HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

So one more year is about to end and a new year is going to start.
Wishing everyone "HAPPY NEW YEAR"

Cinemascope-Looking at the movies of 2008

The initial list-"The Top Movies of 2008" had some of the movies that I liked. Once I finished writing that post realized there were lots of other movies that I enjoyed and totally forgot about:

Mithya:

Rajat Kapoor's movie with Ranvir Shourie, Nasiruddin Shah, Vinay Pathak and Neha Dhupia a story of double identities, amnesia, dons, intrigue, unrequited love and death. The part that I enjoyed most was Ranvir's Hamlet soliloquy in Hindi.

Eastern Promises:

London, the mob, Russian gangsters, lots of F words, punches and fights, couple of gross scenes and the final fight in the buff. Viggo Mortensen does a great job in David Cronenberg's violent gangster story.

Kannum Kannum:

A beautiful love story where sacrifice gains a new meaning. Prasanna in a great role. Beautiful cinematography no vulgar comedy or item-songs. A simple story told aesthetically. A pity that the movie was not a big hit.

Raman Thediya Seethai and Pirivvom Sandhippom:

With Cheran in both movies, the first one as an actor and the second one as both actor and doctor both movies were good family entertainers. The first one was the search of a man for a wife the second the problems faced by a city-bred woman coming to terms with a large joint family after marriage. Pasupathy excels as a blind radio jockey in Raman Thediya Seethai.

Alibaba:

Directed by a debutante and starring director Vishnuvardhan's brother Krishna, this is a really taut thriller. Just think you are a good for nothing thief who lives with his brother and father(also thieves). One day to your surprise you find that there are close to 40 lakhs in your bank account and with every passing day your bank balance keeps increasing. Then the fun starts young girls been raped and killed, a senior police officer being killed, the plot keeps thickening and just when you think that the climax is here, there is another twist. "Saroja" was OK with its thumping music track and Tom and Jerryish antics, but Alibaba really scores on the surprise factor.

Welcome to Sajjanpur:

When India's most acclaimed and respected director returns after a long gap and returns with a Malgudish comedy you are excited. This movie is a brilliant satire of the life and times of modern northern India the casteism, rogue politics, and development problems, Good performances by all and Shreyas Talpade keeps excelling with each movie. A must watch.

Taken:

I saw this on DVD. This stars Liam Neeson as an ex-CIA agent who works as a security guy along with his friends. He is separated from his wife but is close to his daughter. when his daughter goes on a pleasure trip to Paris and gets kidnapped. He returns to his super spy ways and tracks down his daughter's kidnappers who run an international prostitition and trafficking ring. Powerful performance by Neeson and good action sequences. Watch this movie when it hits the Indian theatres.

In Bruges:

Two assassins on a sight-seeing trip. A boss who is angry and wants to kill them. A midget who is an actor, a young woman who is a con. Great cinematography and background music. Directed by Martin McDonagh the movie stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes in one of the finest black comedies in recent times.

Remembering Moksh....

Mate! I know you are up there in the skies looking at the foolish antics of the gang down here. Mark got married this week. Arul and Towfik could not make it to the party. It was left to me to enliven the proceedings. I sung a song at a gathering after a really long time. Mark joined me too to the surprise of everyone. He started playing the drums and suddenly the flow came back. I sung "I will be there for you" remember it was the first song that all of us performed together. At the end of it there was lot of applause but no one could figure out why Mark and me were crying.

Moksh! even in your death you signified that we could be good and help each other. It was horrible to watch you die, with me on the bed next to you. I could hardly move with all the tubes and bottles attached to me. I don't know when I went into my anaesthetic-induced sleep. When my surgery had been done Arul said that you were dead. I wanted to cry but the tears did not flow. There was just silence and dejection.

The band broke, we went about with our studies, all of us have jobs now. Mark is in Bangalore. Towfik is in Delhi and Arul is in Sydney working on his research project.
I still look at the photos on Sunday afternoons and remember our jamming sessions. How Arul's dad would join us and sing with us. Mark's mother preparing sandwiches and cakes for us.

Mate! take care of all of us.
The gang salutes you as always!
Adios!

Merry Christmas!

Another Christmas has gone by. An unusually calm and silent one. I did not visit any of my friends or go to a movie. I just stayed at home reading a couple of books. I saw some movies on TV in the evening.

Chrismom/Chrispa

I got a beautiful leather planner with a pen as a gift from my Chrischild. I gifted my Chrischild a figurine of a dog and a greeting card. My Chrispa gave me a pen-stand and I gave him a pen. Coincidence!

We are having a New Year Bash this evening organised by the office management.

A PRAYER

A prayer for all those who lost their lives in the Tsunami. Four years have gone by-the memories of that dreaded day still haunt me.

Man may make great progress and claim to have conquered everything. But when Mother Nature decides to launch her fury we are nothing but helpless puppets.

Monday Morning Blues......

Waking up on Monday mornings and getting ready to start for office, I feel like Mark Twain's boy-hero Tom Sawyer. It is not that I hate my job or I am bored with what I do. It is the sheer necessity to get up from my bed.

For almost two years I worked in a KPO and worked at the oddest possible hours and my whole physiological system went for a toss. To report to work at 6:30 AM I had to get up at 3:45 AM so that I could catch the 4:35 train and reach office on time. Night shifts meant sleeping from 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM boarding the 8:30 PM train to report to office by 10:30 PM.

Now when I have got a job with regular working hours it takes a Herculean effort to get up at 6 AM. I do not know if it is because of the winter or if I have gone plain lazy. Somehow I just do not feel like getting up in the mornings.

The Top Movies of 2008

Wall-E
The Dark Knight
Anjaathe
Subramaniapuram
Taare Zamin Par
Rock On
Thirakadha
Verude oru Bharya

Wall-E-The beautiful presentation of a romance between robots. There is also the representation of the future where our planet is reduced to a gigantic dumpyard.

The Dark Knight-Brilliant performances by Heath Ledger as the sadistic psycopathic killer and Christian Bale as Batman.

Anjaathe-Good script, powerful characterisation, awesome acting by Naren Prasanna, and Ajmal, brilliant background score. A great entertainer.

Subramaniapuram-New director, new team, James Vasantham's melodious music, Kangal Irundal-the melody of the year, Swathi-best new face of 2008, good acting by Jai and Sasi(also the director). The movie had a huge overdose of violence but the presentation was impeccable with the 80's era recreated in detail.

Taare Zameen Par-Brilliant in every department. The kid Darsheel steals the show. A fantastic subject and Aamir gives a mellowed performance as an art teacher. Inspiring soudtrack by Shankar, Eshan and Loy.

Rock On-Farhan Akthar's debut in front of the camera, convincing singing by the lead artistes themselves and Arjun Rampal in a role that showcased his true potential. Peppy songs and the last rock show performance is the highlight of the movie.

Thirakadha-Ranjit strikes back as a great director with this tale based on the Kamal-Srividya relationship. Superb performances by Prithviraj, Priya Mani, and Anil Menon.

Verude oru Bharya-Jayaram's comeback hit that outdid everyone's expectations. The tale of a middle class family were the husband shies away from his responsibilities. A great performance by Navya Nair that might win her an award.

Sorry as I did not include Dashavatharam, Twenty:20 and many other blockbusters. At the end of the day it is not about box-office collections it is about matter and substance.

The Margazhi Season

The Margazhi season has started and lovers of Carnatic music have arrived in Chennai from all parts of the world. Events will be held in various auditoriums and sabhas in Chennai. Leading singers like Unnikrishnan, Balamuralikrishna, Yesudas, Nithyasree, Sudha Raghunathan, and many more whose names I do not know will be enchanting the audience.

If I get tickets and find time in my schedule and above all if the weather holds[everyday there is some cyclone alert-although after Cyclone Nisha things have been calm]I might go for a concert or two.

Musically yours....

41 and still counting.......

Yesterday when Kevin Pietersen set India a target of 386 runs with less than four full sessions of play, the chips were definitely in favour of England.

Sehwag and Gambhir began the chase in contrasting manners. Viru played as if there were no tomorrow and it was raining boundaries. At end of play on day four India had scored 131 runs for the loss of Viru's wicket. Viru laid the foundation for a possible Indian victory with a defiant 83 of 63 balls.

On day five Dravid's misery continued as he was out for 4 runs. Sachin and Gambhir consolidated the Indian chase before Gambhir was out for 66 runs. Yuvraj came out with immense pressure on him to deliver and under Sachin's patronage he produced a wonderful knock of 85 runs of 131 balls. As the afternoon progressed and the crowd continued its support with chants of "East or west Sachin is the Best," England lost all hope of winning the match.

Sachin in an extremely sedate manner reminding me of Dravid's double ton against Australia in 2003 scored the winning runs. He hit a boundary to score 103 and complete his 41st test century. His innings holds special significance as there were no sixes at all in it. Nine boundaries but we still love him for his passion and dedication. The victory is significant as this is the fourth highest successful run chase in tests.

Dhoni's winning run continues and Sehwag won the man of the match award for his blitzkrieg-like 83. One should feel sorry for Strauss who scored centuries in both innings but still ended up on the losing side.

The second test at Mohali is evenly poised. Let us see what happens.

Flock

No I am not using an incorrect expletive, I am using Flock a new browser that rocks and am blogging through Flock's integrated composition tool.

I am yet to figure out a lot of features but this indeed a superb experience.

So what are you waiting for flock to Flock.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

INDIA vs ENGLAND TEST SERIES

There was a lot of uncertainty if England would return to India after the Mumbai blasts. Now things are OK and cricket once again binds broken souls. The first test at Chepauk has so far gone the way of the English. They scored 316 in their first innings and bowled out India for 241. Barring Dhoni and Harbhajan and to some extent Sachin and Laxman all the batsmen failed. In fact it was Dhoni and Harbhajan's crucial partnership that brought some respectability to India's first innings total.
Dhoni scored 53 and Bhajji scored 40. Flintoff, Swann, and Monty bowled well with Freddy and Monty picking three wickets each.

The English started their second inings disastrously losing three quick wickets. Strauss on 73 and Collingwood on 60 are playing well. At close of play today England
lead by 247 runs. A target of 375 plus and India might lose the plot.

Let us see what happens.
I really hope Dravid gets a good score, even a fifty will do his confidence a world of good.
Or perhaps it is time for him to retire gracefully.

Comics....

It was just another Sunday afternoon and I had nothing better to do. So I took out some cartons from the attic and cleaned and dusted the books in them. I discovered a bunch of old comic books. It was like discovering a diamond. I quickly kept the remaining cartons aside and looked at my collection.

I was transported to my childhood days. Indrajal comics-Phantom, Mandrake, Flash Gordon, Tarzan and a host of other characters. I still remember the pleasure of searching for old comics with my uncle in second hand bookshops in Kolkatta. It was nostalgia all over again. I shut the door of my room, relaxed in my easy chair, and started reading my beloved Phantom comics.

Phantom was my favourite hero, this was before someone gifted me a Batman comic. Things and times may have changed but the sheer pace and intensity of the Phantom comics guaranteed 100% entertainment.

Today my 10 year old nephew has Jetix and all the Japanese animes for company. He does not know what he is missing.

Well times change and the tastes of a new generation may vary.
But I am sure all of us however old we may be still enjoy reading Indrajal and Amar Chitra Katha comics.

Musings......

It is going to be hard,
But life has to go on,
So as a first step,
Towards forgetting you,
I am going to stop writing about you,
Then maybe I will stop thinking about you,
So one final farewell to you on this blog.......


Hey! hold on, someone just entered the periphery of my vision.
Hmmm........
Life does have to go on:)

Musings.....

I deleted your photo from my mobile phone,
I deleted our photos from my computer.
But you are stuck, nailed, and pasted to my heart.
How am I going to remove your image that's embedded in my heart and mind.

In the Name of My Father.......

"Father" a word that means a lot for everybody. Someone who is one's role model and superhero during childhood. There are so many things that come to one's mind when one utters the word "Father."

To me my father was just an individual of whom I did not have a clear picture at all. I hardly ever saw him. He was in the Navy and then on contract jobs across the Middle East. He was maybe for one year with us-when he took a break. Other than that it was just my mother who took care of me. Later when he left for Muscat we moved to my maternal uncle's house in another city.

Gradually the image of my father faded from my psyche and it was replaced by the strong and contrasting personalities of my two maternal uncles. One was a strict and silent disciplinarian the other was a jolly man full of life always ready to crack a joke.

At the tender age of six or seven I failed to realize that my father had drifted away from us. As I grew up and adolescence brought in all its doubts and confusions, I realized that I was part of a broken family. A couple who were never meant to be together had been joined in matrimony by fate. By the time they found out their incompatibility it was too late and the offspring-my sister and me bore the brunt of their failed relationship.

My sister was twelve years elder to me and she was at my elder maternal uncle's house from the age of ten. She was a sensible child and was hardly perturbed by the conflicts that I underwent.

No one knew where my father was, sometimes we would receive a card from some remote corner it would be a notification that he was still there. It was both mocking and reassuring. Years passed my sister was married and my father made a fleeting appearance so that no tongues wagged from the groom's side. Then he went into exile once again-this time he left for Delhi.

Two weeks before my sixteenth birthday my uncle received a long letter from my father. My father wanted to start a life with his wife and son afresh. He had found a job in a small firm in Chennai and he promised to look after us.

As that academic year came to a close two train tickets arrived by post and finally the two of us reached Chennai and met my father. It was not exactly an emotional reunion. Years of suppressed anguish and feelings of hatred did not erupt immediately.

As the days progressed I realized that my father had a serious drinking problem. It was this alcoholism that was the primary cause of all problems. The problem continues till date. There were verbal-fights at home, swearing, threats, and all kinds of mental torture.

It did not help that my mother was always waiting to pick on my father. Not a single day passed without a fight.Ten years have passed since we rejoined our father. His tryst with the bottle continues, the number of verbal fights have gone down, but the mutual feeling of anger, frustration, and a strange sense of hatred fuelled by incompatibility continues to haunt both my parents.

I wonder what went wrong. What did my mother do to deserve such a life of torture? Why does my father continue to drink? Why do I continue to hope things will turn right? Why did we return to my father?

These are questions that will remain unanswered.

My marriage is on the cards. The astrologer is confident that I will be engaged in 2009 and by February 2010 the marriage will take place. Looking at the history of the failed marriages that I have witnessed the problems that so many of my friends and relatives have faced and are facing. I fear that I have lost faith in the institution of marriage.

If I indeed do get married and have kids. I hope that I can be a good father and an ideal role model for them.

Twenty:20

I saw Twenty:20 on Sunday.
I enjoyed the movie. It has something for everybody. Mohanlal, Mammooty, Suresh Gopi, Dileep, Jayaram, and Indrajith get major screen time.

Almost all important artistes of Malayalam cinema figure in the movie.
The movie directed by Joshiy is produced by Dileep and his company Grand Productions.
A string of flops and now Dileep is as happy as the Cheshire Cat laughing all the way to the bank.

The movie is essentially a suspense and revenge drama. Indrajith is accused of murder in a Bangalore Medical College. Mammooty as the dashing lawyer Rameshan Nambiar saves him and secures his release.

Indrajith is found murdered while returning from a party and Mohanlal is arrested for the crime. Sukumari and Kavya plead with Mammootty to save Mohanlal. Mammooty visits Mohanlal in jail and after some inquiries argues on his behalf. All circumstantial evidence is found to be misleading and Mohanlal is found not guilty.

The movie moves in to top gear from this point. Watch out for the scene where Lalettan transforms from a meek and simple vegetable dealer to the powerful Deva Devan. The way he folds the mundu and wears the glasses. The theatre erupted with claps and whistles.

Mohanlal says that he was indeed the killer and will kill two more people. Slowly the pieces fall into picture Dileep was Mohanlal's brother who was killed by Indrajith. Dileep and Bhavana were in love and Bhavana testifies against Indrajith in court.

The confrontation scenes between Lalettan and Mammooka are top-notch and Suresh Gopi does a super job as Inspector Anthony Punnakadan. Mammooty locks Mohanlal in his flat daring him to escape. Mohanlal breaks the windows and jumps into the swimming pool from the top floor. The young brigade of Prithvi, Jayasurya, and Kunchako are reduced to item-boys.

There are a couple of songs in the movie. One a Dileep and Bhavana duet in Mauritius and another a sizzler by Nayanthara who looks fabulous. In a later twist it is revealed that Bhavana is Mammooty's sister.

The customary climax fight is there and the movie ends with justice being done and the villains Shami Thilakan, Manoj K. Jayan, and Siddique being killed.

Full paisa vasool go watch it.

John Lennon

Today is December 8. On this date in 1980 a fanatic shot John Lennon dead.
John Lennon was an integral part of The Beatles.

More than being a musician he was also an avid activist, protesting against war and championing the cause of the environment.

Nearly 30 years since you died but the songs that you wrote with Paul Mc Cartney continue to inspire another generation.

Rest in Peace.

MUSINGS....

Those readers who were following the platinum ring track of my life....

An announcement....

The previous post, the poem-"Good Luck and Good Bye" is self-explanatory.
No more questions and answers.
Life has to go on......

I think I am free now. Free of all emotional bonds and commitments, the heart still hurts, but then-"You can't win them all."

So that "Special Someone" wherever you are please materialise or I am going to end up mad, drinking beer, growing long hair, wearing faded kurtas and blue denims, strumming the good ol' guitar, and singing love ballads:)

On a more serious note, maybe I should post a profile on Bharat Matrimony.Amma and Akka are circulating copies of my horoscope among relatives both near and distant.

Who knows.....
I might end up getting married by the end of 2009.

Keep you posted.....

Cheers:)

Good Luck and Good Bye

There was a guy.
There was a girl.
They were friends for long.
Somewhere down the line.
They fell in love.

They hid their feelings from each other.
Wondering what the other would think.
The guy got a ring.
Planning to propose to the girl.

He thought-
One day I am going to give it to her.
I will fall on my knees,
And propose to her.

Time flew by...
They lost contact with each other.
Both were busy with their professional lives.
The guy kept trying to meet her.

But somehow the girl no longer bothered.
He could never fathom why.
Then he got a surprise.
When she landed up at his house.

He was too surprised to speak.
She looked as beautiful as ever.
He kept staring at her confused for words.
She gave him a card, and added-

"Do come for my wedding."

He smiled at her and wished her luck.
She left and he stood dejected.
He cried for a while and then smiled.
He took out the ring and smiled again.

The wedding day dawned.
He was dressed in his finest,
And wished the newly married couple the best.
He said to her..

"I have a small gift for you."
He took out the ring,
And gave it to her.
For a moment there was silence.

As they stared at each other.
Lost for words.
Wondering why this had to happen.
She thanked him.

He said "Good Luck and Good Bye"

Musings...

Dearest,
I don't know if you are reading this.
I don't know if you have ever read anything that I have written here.
I don't know if you ever will understand what you mean to me.
I don't know if you ever will realize that you were, you are, and you will be the one and only one.
I don't know why you are silent.
I don't know why you are doing this.
Perhaps this is the end.
If it is....
Can you just tell me.
I promise you-
There will be no fighting, no ego hassles, no blaming.
We will depart as good friends.
This is the only thing I ask of you.
Please for old times sakes at least.

Dearest!
I am sorry I am not sure if I can continue to call you Dearest.
But old habits die hard!
Perhaps a few weeks, or months, maybe a couple of years.
Till then I shall cherish the memories of the time I spent with you.
Those memories will continue to be a part of me.
You shall remain as always in a special place in my heart.

For you forever,
Nevermore.............

THE NAME'S BLAND-JAMES BLAND

Never ever did I dream in my worst nightmares that I would be writing this about the Quantum of Solace.

The movie had raised a million expectations after the intense tension built by the superhit Casino Royale.

Daniel Craig carries on from where he left in his first outing.
Sadly the second movie in his portrayal of Bond is full of car chases, motorboat chases, bomb blasts, and that is about it.

The movie is no beter than any B-Grade bang and fight thriller coming from Bangkok or Bombay.

I don't know but Craig seems to have aged a lot and looks frighteningly wooden in some scenes.

Olga the Russian lady does a good job and 'M' Dame Helen Mirren is as good as ever.

The villain the environmentalist billionaire is the weakest Bond villains ever.

The movie is a box-office hit worldwide. It disappoints the purist Bond lover.
I hope the next installment in the franchise is better.

Musings....

Your silence continues to frustrate me....
Tell me-
Tell me you are nobody.
Nobody worth caring for.....
I will go away....
Never again to trouble you.....

This elusive silence is dreadful.....
Dearest have I lost you forever?

A SCHIZOPHRENIC DIVIDE

It pains to write this...
The Mumbai terror act that happened last week is not the first terror attack in India.
Mumbai blasts in 1993. The train blasts. The Godhra carnage. Attacks in the northeast. There have been numerous incidents, but what was special this time. Why so much hue and cry?

The bare facts are as follows:

Last week the terrorists struck at the Taj, the Oberoi, Nariman House and the Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus. If you would have observed the various news channels they kept showing clips from the Taj, Oberoi, ans Nariman House. The CST attack got the least coverage.

It was really frustrating to see the the Page 3 crowd Alyque Padamsee, Rahul Bose, Shefali, Farooq Sheikih and a host of other theater and cinema personalities with their debate.

Is the common man really so different from the rich.
Does the blood of the common man come cheaper than that of a millionaire?
Lots of disturbing and unanswered questions.
It is very evident there is a clear schizophrenic divide when news is being portrayed in the media.

I hope this is the last post by me on these attacks, I have just not been able to focus on anything else for a week. The picture of the little child Moshe crying in the synagogue haunts me and keeps coming back. The dead bodies piled up in the hospital.

The anger, the plight, the desperation.....
I hope this is the end....

What Now?

So one terrorist was caught alive. 200 people have been killed, quite a few have been injured. Two landmarks of Mumbai have been partially burnt. The pride and safety of an entire city/nation has taken a severe beating.

We can just be angry and frustrated and suggest measures like war on pakistan, killing all politicians, calling for a new revolution and a hundred other things.

Nothing is going to happen as a result of our rants.

The government in all its procastinating best will do something or the other, some heads will roll in the political circles. Life will continue.

A couple of anniversaries will pass candles will be lit; then another attack in some other city and the whole cycle shall start again.

We can only pray for a better tomorrow.
The present is an extremely distorted picture of fear, paranoia, and violence.
Hoping for an end to this endless whirlpool of violence and terror.

It happened in Mumbai?

The events that happened in Mumbai have proved that as Indians we are no longer safe. We may leave for office or school or college in the morning and there is no assurance that we are going to return home safely in the evening.

I am not going to write about the dastardly act of terror, the damage to the landmarks of Mumbai,or the stupid and comical comments of our politicians.

All that is there is anger and frustration. Once again it is the common man who has had to pay the ultimate price for a lax and lazy government.

Is it not time that we punish the perpetrators? We know that Pakistan is the hotbed of terror and directly or indirectly it is funding the proxy war against India.

Time for we as a nation to stand united and revolt against the spineless politicians.
I would like to know where Raj and Bal Thackeray are now? No jingoistic Marathi manoos comments now. The commandoes and police officers did not think about their nativity. They braved the terrorists as part of their duty and laid down their lives for the nation.

Will Raj continue his stupid rhetoric again?
Let him do it! He is sure to be stoned by his own supporters.

A prayer for the innocent people and the brave police officers and commandoes who lost their lives in the Mumbai carnage.

Another prayer to God that such things do not happen again.

Back in Business.....

So folks after much deliberation various permutations and combinations; I accepted an offer and joined another company.

First Impressions:

There is one huge floor where close to 400 people work. There are various teams dealing with different clients and business verticals. To my untrained eye it appears that every fifth person is a manager here!

By the way my new designation is that of a content writer. From Instructional design to Copy editing and now Content writing it has been a hectic journey. Hope things work out well. The office is on the tenth floor of an architectural wonder. The property is sea-facing and I have a marvellous view of the beach and the sea from where I sit.

The team that I have joined is one of the smallest ones in the company and is close-knit. we have a wonderful manager; just think third day at work and I get invited to a team lunch:)

I am in charge of a Web site and have to manage all content that goes into it.
I pray to God to give me patience, strength, and enthusiasm to do a good job.

Wish me luck:)

You want to get out?

 

 

Leaving......

 

I got signatures from the various department heads as per office procedure. I did not have access to certain rooms, so once the formalities were done I had to leave the Travel Department room. I was waiting for the security guard to open the door for me(access card based entry and exit).

A senior employee of the company walked up to me and asked-"So you want to get out....?"

 

I answered with a smile-"Yes, sir both literally and figuratively."

 

So that is it folks.

 

Goodbye to one more company, one more set of colleagues, heaps of memories good and bad!

 

It is time to move on.....

 

See you soon with a new set of office experiences, at a new office, with new colleagues and new blunders and glories.

 

So until we meet again:)

 

Adieu!
 

Mother

Last week there was a conversation about motherhood. An elderly person whom I know spoke about his mother the sacrifices she had made and the problems she faced to raise him and his brothers.

The following is a summary of his thoughts on "Mother."

As a young bride she undergoes pain so that you take shape as a seed of life in her womb. She undergoes pain as you grow in her womb. She has to undergo severe restrictions on diet and change her lifestyle so that you come in to this world safe and sound.

During delivery even when the pain becomes unbearable her only worry is about you her loving baby. Once you are born, every single demand that you have is met by her, when she feeds you milk and you bite her breast, she ignores the pain that you inflict on her and she continues to feed you.

She ensures that you get the best of everything possible and you grow to be responsible adults.

Think of all the sacrifices that she makes. Never let her feel sad; never ever let her feel alone and depressed. You are a young man now, probably you are in love, or maybe you might have an arranged marriage. Remember young man never ever let your feelings for your wife become an obstacle to fulfill your duties to your mother.

Think on what I said and be a responsible son and in the future a dutiful husband and father.

At the end of his emotional outburst I just nodded my head and remained silent. My cousin and his friend were silent and continued to eat their dinner.

I looked up at the clear moonlit sky and prayed " Dear God! I hope I can play my role to perfection and keep everyone happy."

Three days more

Three days more to go.......

 

I am leaving my job. Do not know what I am going to do next:) Caught you there right:) I am not telling you where I am joining. There are spies everywhere:)

 

Jokes apart 18 months is a pretty long time. Met some interesting people, made some good friends, met some really quirky/crazy/strange characters.

 

Got a digital camera, got a portable music player, moved to a large and spacious house closer to the city. Worked in the night shifts. Missed two Diwalis because of work.

 

I have lots more to write, but I guess it has to be at some other time.

 

It was fun working here. I am carrying some memories from this place and hope that I have left a lasting impression on the minds of the people with whom I worked.

 

It is time to prepare to say goodbye!

 

So wait for the final farewell!

India Victorious

 

All talk about luck and pitch and swing and spin went for a toss as India comprehensively defeated Australia by 172 runs in the Nagpur Test to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-0.

 

Kumble left the team at the end of the previous match. Dada had announced his retirement at the beginning of the series.

It was ironic that Sourav Ganguly was dismissed for a duck in his last Test innings. A poster by a fan said it all-"Even the great Don Bradman was dismissed for a duck in his last Test innings." Dhoni handed the captain's cap to Ganguly in the last hour of proceedings; it was fun to see the Tiger lead his band again. Dhoni should be commended for his sharp thinking; asking Ganguly to control proceedings and then inviting Kumble to accept the trophy. His thinking and maturity is way ahead of his years. The future of the Indian cricket team is in safe hands.

 

My biggest worry is Dravid's miserable form. Unless he gets some runs there is no point in continuing to retain him in the team. Rather it would be better for Dravid to take a break go back to the Ranji Trophy get some runs and stage a comeback like Dada did; or he can simply call it a day!

 

Three more days for the series against England to start, it would be interesting to see if Sreesanth will get a chance; after the slapping incident with Harbhajan he seems to have disappeared.

 

If India can put up a spirited performance against England it will do a world of good to the team and its supporters! 

 

 

 

Musings

Lines for Her.....

 

I know you are there in my heart,

I hope that I have a place in your heart too...

Sometimes when it rains in the evenings....

I wish I was with you.

Holding your hands and looking into your eyes.....

 

Listening to the waves crashing on to the rocks,

Admiring the silvery moonlight,

Glistening on the white sands.

I wish I was with you.

So many dreams so many desires.

 

I fear all of them will come crashing down.

Dearest both of us know-

What runs in our hearts?

I don't need to say it,

Neither do you.

 

All I know is that,"I love you."

And that you love me.

Maybe circumstances shall cause us to drift us apart.

Lead separate lives.

But promise me!

I will be someone special in your heart-

As you were, are, and will remain in mine.

 

Dearest-

You are stuck, nailed, and pasted to my heart.

 

© R. Mahesh 2008.

 

Obama...

Barack Obama created history as he won the American presidential elections to become the 44th president of the United States of America.

So the change has been initiated and America has got its first Afro-American president.. The whole world wants Obama to initiate measures that will restore pride to America.

Troops should be recalled from Iraq and Afghanistan. The economy should be stabilized.

Let us hope for the best.

 

Best of luck- President-elect Obama.

 

Leaving....

 

Leaving my current job.

Another fortnight to go.

Have got lots of offers, have to choose one.

Life goes on as I enter another phase of my career.

What is next?

Only time will tell.

My Diwali Experiences

My Diwali Experiences

 

Diwali-The Festival of Lights-The celebration of the victory of good over evil-There are a thousand ways to describe this festival. I recount my Diwali experiences at different stages of my life.

 

My first memories of Diwali are from the time when I was staying in Pune. I was around four years and we lived in a huge colony. It was called Ajmera colony and there were about 300 flats in it. There was a big ground in the middle of the colony and all festivals irrespective of religion were celebrated with great pomp and joy by all the residents of the colony. I was frightened by the sound of the crackers and would always shudder when someone would burst crackers. I enjoyed lighting flowerpots and the ‘chakras.’ I loved to see the chakras spinning and spreading light. On Diwali evening a lavish feast would be arranged as all families would prepare a variety of dishes and it would be a huge ‘potluck dinner.’

 

When I was seven I moved to Calcutta, it was still Calcutta then, not Kolkatta! In Kolkatta the puja season started with the month of September. A long list of festivals Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Diwali/Lakshmi Puja. In Calcutta, huge pandals are constructed and the idols of gods and goddesses are kept. The crowds throng the pandals to admire the beauty of the idols and the innovative designs of the pandals. There would be song and dance events organized by the various puja committees and it would be great fun to participate in them and cheer one’s friends when they would sing or dance.

 

When I was sixteen, I moved to Chennai. In Chennai, it is all about light and sound. The mind boggling variety of firecrackers coming from Sivakasi, ensure that every Diwali is a special occasion. In Chennai, the tradition of celebrating ‘Golu’ where dolls are arranged in shelves during Navarathri is an added attraction that sets the tone for Diwali. How can one forget cinema during Diwali. During Diwali there is a clash of the titans as big-budget movies of leading actors’ release. It is great fun to watch a movie first-day-first show; that to on Diwali, as the opening of the theatre and the bringing of the film cans are celebrated with the bursting of fire crackers and distribution of sweets.

 

When I was in college my friends and me decided to go on a road trip from Chennai to Pondicherry on bicycles. It was great fun and we celebrated Diwali in a small fishing hamlet . The joy and warmth with which the fishing community welcomed us cannot be described in words. We gifted the children there sweets and notebooks and pencils.

The evening was memorable as we burst crackers on the beach and played with the children on the sand.

 

This Diwali was special as we shifted to a new spacious house. Life goes on as another year is about to come to a close.

 

DIWALI

 

 

                                           HAPPY DIWALI 2008

 

May the festival of lights bring joy, light, hope, and prosperity in all our lives.

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Diwali:) 

Musings

Musings

 

Cheating death......

 

I almost got killed on my way to work tonight.

 

The bus that I boarded, took a different route, I questioned the conductor and he said that the bus shall go via another route. He whistled but the driver did not stop. I had one leg on the road and another on the footboard of the bus. The rain was pounding and I was dragged for close to 15 metres before the blasted driver stopped the bus. Thankfully I was uninjured and the only damage done was to my trousers that were splattered with mud.

 

Once again a close call; to think of a horrible end, so early, when I have so much more to do... I keep wondering what does God intend me to do. This is the eighth time that I have come so close to death in this lifespan.

 

I thank God for his grace.

 

Life goes on.....

Musings

 

Lines

When you were far away from me, I knew that I held a place in her heart.

Today when you are close to me, I am no longer sure if I have a place in your heart.

 

This restless life, continues in its monotony,

Ambling to work

Returning home,

Finishing the daily chores,

Returning back to work the next day.

 

Is this all that is there to life.

No time to love.

No time to enjoy life.

Chase a butterfly,

Or smell a fragrant rose.

 

This endless pursuit of perfection,

In work, in earning money-]

For a better tomorrow, continues…..

Will there ever be a time-

When you will be mine?

Movie Review

 

A Wednesday starring Anupam Kher, Nasiruddin Shah, and Jimmy Shergill, is another venture from UTV Motion Pictures that has become a sleeper hit. The Mumbai train blasts, how the blasts change the perceptions of a common man, and how he avenges the cause of "the stupid common man."

Anupam Kher plays the role of the police commissioner who on the eve of his retirement recounts the toughest case of his career. Nasir plays a man who walks into a police station to file a complaint regarding his walllet getting stolen. Then he walks to the restroom and leaves a bag full of explosives and walks out of the station. He calls the commissioner's office and says he has planted four bombs across the city and unless four terrorists are relesed by 5 pm and brought to a private airport the bombs would explode triggering bloodshed and mayhem.

 

Two inspectors Jimmy Shergill and another TV artiste Aamir Bashir are the investigating officers and escort the terrorists to the airport.

Who is Nasir? What is his aim? Do the bombs explode?

 

Watch the movie for answers.

 

A taut thriller by debutant director Neeraj Pandey;great acting by all, watch it.

 

My rating-*** out of 5.

 

Movie Review

 

A Wednesday starring Anupam Kher, Nasiruddin Shah, and Jimmy Shergill, is another venture from UTV Motion Pictures that has become a sleeper hit. The Mumbai train blasts, how the blasts change the perceptions of a common man, and how he avenges the cause of "the stupid common man."

Anupam Kher plays the role of the police commissioner who on the eve of his retirement recounts the toughest case of his career. Nasir plays a man who walks into a police station to file a complaint regarding his walllet getting stolen. Then he walks to the restroom and leaves a bag full of explosives and walks out of the station. He calls the commissioner's office and says he has planted four bombs across the city and unless four terrorists are relesed by 5 pm and brought to a private airport the bombs would explode triggering bloodshed and mayhem.

 

Two inspectors Jimmy Shergill and another TV artiste Aamir Bashir are the investigating officers and escort the terrorists to the airport.

Who is Nasir? What is his aim? Do the bombs explode?

 

Watch the movie for answers.

 

A taut thriller by debutant director Neeraj Pandey;great acting by all, watch it.

 

My rating-*** out of 5.

 

007 is back!

 

The superspy is back! Daniel Craig rocked the screen with his portrayal of Bond, James Bond in Casino Royale. The new movie-Quantum of Solace-is set to hit theatres worldwide in October-November.

 

The trailer looks awesome and the story starts right where it ended in Casino Royale.

 

Check out the trailer and the featurettes @ www.screenrush.co.uk

 

There are spies and then there is Bond!

 

Everything else is secondary.

 

Catch you folks at the theatre when they screen Quantum of Solace.

The Game is Afoot....

 

Prologue

 

In college, I never thought I would be working in a corporate sector. I had always planned to become a lecturer and then gravitate into writing and theatre. March 2005 saw me as well all our batch preparing in full gusto for the final year exams. I think it was the third week of March, when a notice was stuck on the English Department Notice Board, it announced the arrival of a major IT firm who were on a campus recruitment drive. I just wrote the selection test along with 750 other students. I remember the anxious looks on the faces of the students. Many of them especially the students from the Commerce and Economics departments had come prepared with printed resumes and me just another lazy fellow had just managed to scribble my details on a sheet of paper that I had torn out from my Linguistics notebook.

 

As the afternoon meandered and the students became impatient and many of them left for the playground to indulge in our favourite pastime of cricket and football. At 3:30 pm there was an announcement and two students were asked to meet the recruiters. I was one of the two students. A long conversation with a group of four people and then a round of talks with the senior HR Manager; at 5 pm I had an offer that I could not refuse and I was placed.

 

It is 3 and a half years since I entered the big, bad, mysterious, and unpredictable corporate world and on the verge of leaving my third job; I

will be honest-it has not always been fun, there have been tough projects, boring monotonous stretches of mundane work, and some really brilliant, challenging, and intellectually satisfying projects.

 

I am back in the hunt for another job, I posted my profile on naukri.com and guess what my inbox is flooded with e-mails from companies and recruiters. Most of the stuff does not match my profile, but there have been a couple of good interesting offers. I have been to a couple of places and written tests, got some offers too, I am biding my time, I know I deserve better, and I am sure there is something out there that will satisfy me both intellectually and monetarily.

 

There is a sense of tension and nervous excitement as I attend these interviews and prepare for forthcoming ones. The element of risk, the sense of

a challenge, the frustration of being offered a salary way below my current pay! It is a learning experience.

 

Epilogue

 

So folks the game is afoot! The quest for the perfect job continues.

Another Day

 

It was just an ordinary day,

A day like any other day,

Children going to school,

Men and women going to work.

Everyone busy with their lives.

 

Suddenly there was a boom,

The serenity and monotony of everyday life-

Shattered with a ball of fire.

There was anger and chaos.

Blood and mayhem, everywhere.

 

Why were they targeted?

What was their crime?

No answers-just anger and a sense of hopelessness.

Governments may come and governments may go-

But terror continues-

As innocent lives continue to be lost.

 

Will there ever be an end to this mindless violence?

Or is it just going to be endless violence?

 

© Mahesh Ramani 2008

 

On Naukri..

 

Thanks to Tata Indicom's superfast Plug n' Play modem-230.4 kbps I spent 30 minutes to open my gmail inbox. Then I realized the speed was too slow so I switched to the HTML mode and thankfully Mozilla made the inbox open quicker. Then I created a profile for myself on naukri.com. Let me see if someone wants to hire-"A postgraduate in English Literature with 3+ years experience in Instructional Design and Copy editing."(That is my headline).

 

Let us see what happens seven weeks to go before I receive my relieving letter, hopefully will find something by then.

 

Hope, that is the pillar on which our lives rest.:)

The Letter

 

So after three months of contemplating, weighing options, and postponing my decision, I took the plunge and tendered my resignation yesterday. Will be serving a notice period of two months. After that.., I do not know, am going to sit jobless in my house for two months and study like the devil for my IAS Prelims 2009. Perhaps find a simple 9 to 5 job. Guys and girls any openings in your companies:)

 

This time I will have to score much higher than the cut-off to ensure that I do not get caught in the caste quota thing.

 

Some interesting conversations with people from HR. I guess I have made up my mind. So people wish me luck.

Job hunting

Job hunting on a serious front, nothing seems to click, everywhere it is the same response-"Sir, you are already being grossly overpaid for what you are doing?"
If things go on at this rate, I might once again go back to writing stuff like-"At the end of this course the learner will...."

Let us see what happens...

Delhi Blasts

 

SIMI and the Indian Mujahideen struck Delhi yesterday as five blasts ripped different places in Delhi, thankfully a sixth bomb was defused near Regal cinema, or the number of dead would have been more.

 

Atleast 30 people are dead and around 120 people are injured.

 

So while the politicians are breaking their heads over a nuclear agreement, terrorists are striking at will in different parts of the country.

 

Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Surat and now Delhi, so which city is going to be targetted next.

 

Is Shivraj Patil-honourable home minister planning to use the same reports that were issued after the Bangalore and Ahmedabad blasts?

 

It is time that POTA or a similar act is brought once again into place.

 

National morale is at an all time low and fear looms large in the mind of the common man.

 

No one knows when the  next terror attack will happen?

 

May the souls of the victims who died in the blasts rest in peace.

SNIPPETS ....

 

Manager: Hello there take a seat. Sorry to keep you waiting.

 

Max-(With a fake smile, bloody fellow kept me waiting for more than an hour)-No problem.

 

Manager-So you are working with SS Earnley, why do you want to quit your job?

 

Max-Well there are lots of reasons, two important ones are the tiring night shifts and a lack of proper vertical growth.

 

Manager-(Looks at Max's CV) Oh! you worked as an ID with XXX, tell me something about ID.

 

Max compresses the core of ID principles in a nutshell and gives a lecture for 5 minutes, the Manager is impressed but totally lost.

 

Manager-(Stares at Max for a while) Good you gave a good explanation(Max is sure that the manager did not understand head or tail.)

 

Manager-OK you can meet the HR Manager, I am through, best of luck.

 

Max is made to wait for another half an hour before he meets the HR Manager.

 

HR Manager-So what do you know about our company?

 

Max-Recollects and recounts the data he had carefully gathered from google the previous night.

 

HR Manager-I am impressed by your knowledge. So what is your current CTC?

 

Max-Mentions the amount.

 

HR Manager-So what is your expected CTC?

 

Max-30% more than my current CTC.

 

HR Manager-See you have to understand we are not a BPO, you get such high salaries because of night shifts, no night shifts here, alternate Saturdays holidays, gift vouchers on your birthday, and a defined growth plan.

 

Max-(Obviously getting frustrated by the HR Manager's monologue) So what salary can you offer me?

 

HR Manager-Rs 5000/- less than your current CTC. Think it over and send me an e-mail.

 

Max-Thank you.

 

End of conversation and interview.

TYAGU-ORU MANITHANIN KADHAI


I have always cursed myself for never managing to learn to read or write Tamil. Circumstances always prevented me from learning Tamil. I always wanted to read the masterpieces of Kalki, Jayakanthan, Sujatha and many others, but I had to console myself with the condensed summaries written in various blogs and book reviews.

Yesterday I found a gem from a bookshop in Moore Market, Tyagu-Oru Manithanin Kadhai, by Sivasankari, translated in English by Uma Narayanan.

It is the story of a brilliant young boy, who grows up and becomes an alcoholic.
The story starts with a grown up Tyagu ruminating on his life as his father’s dead body lies before him and he is waiting for his step-mother to come so that he can perform the last rites for his father. He goes to the bathroom takes a swig from his whiskey bottle, which he has artfully hidden in the cistern in his western toilet. He drinks the entire bottle and is so disoriented that he is not able to perform the last rites of his father.

We learn that Tyagu’s father was a hypocrite, a learned man-a Sanskrit pandit who terrorised his wife and children. His insatiable craving for sex, is a recurring theme, Tyagu adored his mother a beautiful woman-compared to a Ravi Varma painting.

The events of his life flash by, his young sister Vasu meeting an accident, falling into a coma, and eventually dying. Then his mother too died. To his utter shock his father remarried and brought an ugly woman home. Tyagu could never recover from the shock. No one could take his beloved mother’s place.

He completes his M.Com and hunts for a job for over a year bearing the taunts of his stepmother and father. In utter desperation and disgust with himself he is frustrated beyond redemption, he meets a friend who invites him home and offers him a drink of whiskey. For the first time in his life he tastes alcohol and thus starts the journey of Tyagu. Finally he gets a decent job in Madras and later transferred to Calcutta, he is relieved to leave the confines of his father and stepmother.

Then he gets married to Ganga a girl of his father’s choice. They are a complete mismatch. They have a boy named Kannan. Tyagu by now has become a manager drawing a salary of Rs 3000. His dependence on alcohol keeps increasing.

His wife leaves him and goes to Maduranthakam to stay with her parents. A chance encounter with Nana-Narayanan a childhood friend, sets the story in motion. Nana was a wastrel as a young boy and passed his S.S.L.C. in his second attempt. He has passed his MBA and now works in a high post in an international company. The two meet at the club and slowly Tyagu realizes what a failure he has turned out to be and how Nana an irresponsible young boy had reached such great heights of success.

Tyagu breaks down into tears and Nana take sit upon himself to save Tyagu, as many years ago it was Nana who had tempted Tyagu with the first cigarette. Nana and his wife Vidya help Tyagu and get him admitted to an alcohol de-addiction center. A psychiatrist Dr. Reddy treats Tyagu and slowly Tyagu comes out of his shell and during the course of the treatment Tyagu reveals his fear and deep hatred for his father, his extreme love and admiration for his dead mother, the sorrow of not having been able to help save Vasu’s life, and the intense dislike for his stepmother. In about 15 days Tyagu is cured of his craving for alcohol and prescribed a medicine called disulfural.

There is a brilliantly written section of the novel where Tyagu is given a glass of whiskey, he drinks it and within a couple of minutes the dilsulfural pill starts acting and Tyagu suffers severe chest pain and palpitation, he is quickly administered oxygen and returns to normal, Dr. Reddy warns Tyagu-“We saved you now, but if you drink whiskey again you will die. You should never ever discontinue the medicine that I have prescribed.”

Meanwhile Nana and his wife Vidya persuade Ganga-Tyagu’s wife to return to Chennai and start a new life with Tyagu. Things slowly return to normal and Ganga's scepticism is replaced by love for her husband. Her intense craving for a daughter, and Tyagu's inability to satisfy his wife's sexual needs once again creates rifts between the two. Meanwhile Nana gets a promotion and transfer and leaves for Manila. The intense friendship between the two is portrayed in the scene where Nana breaks the news of his transfer to Tyagu.Then Tyagu discontinues the tablets for about 20 days and starts drinking whiskey again. One night he returns emboldened by the alcohol within him and has sex with Ganga, and finally he satisfies her desire.

The conjugal success boosts his desire for alcohol and he once again becomes an alcoholic. Ganga becomes pregnant and everything looks fine. Then Tyagu loses his job for drinking in office and once again there is a domestic fight of epic proportions as Seshan-Ganga's father comes curses Tyagu-"You will end up an outcast on the road and not a sigle soul will come to help you."
He takes his pregnant daughter, pays Tyagu's debts leaves him on the road and goes to Madurantakam.


Tyagu is offered shelter by his drinking mate Aravindan, for a glass of whiskey Tyagu stoops down to the level of barking and howling like a dog. In a fit of anger he punches Aravindan and is promptly kicked out of the house. Tyagu realises that Seshan's curse has come true. He stays in a mansion and spends all his money on drinking even refusing to eat.
Nana returns from Manila and is shocked to learn about Tyagu's failures.
At one point he ends up drinking hooch to satisfy his quest for alcohol. He vomits blood and realizes the end is near. He looks out of the window and sees a dog that gets stuck in tar, he wants to help it but he is too weak to leave his room. Eventually the dog dies.


Tyagu decides to commit suicide and tries to buy sleeping pills, when he is unable to buy them, he settles for rat poison. A man suddenly appears and says-"You want to commit suicide?"


The man takesTyagu to his house promising him a drink and lunch. He finds out the details of Tyagu's life and then says he is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.


Eventually he and his friends tie up Tyagu and inject him with a sedative. He wakes up to find himself looking at Dr. Reddy and Nana.



The good Samaritan had contacted Dr. Reddy found Nana and transported Tyagu to the de-addiction center.


Tyagu' eyes filled with tears as he saw his friend Nana again. Nana informs him that Ganga had given birth to a daughter-Vasu. Tyagu feels happy.


God had given Tyagu another chance to live, as the sun rose and the first rays of the dawn filtered through the window Tyagu thanked God, he decided he would become a reformed man and be a good husband and father.


The story ends on this positive note.

Mumbai Drama

 

The strange case of partisan vote mongering and media hype continues as the saga of Raj Thackerays "Hate North Indian" campaign continues. At the audio launch of "Drona" Jaya Bachhan said that she would prefer to speak in Hindi. The Sena construed it as an insult to the Marathi manoos.

So what happens hoardings of Abhishek and Amitabh are torn down, the premiere show of "The Last Lear" gets cancelled and Amitabh and Jaya are forced to make an "apology."

 

So does that mean it is a crime to speak in the national language. Thirty years ago Bal Thackeray successfully launched an anti-South Indian campaign. My father still narrates incidents of surprise unprovoked attacks and how he used to wear the white topee and go to work.

 

It is the TRP rating starved media that is making Raj Thackeray a hero; ignore him and his non stop bickerings. We do not want more communal problems in Mumbai.

 

The government is shameless as it refuses to take action against the instigator.

Let us see what happens....

9/11

 

Another year has gone by, Osama continues to evade the greatest nation in the world, atrocities continue in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world.

 

A silent prayer for the ones who lost their lives in the 9/11 terror attacks.

 

 

A BUSY THURSDAY

Thursday evening as I am returning home after work, I get a phone call, and I am informed that my aunt is hospitalized. A distant aunt(do not ask me the exact relation), she is still my aunt. I visit her at the hospital, her blood sugar had increased and she had complained of chest pain and nausea. The doctors conducted their usual round of paisa-vasooling tests and advised her to be admitted at the hospital for three days.

I was dog-tired and with one more visit to the hospital on Friday, I had to take a day’s leave at the office.

All is fine now, aunt has returned home and everything is fine with the world.

Google Chrome Rocks

Chrome the new web browser from google rocks.

Brilliant in its simplicity, Microsoft has one more problem from google now, and looking at the number of people downloading Chrome, I guess the quest for an OPEN SOURCE computing world is soon going to become a reality.

ONAM

Happy Onam everybody.

Onam has started may King Mahabali bring joy, wealth, good health, and prosperity to all of us.

MEGA PROBLEMS FOR THE NANO PROJECT

It started as a dream, which became a challenge, which was met with skill, and overcome, when the Nano was unveiled at an automobile expo. The world stood up on its feet and congratulated Ratan Tata and his team of engineers for his remarkable feat. A car that would cost just Rs 100000/-.

West Bengal welcomed the Tatas with open arms and land was procured to set up the automobile plant. There were protests, shootouts, mob violence, killings, political mud slinging, and other hundred problems; but we were sure that sanity would prevail and the Nano would roll out of Singur.

Mamata Bannerjee and her Trinamool Congress ensured that the Tatas would leave Singur. The factory has not opened for the past three days. The foreign technicians working on the project have returned to their respective countries.

Who wins?

No one. West Bengal has lost its credibility to woo any potential investor. Many local youth who had secured jobs at the Nano plant are uncertain of their future.

Tata will roll out a limited number of Nano cars from its Patnagar plant in Uttaranchal, which currently manufactures the ACE brand of commercial carrier vehicles.

The future looks bleak and the West Bengal government is going to end up paying a high price for this unfortunate turn of events.

THE END

He stood on the beach, silent and sad, he took another swig from his bottle of rum, the drink felt bitter, it was his third bottle of the day, and he was drinking to forget her. He stared at the sea and thought of the evenings the two of them had walked together hand in hand, admiring each other discussing a common future.

All those were just memories now; she had left him, gone. Not even a hint, that she was leaving him, no message, no e-mail, no goodbye, she had just dumped him. A colleague said that her marriage had been fixed and she had left for her native village.

He had been devastated when he heard the news, even mulling suicide. Then he comforted himself-“Let her out of your heart man, maybe I didn’t deserve her.”

He finished the bottle of rum, walking dangerously close to the sea, and flung the empty bottle into the sea.

He cried out loud, “Have a great married life.”

He collapsed on the sand exhausted and intoxicated.

Three days later some fishermen found his body that had washed ashore.

One more love story that ended on a sorry note.

REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN INDIAN ADVERTISING

“A pretty face almost always sells a product.”

This perhaps is the sole motto on which the Indian advertising industry runs. If it is a premium bathing soap that is your product, get a young actress, throw in a waterfall or a lake, a ‘just about there’ dress, pulsating music in the background, and get the pretty young thing to prance in the water; and hey presto! You have got your advertisement. Does the summary ring a bell? That was a description of the Lyril ad that launched Preity Zinta’s career; she captured the imagination of millions with her dimpled smile and cute looks. Sadly the rumored botox treatment has made her smile artificial today. Then all the Lux soap ads with the beauty queens of each era-Dimple Kapadia, Karishma and Kareena Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, and then they did a complete U-turn and had Shahrukh Khan surrounded by a bevy of beauties selling Lux soap! Yuck! The height of metrosexuality.

The soft drink ads-Aishwarya started with Pepsi then endorsed Coke, now we have Deepika Padukone endorsing Pepsi.

Then we had the ads for detergent powder, washing soap, and dishwashing soaps.

Some ads that remain fresh in mind are:

The Washing powder Nirma ad.

Ariel ad where in the lady says, “Daag dhoondte reh jaooge.” The small boy who appeared in that ad is none other than Kunal Hemu who is a Bollywood hero now, with three or four movies to his credit.

One particular ad that brought out the wonderful relationship between an old lady and her grandchild was the Borolin ad, I do not know how many of you remember it. It had a wonderful jingle that went “Antiseptic cream Borolin, Borolin, ting.. ting.. ting”

The Rasna ad where the chubby little girl says “I love you Rasna.”

An all time favourite ad would be the one for Woodwards Gripe Water, three generations of ladies describing the merits of TTK Woodwards Gripe Water-

"Are kya hua?"
"Bachcha roraha he"
"Tum use Woodwards gripe water kyu nahi pilathi? Jub tum bachchi thi, toh me bhi tumhe wohi pilathi thi"

These are all examples of some of the good old stuff of Indian advertising. The current trend of using women for products not related to them at all isn’t healthy.

Why do you need women in an ad for men’s underwear?

The Lux Cozee underwear series of ads is extremely insulting and the Regulatory Authority was correct in its decision to ban it. A woman is shown washing a brief and fakes sensual pleasure in her action as other women stare at her. Downright cheap!

Similarly I do not understand why you need a woman in an ad for a Gillette Mach III razor.

Women continue to be used as glamourous accessories to sell a product. It is the same sorry story with the Bollywood film industry. They used to run with the hero behind trees, now they wear swimsuits and run on a beach in Bali or Phuket. They are very few movies that give women a solid author-backed role and give them a chance to showcase their talents. A bit of a lengthy role and 9 out of 10 the lady gets to play a negative role.

The government has to take strict action against producers who portray women indecently. A movie is branded as adults only, but what about ads that are broadcast on television. Some ads border on sexuality and make veiled comments. Remember the rediff ad. “Is it really big?” Or Bipasha’s Panasonic mobile ad, “I will dance with the man who has the smallest?”

Somehow I find the ads for all the sanitary napkins strange. Do we need them to be advertised, same for underwear, people know what essential to buy and use.

The consumer is not going to be coerced into buying a product because a beautiful woman or for that matter if a hunk endorses it. They might try it once but if they do not find it satisfactory they are not going to use it.

It is time that sensible ads were made with women being given respect.

I guess that will not be accepted by the ad gurus and celebrity endorsements won’t work, so things will remain as they are now. :)

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday my dear blog. Three years in the blogosphere.

Thanks to all the readers and friends who make suggestions and comments.

Bye for now!

Musings

Lines for Her.....

Your silence continues to haunt me;

Why this silence?

I do not know.

Have distances created barriers?

I do not know.

Are you angry with me?

I do not know.

Have you been forbidden to speak to me?

I do not know.

Have you forgotten me?

I do not know.

All that I know-

Is that I love you.

Nothing less, nothing more.

All I know is that "I Love You."

I want to hold your hand,

Walk on the beach,

In the golden sands.

Enjoy the sunrise and the sunset,

With you by my side.

Is it too much to ask?

I do not know.

Will you ever realize,

How much you mean to me?

I do not know.

***********

Perhaps I am too late!

That is life!

Another chance perhaps.....

I do not know.

Somewhere, sometime, maybe in another life and another time-

You will be mine.

©Mahesh 2008.

Orissa Burning

The violence continues as incidents of burning of churches and assaults on Christians continue to be reported by the media. The VHP or the RSS or the Bajrang Dal whichever organization doing this has to be punished. In 1999, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were burnt to death by Dara Singh. The accused was sentenced to death but the punishment was commuted to a life sentence. It is indeed shameful that a judiciary and an overzealous media ensure that a leading actor accused of shooting a deer is given the proper punishment, but someone who kills people or rapes women, manages to get away with life imprisonments and hefty fines.

The Orissa government is a mute witness to the atrocities happening across the state. Yesterday 45, 000 Christian organizations observed a token strike and prayed for the people who were killed in the violence.

Is there no end to communal violence in India?

Either it is the Gujjars in Rajasthan, or the attack against North Indians by Raj Thackeray and his sainiks in Maharashtra, or it is the killing of migrant Biharis in Assam. One incident after the other heightens the communal tension leading to violence and destruction.

Hope sanity prevails and the perpetrators of the violence are arrested and punished properly.

Waves....

The waves kissed my feet and returned to the ocean, I stood there on the beach all alone, lost in thought. In the distance the fishermen were returning with their catch of fish. I continued to stand in silence reflecting on life. I do not know how long I am going to go on with this charade. Each time I think isn't this the correct time; and each time something or the other pops up to ensure that this isn't the time!

Come September and lots of things are lined up; of which the fate of very little is in my hands. There shall arise some clarity in the way my professional career is going to shape. I think that enough has been written and spoken and it is time to take the plunge and time to send the "white envelope" with the "letter" to all concerned. Let me see what life is going to present....

On the personal front, well no more dilly-dallying, once the third week dawns perhaps there shall be some light at the end of the dark tunnel of my confused heart.

Some lines might appear cryptic, some pure rubbish!

You are young and life is long

And there is time to kill today

And then one day you find that

Ten years have got behind you

No one told you when to run

You missed the starting gun

Courtesy-"Time" by Pink Floyd.

But hey dude life has to go on:)

Jai Hanuman

Our locality is being troubled by a troop of monkeys for the past two weeks. Earlier we would have rare visits by the naughty troop, say once a month, but this time there are about 20 monkeys, who have decided to disrupt the normal flow of life of the residents of our locality. Yesterday the monkeys destroyed our garden. The guavas have been plucked and eaten, the unripe bananas are eaten, the jasmine plants destroyed beyond recognition, it is an endless tale of havoc and destruction.

The tenant living on the first floor cursed the monkeys when she discovered that the monkeys had eaten the vethal/vadams that were left to be dried on the terrace.

Tommy and Jo Jo the two dogs that stay in our compound have got a severe ego-bashing from the monkeys. The young ones are extremely mischievous they sit on the fence and dangle their tails enticingly, Tommy and Jo Jo try to bite them but the clever monkeys pull their tails up, at that moment another monkey comes from behind and pull the ears or the tail of Tommy and Jo Jo.

Some people tried bursting fire crackers to drive the monkeys away, but they keep coming in increasing numbers every day. It seems we will have to call the Forest Department and ask them to catch the monkeys and release them in the woods.

Expressbuzz

The Hindu and The New Indian Express are fighting a battle with The Deccan Chronicle and The Times of India in Chennai. In the battle for popularity and garnering audience, lots of strategies have been applied. The Hindu reduced its price to Rs 2.50 on weekdays and Rs 3 on Sundays.

The one thing that the newspapers were not focussing on was maintaining their Web sites. Most of the time they would not be updated, or there would be glaring errors and omissions, overall a lack of importance to the whole concept of an informative news Web site.

All that is set to change as The New Indian Express unveiled its Web site http://www.expressbuzz.com

The Web site is in its Beta phase and looks cool. Hope this sets a benchmark for the other newspapers to follow. The Times of India faces stiff competition from Expressbuzz.

Let us see how the newspapers fight it out on the Internet.

India Victorious...

Captain Courageous M.S. Dhoni led by example and guided India to a 46 run victory over Sri Lanka to win India its first ever bilateral series victory in Sri Lanka. Dhoni won the tos for the fourth time in a row and had no hesitation in electing to bat first. Virat Kohli scored 56, then Raina and Dhoni consolidated the innings even as Yuvraj got out for 6 and became Chaminda Vass's wicket number 400 in ODIs.

Raina scored 76 and Dhoni scored 71; and then it was a sorry tale for India as the last seven wickets fell for 33 runs. Thushara got 5 wickets for 47 runs.

The Lankan chase started on a shaky note with Warnapura out for a duck. But Jayasurya went hammer and tongs supported ably by Jayawardene and Team India began to feel nervous as the left handed crusader belted the ball to all corners of the ground. A tactical bowling change by Dhoni was the introduction of Harbhajan into the attack, which bore fruit immediately as Jayasurya nicked the ball and Raina taking a fine catch to end the superb knock of 60.

Bhajji got 3 wickets and Yuvraj got 2 wickets to ensure that India won the match comfortably.

Good show guys!

Be prepared for the next series!

I think Australia is visiting India. India might play a couple of matches in Pakistan as the Champions Trophy has been postponed.

Let us wait and watch as the BCCI and PCB sort things out.

TAGGED!!!

Finally someone tagged me, after three years in blogosphere, and resisting a temptation to tag me on my own; priloza finally tagged me.

So folks here comes the list:

Last movie seen in a Cinema hall?

"The Lives of Others" a German movie, seen as part of a movie festival. A bit on the serious side, with powerful performances by all.

What book are you reading?

"The Fire Engine That Disappeared" by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo.

Favourite board game(s)?

Battleship

Favourite magazine?

"National Geographic" and the now defunct "Target."

Favourite smells?

The smell of freshly ground coffee early in the morning(cliched stuff!). The fruity fragrance of the mild perfume, used by someone very special:).

Favourite sound?

The sound of the birds that chirp in my garden early in the morning and the music of the violin.

Worst feeling in the world?

When someone whom you trust with all your heart cheats you.

What Is The First Thing You Think Of When You Wake?

I thank God for everything that has been given to me and pray for a safe and happy day.

Favorite fast food place?

Vellore's Gyan Vaishnav Punjabi Dhaba-Mount Road and T.Nagar. The Amber Hotel in Kolkatta.

Future child’s name?

Neha(girl) Moksh(boy).

Finish this statement. “If I Had A Lot Of Money I’d…”

Still love her, perhaps get married to her right away.

Do you drive fast?

No. How fast can one go on a mountain bike.

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?

(No.

Storms - cool or scary?

Cool, I have always been fascinated by lightning and thunder.

Do you eat the stems on Broccoli?

Yes.

If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?

I prefer not to dye my hair.

Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?

Pune, Kolkatta, Tiruvallur, Chennai.

Favourite sports to watch?

Football, T:20 cricket, and F-1 racing.

One nice thing about the person who sent this to you -

Priloza is the finest illustrator I have ever known, a good friend, extremely witty, and independent.

What’s under your bed?

I sleep on the floor :)

Would you like to be born as yourself again?

I choose to answer this question twenty years later

Morning person or night owl?

Schizoid owl

Over easy or sunny side up?

Sunny side up!

Favourite place to relax?

All alone on the beach with a book to read, a bottle of lemon soda to drink, and my Sansa E-250 for company.

Favourite pie?

"Death by Chocolate" the taste remains in my mouth even after 12 long years.

Favourite ice-cream flavour?

Butterscotch with nuts.

Favourite movie?

It's a Wonderful Life

You pass this tag to?

Ashwin