. Taking it further, if the brain attains a state where it has no needs then there is no need for the body. The ultimate human evoluation?!

The Hindu, Friday, May 30, 2008: Two monkeys with tiny sensors in their brains have learned to control a mechanical arm with just their thoughts, using it to reach for and grab food and even to adjust for the size and stickiness of morsels when necessary, sceientsits have reported.

Science and Science fictions, what follows what?

Kannamoochi Enada

It’s been long since I have a seen Tamil movie in a theatre. If it wasn't for Rupa, I would not have gone for Kannamoochi Yenada (KE). It took us 25 mins on a Saturday late night to go from Valasaravakkam to Kilpauk; and 45 mins from outside the Abhirami mall to the parking lot.

It is a horrible horrible theatre; more about this sub-standard theatre later; anyways this blog isn't about the theatre but about KE.

It was a hilarious movie. If you like Crazy-Mohan-plots and dialogs, then this movie is for you. Though the plot is from Meet the Parents, Priya (the director) has given it a wonderful treatment to localize it. I wouldn't do justice unless otherwise I mention that the similarity between the two stops at a boy meeting his would-be-in-laws. While in KE it is a brahmin boy wanting to convince his egotistic non-brahmin would-be-FiL, in the Hollywood version it is a Jewish boy wanting to convince his suspicious would-be-FiL. Priya has taken the pains to inject life and "indi-a-viduality" to each character in the movie. She hasn't disappointed us. This movie is better than her first "Kanda Naal Mudhal".

This movie isn't about story; so I wouldn’t attempt to tell you one. It is all about a chain of stupid and funny events. However there are few things worth mentioning. Satyaraj and Sripriya's characters could not have been done by anybody else. They just fit in and live it. Prithviraj is doing great (is this his 3rd Tamil movie?) Sandya has the knack for finding roles that suits her.

Take it light on the dig at thayir/paruppu sadham, you'll enjoy the movie.