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

RECENT TRENDS IN THE INDIAN ADVERTISING SCENARIO

“Any fool can make a product; it takes brains to sell it.”

This is a line that is quoted in many contexts; but it was first used in the context of advertising. So how has Indian advertising changed; this essay tries to present an unbiased summary of the changes and recent trends in the Indian advertising scenario.

The eighties brought Doordarshan and the television set to the common man. The early advertisements were simple and tried to convey their message with simplicity. It took a while for the public to move away from the commercials aired on the radio. There was a time when programs like “Jai Jawan” and “Binaca Geetmala” on Vividh Bharathi had a mass following across the nation. Placing an advertisement. in these programs ensured that the public would be aware of your product.

Television serials like “Buniyaad,” “Humlog,” “Nukkad,” “Karamchand” etc… and film-based programs like “Chitrahaar” and “Rangoli” created their own fan-base and the loyal audience would regularly watch these programs. Thus TV ads. became a big source of revenue for the national broadcaster and innovative ads selling various products were born. Remember the early ads-“Washing Powder Nirma,” “I Love You Rasna,” “Congratulations and Celebrations”{For Cadburys chocolates, "Lifebuoy-tandurusti ki raksha karta hai lifebuoy.."

The advent of cable television and the arrival of international channels brought in a wide variety of foreign ads to the Indian viewer. The blossoming economy and removal restrictions on foreign imports and a liberal industrialization policy, saw the arrival of lots of foreign brands like Coke, Pepsi, Hyundai, Sony, Daewoo, etc.. in India.

The ads became more creative with the emphasis on humour. The boom in the automobile sector saw the creation of lots of ads for bikes. Remember the “Hero Puch ad with Aamir Khan”

We also had ads created by the government to celebrate national unity. Remember the cute ad with the song-“Ek tithli anek tithliyaan..” “Ek chidiya anek chidiyaan…” It had simple animation and blending a fable from the Panchatantra it exemplified the importance of staying united.

The “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” ad, which had luminaries from all fields like Bhimsen Joshi, Amitabh, P.T.Usha, and a host of others was an immense hit and fostered national integration.

The nineties saw the arrival of sports stars and cine stars raking money with lucrative advertising deals. Remember the Aamir-Aishwarya ad. for Pepsi. The Sachin, Azhar, kambli ad for Pepsi. Actresses like Juhi Chawla, Shikha Swaroop and a host of others selling everything from soft drinks to luxury soaps.

Today the television advertising circuit faces a big threat from the Internet. Pop-up ads maybe irritating to the reader, but at least three out of ten people will click on it to see what the ad is all about. The TV ads of today are shot in a grand manner with the most famous movie or sports personalities and shot on location in Europe or Australia. At times it appears to be a criminal waste of time and money; but who cares; it is a case of my ad was more expensive to shoot than yours!

Another trend that is becoming really popular is in-brand advertising in Bollywoodie up with production houses to promote their products in a movie. Ex-Mountain Dew soft drink in Mission Istanbul -“Dar ke aage jeet hai. Hritik sipping Coke in a movie, Shahrukh using a high-end Nokia mobile phone in a movie, Aishwarya Rai flaunting a particular brand of diamond jewellery, Rani Mukherjee wearing a costly designer wristwatch by Titan, the list continues.

The modern consumer has a wide range of products to choose, a good advertisement may not necessarily transform a bad product in to a good one, but poor advertising can definitely kill a good product.

India vs Sri Lanka ODI Series

India defeated Sri Lanka by 33 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five match ODI series. The day-night match played at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, saw a battle of wits between the two captains. The Indians started disastrously losing Gambhir and Kohli quickly. Dhoni and Suresh Raina played sensibly and brought stability to the Indian innings. Raina was run out for 54 and Dhoni scored 74. India ended their quota of 50 overs and scored 237/9.

The Lankan batting order collapsed again as Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar bowled in tandem to reduce Sri Lanka to 90/6. Mahela Jayawardene played a brilliant knock of 94 and almost snatched victory from India Finally the run chase proved taxing and the lankans were bowled out for 233.

India should try their best to win the fourth ODI on Tuesday to win the series. Let us see what happens...

Uppuma and Pongal

The two things that I positively detested were uppuma and pongal. I used to hate the mornings when Amma used to prepare these two dishes for breakfast. Somehow she never managed to entice me into savouring her culinary expertise with uppuma and pongal, all other dishes that she made were demolished in super quick time by me; but uppuma and pongal-no way sir-those mornings I would manage with corn flakes or oats.

It is poetic justice today when in my great company I get uppuma or pongal three to four times a week for early morning breakfast. I have no other choice but to eat the gooey preparation that is a cross between porridge and homemade gum. The only compensation is the crispy vada and the generously coconuty{a new word:)} that accompanies the uppuma or pongal.

When I try to force the uppuma down my throat I long for the uppuma that Amma would make> Damn! you never know how Fate takes its course of action for the seemingly careless blunders and idiosyncrasies of childhood.

My all time favourite uppuma joke is from an old Malayalam movie starring Mohanlal.

Mohanlal plays the role of a fake English teacher teaching in a primary school. A student asks him-"Sir uppuma inde English enda?"{Sir what is the English word for uppuma?}

Mohanlal thinks for a while and replies-"Salt Mango Tree":)

[Uppu-Salt, Maavu-Mango tree.]

Hope that the canteen serves idli tomorrow:)

Second ODI

India won unconvincingly when they defeated Sri Lanka by 3 wickets to win the second ODI against Sri Lanka. Buoyed by a brilliant spell of swing bowling by Zaheer Khan who took 4 wickets the Lankans were restricted to 142 in 38.2 overs. Praveen Kumar got 3 wickets, Irfan got 2 wickets, and Harbhajan got the last wicket. Tushara's anchor-knock of 42 brought respectability to the Lankan total.

India's chase started on a disastrous note when Pathan and Kohli opened the batting; I do not understand the persistence of the Indian think-tank to experiment with Pathan as an opener every time there is a low target being chased; he is a bowler who can add valuable runs lower down the order, a couple of good knocks do not mean that he becomes a regular opener.

Irfan, Raina, Yuvraj all departed in quick succession. At 75 India had lost five wickets. Badrinath and Dhoni played sensibly to ensure that India reached home safely, Dhoni scored 35 and Badri was unbeaten on 27 as Zaheer scored the winning runs and deservedly won the man-of-the-match award.

The batting better improve by the next match; do not expect the Lankan batting to collapse every time like it did today.

Come on India you can win this series.

Some Phobias...

We all have our private list of fears/phobias. I am listing a few of mine:

1-Fear that I have walked into a ladies' restroom; this started in seventh standard, we had been to another school for a competition, and one of my friends walked into the girls' restroom by mistake, it created a near scandal. Thankfully the incident was not reported, I always double check that I am entering the mens' restroom.

2-The fly is open:) Well this is something that all men can relate to; no further explanations.

3-The trousers getting split; this started during a local cricket match, in my over-enthusiasm to catch the ball, I tried to leap like Jonty Rhodes-I tore my trousers, thankfully I caught the ball, and more importantly I was wearing shorts inside.:)

4-Being asked to pay the bill at the restaurant, and suddenly realizing that someone has picked my pocket or I have forgotten to bring my wallet.

5-The fear of lizards.

6-The fear of Maths teachers.

AN EVENING IN T.NAGAR

Saturday afternoon I was bored and on a sudden impulse decided to visit T.Nagar. There is something, an aura or charm about the place that draws thousands to it everyday. T.Nagar is the textile and jewellery hub of Chennai, there was a time when T.Nagar signified just three big names GRT Thanga Maligai, Saravana Stores, and Kumaran Silks. Today the consumer has unlimited options. The crowd of people that throng the narrow roads never diminishes, from Mambalam railway station a sea of humanity rushes to Ranganathan Street, another crowd jostles for space as it makes its way from the T.Nagar bus depot. It is extremely difficult to walk at one's own pace as the crowd pushes you along.

Sathya Bazaar is a string of shops similar to Burma Bazaar. Small shops dealing in electronic items, perfumes, clothes, footwear, and movie DVDs. You never know what rare classic you might find among the pirated movies kept for sale. The footwear available in a couple of shops is really good and one can get fantastic bargains on leather shoes and belts.

I took a bus from Broadway to T.Nagar-10A-that went via Egmore and Sterling Road. The bus took the new flyover that was inaugurated a few days back and I reached T.Nagar at about 5 p.m. I walked along Burkitt Road, took a left turn and walked further to reach Venkatnarayana Road. The Tirupathi Devasthanam Temple was crowded to the maximum; hence I prayed from outside and walked to the Crossword Bookstore. I am always on the lookout for new bookshops; I have mostly been a Landmark-regular while buying new books, otherwise it has always been the pavement bookshops and Moore Market. The bookshop is on the first floor of a shopping mall, the ambience is similar to that of the Oxford Bookshop on Haddows Road. There is a good collection of books, though not exhaustive as Landmark. The big plus point of the place is the genuine inclination of the store attendants to help customers in finding books. At Landmark barring a couple of attendants most of the folks have trouble in trying to spot a book that one is searching for; that reminds me, it has been two weeks since I placed an order for a book at Landmark; and they are yet to contact me regarding the status of my order.

There was a discount sale at the bookshop, and I was tempted to splurge, but I decided to restrict my temptations to Rs 500 as I had already spent about Rs 2000/- this month on books and DVDs. I purchased two books; "The Fire Engine that Disappeared" by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo and "The Art of Acting" by Stanislavski. I also became a member of their Rewards program and got a card which entitled me to dicounts and offers. The lifetime membership costs just Rs 150/-.

Then I returned to the bus depot to find absolute chaos, all the buses were full, and not a single bus to Central railway station was in sight. Then a direct bus to Tiruvallur came; I boarded it without delay; it took a full twenty five minutes for the bus to exit T.Nagar. The bus travelled via Saidapet, Guindy, Porur, Poonamallee, Velavedu and I finally reached Tiruvallur at 8:20 p.m. I discovered that the share autos were not running as there was a shortage of diesel, no bus was also in sight. I got a lift from a good samaritan on a bike, and finally reached home at 8:45 p.m.

INDIA TODAY

I woke up in the morning,

And I realized it is August 15–Independence Day.

Does it make me happy?

Does it make me sad?

I do not know!

A few thoughts that I want to share-

There is pollution everywhere,

There is corruption to the core,

Terrorism and violence everywhere,

A bomb blast here, a bomb blast there;

No value for human life anywhere.

The martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Cry in their graves looking at the sad situation.

Once upon a time,

We had leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, and Subash Chandra Bose.

Today we have a bunch of crooks that are no better than horse-traders,

Changing their parties for the colour of money.

In spite of all these problems,

The common man continues to fight,

To struggle and succeed,

In this land of dreams and opportunities,

Hoping for a better tomorrow,

That is the spirit of the true Indian-

To hope against hope-

And persevere to succeed.

Here is a prayer for all the martyrs.

Another prayer for an India undivided.

An India without casteism and communalism.

An India where everyone is happy and free.

An India where everyone is respected and leads a life of freedom and dignity.

Let us hope that India Tomorrow,

Is much better than India Today.

Results Out

Well folks my name does not figure in the list of candidates who have cleared the Prelims of the I.A.S.

I was sure I would clear the exams. I had got a decent number of questions right; perhaps it was not enough.

I do not know if the caste quota affected my elimination.

Anyway there is always another day.

So Prelims 2009, watch out here I come.

Results..

It is not writing an exam that worries me, it is waiting for the results that troubles me. The results of the IAS Prelims can come out any day now. If I am not screwed up by the quota basis, I believe I might have a fair chance to make it to the next round and write the Mains.

As God wills....

Kuselan

As expected Kuselan has flopped. All the hype and hoopla surrounding the movie is dying down as worried cinema hall owners are desperately trying to usher in the audience.

The usual mammoth opening for Superstar's movie ensured that the movie had a fabulous opening. The truth is that P.Vasu has raped Srinivasan's classic "Katha Parayumbol" in which Mammooty had a cameo, to produce a remake in which the story focuses too much on Rajnikant.

If copy cat P.Vasu had stayed faithful to the original I am sure the movie would have been a hit. Pasupathi the hero of the movie hardly gets any place in the posters. It is all about boosting star egos, if Dashavatharam showcased Kamal's vanity, Kuselan unwittingly parodies Rajnikant. In "Sivaji" it was the horrendous blond wig, here it is outlandishly colored costumes, figure hugging jeans.

Acting wise the movie showcases the talents of Pasupathy and Rajnikant. Meena overacts and Nayantara titillates the masses with her dare bare rain dance act.

The last twenty minutes create emotional mayhem; the movie could have been much much better.

G.V. Prakash after a brilliant show in "Veyil" disappoints in "Kuselan." The music gives the impression of "I have already heard this."

Once again as for Dashavtharam I refrain from rating the movie.

The biggest joke is Priyadarshan another copy cat commenting on P.Vasu's failed attempt at trying to copy the magic of "Katha Parayumbol."

The pot calling the kettle black.":)

Books

I went on a book-buying spree this weekend and bought the following books:
"Charlie Brown you don't look 50."
The Abominable Man.
The Locked Room.
Murder at the Savoy.
The last three are police thrillers written by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Originally written in Swedish. They star Inspector Martin Becks.
If you like reading crime fiction, this series is bound to entertain you. Try reading them.

I also managed to read two David Baldacci thrillers last week-"The Camel Club" and "Hour Game." Seriously entertaining the tension never stops, but I felt that "The Camel Club" was a bit too long. Waiting for the next batch of Baldacci thrillers that my friend has promised to lend me.
So long.

A LOVE STORY

She was not stunningly beautiful, just pretty in a simple charming sort of way. I see her everyday on the train. She boards the train at the Thirumailai station and alights at the Indra Nagar station; I continue on my journey and get down at the Thiruvanmiyur station. I am a programmer, I write code, and I work for a small outsourcing firm that pays me a decent salary.

It has been six months since I landed in Chennai and started working on my current job. The MRTS or “Flying Train” as it is popularly called is efficient and saves a lot of time when I commute to office from my shared apartment in Triplicane. My roommate woks for an FM radio station as a radio jockey; he is a cousin of my classmate at my college.

I noticed her for the first time a couple of months back, and ever since I wait with bated breath each time the train approaches the Thirumailai station. She is always dressed in salwar-kameez, no saree or jeans and T-shirt stuff. She carries a black handbag, it probably contains her lunch. She has golden eyes and wears minimal make up. In all my years in school and college I had never been so attracted by a face or seen someone who could carry oneself with so much grace.

I would often wonder “If I speak to her…” A chain of thoughts follows—Perhaps we would become friends, maybe we would go shopping or go to a movie, perhaps she would invite me to her house and introduce me to her parents, and then one thing would lead to another; and one fine day I would propose marriage, and she would say—“Yes.” When I spoke on this topic to my roommate, he said—“Matchaan family planning ellam super; do you know her name?”

Damn, curse the fellow to bring me back to reality. I thought—“I have been seeing her on the train everyday for close to three months now, and all I know is that she boards the train at Thirumailai and alights at Indra Nagar, has golden eyes, and wears Salwar-kameez with a preference for shades of black, lavender, and blue.”

I thought—“Dude, time to find out more about the girl with the golden eyes.” I got the opportunity pretty soon, July 4, being American Independence Day and falling on a Friday our clients in the U.S. gave us an extended weekend holiday.

So here I am on the train Friday morning dressed in a grey T-shirt and denims. I feel nervous as the train reaches Thirumailai, as usual she boards the train. She is wearing a blue salwar-kameez with floral prints. I try not staring at her and focus my concentration on the newspaper in my hands. The paper loses the battle as I catch stolen glances of her.

The train reaches Indra Nagar—she alights and I follow her; I maintain my distance, careful not to alert her of my presence. She walks with measured steps, with the fluidity of a ballet dancer or a gymnast. She walks for about fifteen minutes and enters a huge mansion. The building is reminiscent of the British era and is huge. I look at the arched board at the entrance. It reads—“Ashraya-School for the Blind.”

For a moment I stop and admire the girl’s courage and love. In an age where everyone wants to join an IT firm, here was one girl who was leading a life with a definite purpose.

I returned to my room and when my roommate questioned me I realized that I still did not know the girl’s name. My roommate joked—“Matchaan if this goes on she is going to get married to someone else, speak to her man.” I smiled stupidly and took out a novel and began reading it.

Monday morning was cold and chilly, it had rained heavily all of Sunday evening and night and the roads were wet and slippery. I went to the railway station, the station was more crowded than usual, someone said that a train had got cancelled—that explained the crowd. The train pulled into the station it was crowded; I somehow found a place to stand near the exit. I held on to the door as the train proceeded towards Thirumailai.

“Where was she? Had she taken leave because of the inclement weather?” The train was about to leave when she bounded up the stairways and ran on to the platform the train started and she made a dash for it as the train accelerated, she too increased her speed, I held out my hand and said-“Trust me, hold my hand, I will pull you in.” She looked at me for a moment and offered her hand; I pulled her in and she smiled at me sheepishly-“Thanks a lot, I would have missed the train if you had not helped me.” She held out her hand once again and said—“Hi, I am Diya, I am a teacher.” I shook hands with her—“Hi Diya, I am Mark I am a programmer. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

She got down at Indra Nagar but by then we had exchanged our mobile phone numbers and then it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. I began to visit her at her school on weekends and interacted with the children there. I helped set up a computer laboratory in their school and helped some of the children learn computers through JAWS a software for the visually impaired.

Slowly we began to like each other; we shared a common love for Illayaraja and Beethoven, Jayakanthan and Dostoevsky, and Clint Eastwood and Julia Roberts. The list of likes and dislikes was so similar that it made me believe in the fact—“Someone somewhere is made just for you.”

I met her parents and then spoke to my parents. Things fell into place; our engagement was announced in the church, and we got married.

We are living happily she is still working in the school, and I have been promoted to the post of Project Manager.

Well that is the story of our love story and we continue to love and live together happily.

Age…..

You know you are growing old when the kids playing in the local ground call you-“Uncle.”

The college-going boys and girls too decide to address you as “Uncle.”

You visit your dear old college to meet your professors, and the current batch of students thinks that you are the new lecturer who is going to teach them Literary Criticism.

Every morning instead of reading the sports section and the comics, your eyes go to the editorial section and the business section to check the latest rise in inflation and the hike in the prices of essential commodities.

A bunch of boisterous college boys and girls hanging out in the shopping mall suddenly go silent on seeing you. This happened thrice to me last month, for the love of God, I still do not know why the kids did this to meJ

The frequency and duration of the phone calls from your distant uncles and aunts with daughters of marriageable age to your parents increases significantly.

MARIA

All her life,

She had to sleep,

Sleep with people,

Whom she never knew.

Some came to her,

In frustration.

Some came to her,

In lust.

But all her life,

She had to sleep ,

Sleep with people,

To feed her poor family.

Selling herself selflessly,

To selfish people,

Day after day,

Night after night.

A life of misery,

Undergoing pain and sadistic torture,

But she continued with a smile on her face,

Hoping that she would be happy one day.

Today she lies,

In her final resting place.

Under a single slab of stone.

To sleep in peace.

Finally and all alone.

MAHESHWARA PURANAM

February 23, 1982-Portland Hospital Calcutta-A woman cries out in labor pain, and the doctors try their best to ease her pain. The situation seems hopeless and all chances of a normal delivery are ruled out. The woman’s elder brother is worried and signs some forms so that the doctors can perform a Caesarean surgery to save mother and child.

The doctors continue to toil and a baby boy is delivered, but the tiny child is silent and shows no sign of life; the elderly chief doctor is a worried man; he prays for a miracle and asks for an oxygen cylinder. The oxygen mask brings life to the child and the tiny boy moves his feeble arms in protest; but he still does not cry. Is this child dumb? Will it survive the hour? In an act of desperation the doctor taps the child’s rump-“Waaa.” The child wailed and the doctors breathed a collective sigh of relief. If you are wondering what this was all about-well that is the story of my birth.

1985-Pune-Ajmera School-I wear my school uniform – light blue shirt, navy blue trousers, and formally enter the Indian educational system.

1988-Dad gets a job offer in Calcutta, and we move lock, stock, and barrel to Calcutta. A new city new people and above all I meet my grandparents and elder sister for the first time.

April 17 1988-I enter the hallowed corridors of M.P. Birla Foundation Higher Secondary School for the first time.

April 1989- I receive the thrashing of my life from my elder maternal uncle and then my mother for lying. The lie – I told my mother that my uncle had given me permission to buy a rubber ball, and my mother bought me a rubber ball, and my poor mother trusting her dear son bought the ball. My uncle on returning from office finding me playing with the ball found out the truth. That thrashing made me realize the importance of truth and trust. “Never lie to the ones you love.”

The next day my uncle bought me a real cricket ball. It was also the day that I was introduced to the wonderful world of Tintin and Snowy. My uncle bought me my first Tintin comic “Tintin and the Blue Lotus.” That day I fell in love with books and it has remained a lifelong passion.

October 1989-My first visit to South India with my younger maternal uncle starts on an adventurous note. I manage to get separated from my uncle in the crowd at Howrah station. As my uncle bangs his head in frustration, wondering how he would face my mother. I coolly walk to the station master’s office and report to the puzzled man “Railway Uncle mein mere mama se bichhad gaya. My name is M…. and my uncle’s name is….”

The station master makes an announcement on the public address system, and my poor uncle who has aged ten years in the short span of thirty minutes rushes into the station master’s office, where he finds me calmly snacking on a Cadburys Five Star sponsored by “Railway Uncle.”

He thanks the station master profusely and the two of us proceed to board the Coromandal Express and I reach the land of my forefathers.

Fifteen days of fun as I visit Madras and Pondicherry, meet my cousins and enjoy the care and affection showered on me by my various uncles and aunts.

1990 and 1991-Both my grandparents die. I miss both of them a void that can perhaps never be filled.

1990-I become class monitor for the first time. The best year of my life at school. Absolute fun and a super class teacher called Mr S.K. Bagchi, for the first time I enjoyed Maths under his guidance and teaching. My father starts his series of contract jobs in the Middle East and leaves for Muscat.

I hit my first fifty in a local club match. For the first time the dadas whom we used to admire sat up and took notice of the little Madrasi kid. Then it was cricket and football everyday. Things came to a point where I would wait for the school bell to ring and I would rush home, dump my bag, drink Bournvita/juice and rush to the cricket ground.

1992-Involved in a fight for the first time, I return home badly bruised. I vow revenge and start practicing kickboxing. No one knows it at home, even today. I train by myself, borrow books from the school library and watch the senior students practicing Taekwondo at school and learn a lot.

Six months to the day I got beaten. I beat the shit out of the gang of four who had humiliated me. Surprisingly we become friends and the GANG is formed.

1994-My elder sister is married and she leaves for Nagpur.

1995-Meet with a serious accident; suffer serious head injuries and miss one whole year of school as I recuperate.

1996-Join a new school La Maternelle, a small and simple school with no pretensions.

1998-Dad sends a letter to my uncle asking him to send me and mother to Tiruvallur, in Tamil Nadu, where he has found a job and decided to settle. I bid goodbye to Calcutta.

May 1, 1998-I land in Chennai, and it has been one hectic journey since then..

April 2002-I complete my higher secondary course.

May 2002—May 2005-Three years of bliss in R.K.M. Vivekanada College, Mylapore, Chennai. English Literature at its best, under the guidance of two of the finest gentlemen I have ever met in my life-Professor K.V. Rao and Professor B. Suresh.

December 2002—2003-Win lots of competitions at various institutions in different events. A team comprising me and my classmate Vikas become a formidable quizzing team. I discover a passion for theatre, and start writing scripts for plays.

February 2004-Another accident and this time ended up in a coma and almost went to the grave. The doctors saved me once again and somewhere during the course of my surgery, I guess there was a bit of self-realization and spiritual enlightenment; as I realized that there is a definite purpose for me being here in this world, in this life, in this form.

May 2005-My first corporate job, which I landed after a campus placement program, as I join Sify as an Instructional Designer. Meet a fascinating set of people and made some friends.

January 2007-I land my second job and quit it in April 2007.

May 2007-I land my third job.

May 2008- I write the Indian Civil Services Preliminary Examinations.

August 2008-I am currently on my third job. In all due probability will be leaving it soon to prepare for the next batch of examinations.

Lines...."I certainly hope that they are never for Her"

Forever

He stood in front of her house.

Waiting for her,

Hoping she would come out,

At least look at him from the window.

He waited, but in vain.

She had left him,

And gone to a distant city,

Far away from him;

Perhaps never ever to return.

He was sad,

He wondered-“You could have at least told me that you are leaving.”

She had left the city.

But she would remain-

In his heart.

Forever……

DASHAVTHARAM

Surprisingly I liked the movie, remember I liked it, I did not enjoy it. The review starts on that somber note.

Ten characters, ten roles, a chance for Kamal to surpass Shivaji Ganeshan’s masterpiece Navarathri , an attempt in which he fails.

The characters are as follows:

Rangarajan Nambi-A twelfth century Vaishnavite priest.

Dr. Govindraj-A bio-technologist.

Vincent Poovaraghavan-A dalit leader and social activist.

Fletcher-A rogue C.I.A. agent.

Balaram Naidu-An Indian intelligence officer.

Krishnaveni Patti-An old lady, playing Asin’s grandmother.

Kalifullah Khan-A tall Pathan

Avtaar Singh-A Punjabi singer.

Shingen Narahasi-A Japanese martial arts expert

George Bush.

The story starts with a Chozha king asking Nambi to bow to Lord Shiva and chant the name of Lord Shiva. Nambi refuses, he is tied to the idol of Lord Vishnu and is drowned in the sea.

A chemical weapon is about to be sold to an international terrorist organization. Govindraj steals it and is chased by Fletcher and his moll Mallika Sherawat.

They reach India in pursuit of Govind. The vial containing the chemical is hidden in a panchaloha idol of Perumal and the pace of the movie quickens. Plots bring in the other characters and the story has a predictable end with Fletcher dying.

Balram Naidu and Vincent Poovaraghavan are the two characters that stand out.

The tsunami sequence is done well, but an amateurishly animated shark does not do justice to the fact that millions were spent on the special effects.

It is like Kamal has donned cheap masks to portray the different characters.

Avtaar Singh suffering from laryngeal cancer, and a bullet taking the cancerous growth out. Well that is a scene out of Captain Vijaykant’s movie, you do not expect to see such stuff in Ullaganayagan’s movies.

All that Asin does in the movie is cry out”Aiyyo En Perumalae….”

The music is a big letdown. “Mukunda Mukunda” is the only song worth mentioning. They spent crores in making a movie, couldn’t Aascar Ravichandran get a decent music score.

Mallika’s dance for the frontbenchers is something that the family audience will not appreciate. I saw this movie in a theatre in Chennai, a bunch of boys probably in their sixth or seventh standard were seated in the row in front and well were glued to Mallika’s antics. I guess T.V. has much sleazier stuff so perhaps no harm done.

The biggest plus point for the movie would be the set design. The temple at the beginning, the White House, the training school in Tokyo, they look brilliant.

I enjoyed Michael Madana Kamarajan; that was a gem of a movie; brilliant screenplay, superb comedy, no ghostlike makeup, superb songs, and a climax that is still unmatched for its combination of action and comedy.

Overall rating–It is sad but I am not going to rate this movie. It is a movie that could have been much better, it has its fair share of thrills, but for a hardcore fan of Kamal–it is a disappointment.