Cinematic Dichotomy - Part 2

In this blog which is a continuation of the previous one I will discuss the word dichotomy in relation to three movies. The detailed definition of the word is something like this - a separation into two divisions that differ widely from or contradict each other (Text courtesy- Microsoft® Encarta® 2006) In all the movies that will be discussed in this blog, there is a predominantly visible dichotomy which really captured my attention. I think every good or bad movie contains some patterns and it is for the intelligent viewer to find it. To do this, he should disengage himself from the colors and sounds of a movie. Look at it from a distance with a critical stand and then note the designs within the movie.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The movies, is based on the life of Anneliesse Michel, a young catholic woman from Germany who died in 1976 after unsuccessful attempts to cure her from the alleged state of demonic possession with the use of psychotropic drugs. A church approved exorcism was performed on her, according to her wish. According to the court, her death was caused by medical neglect of the priest watching over her (Movie trivia courtesy – Wikepedia)

The above information clearly explains the inherent dichotomy between facts and faith. The Hollywood machinery has got a strong leniency towards the spiritual and the unknown because that’s what sells. Even an ordinary story of a peasant girl form Orleans was converted into a spiritual façade. (Reference to Joan of Arc) the same applies to a certain extent to Emily Rose. In this case the dichotomy helps and the movie grips the attention of the viewer for the slow but effective building of the arguments in the court. That’s the beauty of the dichotomy. It creates an opposition which is quite meaningful and elegant. The priest (supernatural, divine) on one side and the public prosecutor on the other side with his facts, figures, and logic. It is a clash between man of facts and man of faith.

The Devil wears Prada
An easy to watch movie with lots of beautiful faces and colorful dresses. Anne Hathaway is a feast to human eyes. Meryl Streep is old but plays the perfect foil and she knows what acting is. No wonder she got her 14th Oscar nomination for her role as Miranda Priestly – the editor of the fashion magazine Runway. The dichotomy here is between the characters of Streep and Anne Hathaway. The former is one is quite demanding and domineering. She is not concerned about human bonds and invests her time and energy in building the magazine. People don’t matter but the circulation of the magazine matters. Anne initially is fascinated by this world but when she sees that her own little world filled with love is crumbling under this pressure she takes her own decision. The final act of throwing the mobile into the street fountain is something which I liked. An act which can be compared to Ibsen’s Nora who shuts the door on her husband’s face.

Spiderman 3
The movie poster itself celebrated the dichotomy. The inner conflict inside Spiderman is amplified and magnified in this third installment from Marvel comics. The usual, red jacket is pitted against the black one. It is not just the ‘uniform’ that changes even the character of Spidy. He becomes more flirtatious and destructive. It looks as if the creators of Spiderman 3 is bored of the same goodie goodie image of Spidy. They want to show him in sinister way and by doing so they make the ardent fans of Spidy ask a stupid question – Oh what has happened to our Spiderman?

Cinematic Dichotomy - Part One

This blog is about a bunch of movies, which I watched in the recent past. Movies are the best anti-dote for loneliness (I am so blessed that my better half endorses the same view) this statement has been proved true many times in my own life. Now, seated in this classroom at Vocational Training College, Shinas which is 140 km away from Dubai, I am ready to write my first blog for the last month of this year. (Pretty long sentence eh! Strunk and E.B White will reprimand me for this gross of violation of style)
I don’t want to write an ordinary review of the movies. It is not the way. It is a big mistake and will go against my philosophy of writing – i.e. Writing is Creating. So through this blog I am trying to inject some new life and freshness into the whole process of writing and by extension to my life also. Before I attempt to write I would also like to document the different stages in creation of a blog.
The first thing that is necessary is a fine and active mood. Greek literaryscape contains the muse which I think is nothing but the inspiration to write. This inspiration doesn’t come everyday. It is rare and when it comes, I should be able to tap it and use it. This morning it came when I needed it the most. I was waiting in my classroom for my students (which is against the Koan saying – if the student is ready the teacher will appear) I appeared but no students. The reason is as clear as the morning sunrays that are peeping into this classroom – Bakrid celebrations. So the time was perfect and the mood was very much in me.

The next step is finding an answer to the big question – what to write about? This is indeed a difficult phase because most of the time there is never a straight answer to this. I have to look around and inside me to find the solution. Most of the time the answer comes from my heart and today was no different. Movies and their magical worked once again beckoned me and I readily took the plunge. Again there was a problem which I have mentioned earlier in this blog. The yearning to be different came like gushing waters and I meekly succumbed to it. Again the mind started working and finally decided that instead of writing a clichéd review let me find something common in all the movies and luckily I did find something common which I am very good in finding. It all started when I got introduced to the world of African American literature and along with it I got the word – Dichotomy. The word, at first appealed to my research topic i.e. Roots by Alex Haley. It means the differences between something or in other words – opposing things. Since my M.phil research was a continuation of my MA dissertation I was deeply influenced and I started discovering the significance of this in different contexts. I even wrote an article titled – The Beauty and the Beast keeping this idea in mind. So I connected this word with the movies that I have watched recently and thus I got the topic.

One the idea is formed then it is a matter of putting the initial thoughts into a piece of paper and the next step follows soon – use the MS word to type it and after adding the necessary images and put it here….
(To be continued)

Revolution over a cup of Coffee

Picture Courtesy - Jyothy Karat

This blog has got a nostalgic past and yummy present and a thoughtful future. The common ingredient in all these time frames is a hot cup of coffee. I, imagine myself as a boy with a heavy bag at the gates of my school waiting for dad to come and take me home. Not that everyday he is used to come to pick me up but on certain days and he made those days all the more special by taking me to the nearest Indian Coffee House. For those of you whom don’t what is that, I will cough up some words. It is a restaurant to begin with and it is run by a co-operative employees union which has got strong Communist routes. Anyway the food they serve is not Marxist in taste or appearance. Indian coffee house serves you the best samosas, cutlets, and off course delicious coffee. They have branches all over Kerala and I was surprised to see one here in Muscat too. Long live – Indian Coffee Houses. Going back to that day when my dad mixed coffee with love and served me, I felt hungrier and used to try different dishes from the coffee house. Obviously, the coffee house jaunts always ended with a hot cup of coffee.

These days, coffee has become more popular. Commercialization has taken this common drink of the common man to glassed houses and polished seats. Café Coffee day, Quikwy’s, Starbucks, Costa, Barrista you got exciting names everywhere. With captions like – ‘A lot can happen over a cup of coffee’, these new coffee vendors invite customers and make things happen over a cup of coffee. As a student in Loyola, I was excited to watch the inside activities at Quikwy’s, where they had a bell installed so that the satisfied customers can ring it. Most of them, they did that irrespective of how the coffee tasted. Only once I had the opportunity to enter that ‘coffee pub’ and but not to drink coffee but to discuss my failed international teaching opportunity. Incidentally that offer was from Colombia which is famous for its coffee rich countryside. I have seen boys and girls huddled together over a cup of coffee discussing ‘serious’ issues like – Why you love me? , What is love? , and how to put an end to this love affair?

In the days to come I foresee a great demand for this drink, life is becoming difficult and the best way to ‘cool’ our heels is to drink a ‘hot’ cup of coffee and talk to either yourself or a trusted friend. I am sure that it will make a hell lot of difference. There are proof for this in almost cultures where coffee is a national drink. Italy, Mexico, Ireland, there have been social changes and coffee acted as a catalyst. So if we desire for a change within ourselves and the world in general, the best thing to do is to sit across a coffee table and simply talk. Coffee can, indeed be a life savior.

Barrack Obama and Me

The US presidential elections this time was more popular than the Olympics games. Thanks to the strong media support the racial clout that surrounded it. Me too was drawn into this political whirlpool knowingly or unknowingly. I am happy to recollect that when I was working in Tumkur, near Bangalore in the media department of SSIT, I used to have this intense and extensive discussion with my director Dr Suchetana Swaroop. He supported the republicans and I supported Obama. I did the same not because of any political connection as such. It was because I liked Obama right from the day one I saw him in the paper as the US presidential candidate. He face grabbed my attention and it was devotion and respect at the first sight. There was something special on that face. Now, if try to define what exactly is on his face, the only word that I can think about is the word – FOCUS. It looks as if he knows where he is going. If the caption for his campaigning was something fascinating. Change – What we can believe in. In these present days when, the whole world is burning I found Obama a perfect person standing tall with some hope. I have given some quotes by Obama here, that makes my eulogy for him complete.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.
This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands.
We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued and they must be defeated.
You know, my faith is one that admits some doubt.

Thoughts on Marriage

Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing." - Goethe

They say that marriages are made in heaven. It is such a stupid saying that doesn't take into account the hard realities of life. I have a friend who is more worried about making life a romantic affair. He tells me that I take like too seriously and as a distant fan of 'Chetan Bhagat' I should not take life seriously. Marriage means (according to me) two people living together for a considerable amount of time (if they are lucky) with the 'support',' help' and 'blessings' of the elders and most important the society.
I think that there is a three stage development in any marriage. The initial days of discovering each other. Some may hurry in this phase and things may get entangled in unnecessary emotional/physical traps. In the second stage, there is a reduction of speed from 120 km/hr to 40 km/ hr. This is the real stage of enlightenment. Both will open their eyes and they will start looking at each other from an angle that can be filled with love or despair. For the first time they realize that there is a world outside the 'cocoon' of marital bonds. In the third stage and the final stage, the entry of a cherubic little boy or girl will bring them together. For me this is the real and true stage in marriage. Two lives struggling for one life. There will be lots of meaning and sacrifice in this stage. This is also the stage when marriage becomes a truly gratifying experience.
Reader, you may wonder what made me write this particular blog, the reason is I got married few days back and my soul mate's name is Shincy, She is a math teacher by profession. We have just started our life together so if you are in a mood to pray for us do that NOW. This blog I dedicate for her and I also express my heartfelt thanks to God for blessing us in the holy matrimony.

Bus ride -First time

From Muscat to Sohar,distance 300kms,time taken 3hrs,service-Oman National Transort Corporation,ONTC,Bus model-MAN

Rules to blog by

The following rules appeared in the TOI - Mumbai edition on September 28, 2008. It is kind of interesting for young and old bloggers...
1. You shall not put your blog before your integrity
2. You shall not make an idol of your blog
3. You shall not misuse your screen name by using your anonymity to sin
4. Remember the Sabbath day by taking one day off a week from your blog
5. Honour your fellow-bloggers above yourselves and do not give undue significance to their mistakes
6. You shall not murder someone else’s honour, reputation, or feelings
7. You shall not use the web to commit or permit adultery in your mind
8. You shall not steal another person’s content
9. You shall not give false testimony against your fellow bloggers
10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s blog ranking. Be content with your own content.

Speaking through Pics

The kind of liquid that not just runs automobiles but even the economy

Hard rocks surround the capital city of Muscat

Away from Literature

I completed my Master's in Language and Literature from Loyola in the year 2000. It’s been 8 years and when I look back the former part of the degree seems to have helped me rather than the latter one. I became aware of this academic dichotomy the moment I started wearing the teacher’s garb. Language is for livelihood and literature is for your intellectual curiosity. I was swimming around the vast ocean literariness till my M.phil days; my thesis was related to the structuralist (psychoanalysis) French critic Jacques Lacan. I dabbled with the toughest theories of Lacan and the outcome was I realised that my research was nothing compared to the vast amount of studies that is been already done in psychoanalysis.
My teaching made me come in touch with the real problems of students. They were not interested in Lacan or Shakespeare. They were more focussed that I was, they wanted to speak and write faultless English to earn a livelihood. So my classrooms made me more practical and took me away from the fictional world of literature. Letters, words, sentences and paragraphs became my world. These days it has become more hardcore with different types of ESP’s – English for Specific purposes. If I remember correctly till date I have familiarised with more that five types of ESP’s

English for Media
English for Management
English for Fashion Designing
English through the Internet
English for Business
English through Literature,

After my arrival here in Oman, I have entered the world of Technical English.
It is not that I am totally cut off from the world of make believe. Movies fill this fictional gap and it is quite interactive and richer than literature.

An Elegy on Music...

Death note of the Lebanese singer Sussaine Thameem who was ‘murdered’ recently in Dubai.
(Translated from Malayalam)
Marriage or Murder
(In the name of the most compassionate and merciful God. We come from Him and we return to Him)
My real estate property, ornaments, and other valuable items should go to my mother and brother. Nobody else should get a share of the same. The orphans and homeless ones should be protected and should be fed. Virtuous acts should be carried out and care should be taken to tread on the path of righteousness.

I sincerely apologize to those who had suffered because of me. You should pray for me so that I receive mercy from Almighty. Forgive me for all those mistakes that I have committed.

Please show some respect towards me after my death. My mother should be given extra love and care. Special time should be found to take care of her.

You should never do things that will bring upon the wrath of God.

My Libyan episode made me fell in love with singers from the world of Arab music. One of the first things I did after my arrival here is to sync my iPod to the latest in Arabic Pop music. My all time favourite is Nancy Agram – Lebanese by birth but settled in Dubai. When I read the above quoted news item in the Dubai edition of Malayala Manorama, at least for sometime I got a glimpse of the rotten underbelly of the Arab music industry. One of the USP’s of these singers is the deadly combination of beauty and voice. Both these accelerate them to instant stardom status. Their popularity is limited to the Gulf but it is deep rooted and filled with glitz. The lucky ones gets settled in Dubai and this the place where they go around doing their musical harvesting. They sing at parties (private) and clubs, sometimes they are flown into distant places like Libya and Morocco. Money is never a constraint and compared to their male counterparts they have a better ‘salability’.

The Old Face of Oman

Again it is been a long time since I penned a few lines in this space. I am kind of busy these days knowing a new culture and going back to the basic philosophy of this blog, I write only for my pleasure. I do have some readers and I thank them for their occasional tidbit of wisdom and suggestions.
Earlier, writing had been a much easier exercise. As soon as I got into my work place i.e. language lab I had the time and space to scribble my thoughts. Those days are gone I think. Life is harder when it comes to blogging. I have to come to an internet café and key in these words. Language lab was the beginning – easy and cool and it gave me enough space to get started. I would have written more than 100 blogs seated inside language lab. So, the honeymoon is over and now is the time to actually get into the act of real blogging. There are challenges everywhere and I am stirred by the actual need to write something. This time I am investing a small amount to write my blogs (surfing charges).
Being in a land away from home is a definitely new experience and the little writer in me is constantly haunted by scenes and sights which translate itself into words and sentences. Since I go out for evening walks everyday (sometimes alone, sometimes with some company) I feel the writer in me coming to life.
One of the things which really grabbed my attention is about the plight of the older or elderly generation of this country. I see them in street corners, in expensive cars staring outside with a enigmatic expression on their face, and sometimes in the company of other oldies. I feel that this elderly group, the so called senior citizens of this country will have a story to tell. About the changes in all walks of life. From the mode of transportation to the change in food habits, they have witnessed it all. They are silent, and they move like shadows in the streets. I feel that the changes have made them muted forever. When I look into their faces I feel that they have stories to tell but who is there to listen to them.
(The inspiration to write this blog came from the sight of an old man seated in the front seat of an expensive car who was looking at me in an earnest way. I found him to be aloof towards what was happening around him. He was just drifting in the heavy flow of life and i am sure that one day he will disappear, unnoticed)

Welcoming a New Culture

Once again life has taken me to a new place, away from home and it is quite surprising that it took such a long time for me to write something about the new culture. I arrived in Muscat on the 1st of September. The airport was pretty deserted because I was one of the early birds to land. After getting the visa stamped in my passport I had to wait for some time for the vehicle which was supposed to take me to work place. In one way the waiting proved to be a blessing in disguise. I got enough time to observe and learn from the people as the life around me was slowly 'waking up'. It also gave me enough time to get for currency exchange and buying the mobile card. In Oman we have two service providers once is Oman mobile and the other one is Nawras. The former managed by the government and the other is a private one.

Once the vehicle arrived, it was time to see the outside world. The first thing which struck me and my body was the heat. It was bad and I was eager to get into the waiting car. It was like stepping from a desert into a hill station. The roads are smooth as silk here and the vehicle just glides on it as the speedometer steadily climbs into a 130-140 figure. The sights and sounds are almost similar to the ones that I had experienced in Libya. I stayed at the guest house for 3-4 days to complete my formalities which included Resident Card (I dare not compare this with the my experience in Libya which was an excruciating one)
I hope to write more about my life in the coming days and I hope once I get back to India or when I change my place once again I will be able to at least munch the memories through this virtual space.

My classroom or my new learning space - Time will tell

One strange shaped car - captured from the streets of Muscat.

The Road now taken

Chetan Effect

I rarely read all the books written by an author. I have not read the complete works of Shakespeare (I do not want to) nor any of the literary giants living or dead. Strangely enough, I have read all the books written by best selling Indian author - Chetan Bhagat. It all started with ‘FPS’ then ‘One nite @ the call Center’ and the recent one ‘The Three Mistakes of My Life’. A strange occurrence indeed. I did something which is stranger than this - writing a review to Chetan on his number 3. The strangeness came to a full circle when i received a reply from him. Almost the whole of last week of my classroom time was spend discussing the speech given by Chetan at Symbiosis Pune. It is a good one (We i.e. me and my students agreed) in this speech he talks about the need to have the spark within us to live our lives in a lovely way. He also warns against the factors that may act against this spark. The full text can be accessed at www.chetanbhagat.com. Given below is my review and the reply which I received from him.

Hi Chetan
Thanks for giving all of us one more chance to forget this world and its trivialities (at least for some hours) 3 was good. To be frank with you i had enjoyed the neha love episode in FPS but somehow this vidya one didn't strike a chord in me. i felt it was too immature and unrealistic. Maybe i am getting old or you are becoming younger. Anyway hope you will give us one more chance to forget this world ASAP....wishes – Prem


Will definitely do.
Thank you so much for being my support

God bless
Chetan

Getting to know Cuil

Riding the Time Capsule...

It’s been a while since I wrote a post. Was kind of busy with the ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ of life. I was rather lucky to be blessed with more 'ups' and few 'downs'. My time was spent in traveling, reading, sleeping, and immersed in Need for Speed. In short these activities sum up my vacation. I traveled once again in my 'darling' to Pune and Bombay with a pit stop at Lonawala. I finished reading two books - 'Motorcycle Dairies by Che Guevara and ‘Three mistakes of my Life’ by Chetan Bhagat. I slept like a log at my home and surprisingly my parents didn't complain much about that nor did they say anything when I spend laborious hours on the PC playing NFS Hot Pursuit. They just had the peace of understanding on their faces. This was also the time for me to do many household chores. In a way I enjoyed it. The future is as usual unknown and kind of like the feeling that I am moving towards the unknown once again. Hope there will be only ‘ups’ and few ‘downs’ this time.

Caste

You should never be in haste
To ask somebody’s caste
Th real value of a human being
Exists not in caste but heart to heart feeling

I hate them, who hanker after caste
I wish that they don’t last
The world will be a better place
With everybody living in peace

Is that an impossible dream?
Yes it is – They want to scream
Hatred, Violence, Blood shed
The agenda is already fixed

Disturbed minds and obnoxious behavior
The only hope is in death – the great leveler

Waiting

I have always wondered why they have waiting rooms in railway stations and airports. passengers wait for their particular means of conveyance in these rooms and sometimes this waiting can become a pathetic experience. I was ‘inspired’ to write this blog based on a similar excruciating experience. Being a literature buff I have over familiarized with Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’ and its existential theme. The play somehow fails to accommodate the mundane side of the act called waiting. The stress seems to be on the word Godot than the waiting. Even critics have broken their heads trying to define Godot.

My attempt here is to discuss different situations in our ordinary life where waiting is a pain, a pleasure, a heady mix of both pain & pleasure, and sometimes we are not even aware that we are waiting.

Waiting for a call from our loved ones is both a painful and pleasure filled act. Waiting in the queue for purchasing a cinema ticket is quite exciting. Waiting for an important mail can be a quite painful experience. Waiting for the food to be served in a restaurant (especially if you are hungry) can be a horrible thing. A waiter in a café is the personified form of this human activity. Waiting for results is an experience filled with tension and fear. Some of us wait for tomorrow to do things which we are supposed to do today. According to the Indian tradition and customs, there is a time (kaal) to do things, even to copulate and all that can be done is to wait.

As write this post, I am waiting for my mind to conjure new thoughts n ideas on the concept of waiting. Waiting in this case is quite productive because it gives new ideas and makes the post better. Waiting also teaches the most important lesson in life i.e. patience. In life too, it is better to wait than take the plunge along with others to be part of the rat race. If you wait and make your move, you will have better results than the short-lived ones you get when you are hasty.

As Osho says,
One birth has been given to you by your parents,
The other birth is Waiting.
It has to be given to you by yourself.
You have to father and mother yourself.
Then your whole energy is turning in--
It becomes an inner circle.

Dr C Sahasranam - An Obituary

The news of his death was a surprise to me. Thats one thing about death it always comes unexpectedly. I pay my condolences to his family members and I pray that let his soul rest in peace. He was the one who had thousand names, but to me and my colleagues he was the man with the Natural Head Band..adieu sir...We will one day come after you, don't know when...We will miss your smile and brisk walk...

The Counterfeiters

Once again I was drawn into the world of movies and this time it was the Counterfeiters, an Austrian movie which won the Oscars in the foreign film category. Watching this movie I also realized why an Indian movie never won an Oscar in this category. The three shortcomings of Indian cinema is listed below.

Indian formula of hero centered movies

Lack of originality in script

Too much of embellishments like songs and overacting.

I befriended ‘The Counterfeiters’ some three months back when I saw the Podcast, Movie Minutes from New York Times where A.O Scott reviewed the movie in his own impeccable style. The discovery of the DVD at the B’lore ‘cinema paradiso’ made me feel quite cinematic and the quality of the print was excellent. This is not an English movie but it has got three languages – German, Austrian and Russian. Subtitles help us a lot. The movie is based on a true story and it is based on the Nazis project called Project Bernhard," the aims of which include destabilizing the economies of Britain and the USA by producing and circulating vast quantities of forged banknotes. This is also the story of Salomon 'Sally' Sorowitsch who is described as the King of Counterfeiters. He is an artist and through his art he saves himself and the life of others around him. Outstanding acting from Karl Markovics is one of the highest points of the film.
The tags that I found attached to the film were –
A genius con artist put to work by the Nazis. A survivor's tale you've never seen before.
It takes a clever man to make money; it takes a genius to stay alive

Gifts and Human Beings

O.Henry’s story ‘The Gift of the Magi’ clearly shows the true value of a gift and the sacrifices involved in giving and receiving a gift. This blog examines the concept of gifts and how it is plays a part in human life.
According to me a gift is political, personal and divine. These three classifications are kind of far fetched but still they cover the whole gamut of this concept. Being brought up in a country where the word colonial hangover had a strong affect I couldn’t but notice the political implications of a gift. India in the past was nothing but a collection of princely states and they were not at all amicable with each other. When the British made their presence felt many of these princely rulers sought their help to crush their enemies. One way they struck an alliance with the British was by offering them gifts which included rare gems, diamonds and even their beautiful women subjects which led to the establishment of the Anglo-Indian community. The history of gifts can be traced further back to the splendid days of the Mughal emperors. Birbal, the Grand Vizier received gifts from Akbar for his witty remarks and administrative capabilities. Down in South India a court-poet of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century CE by the name Tenali Raman received gifts from his emperor. Even today congress leaders move towards 10 Janapth to present the Madame with gifts hoping to win her favour. The same is the case with AIDMK followers who revolve around Poes Garden to get the ‘darshan’ of Amma.
When it comes to personal level of gifts it becomes emotional and there is lots of excitement in the air. Here the heart matters whereas in the political scenario it is the head that matters. My life is a gift from my mom and dad and my gift to them is take care of them when they need me. Lovers exchange gifts and make the feeling of love commercialized. Valentines Day thus becomes a day for exchanging gifts which sometimes involves little ego and a high dose of snobbishness. I am reminded of the Amul ad of the 90’s which had a beautiful caption which said ‘A gift for someone you love’. The art of giving and receiving gifts in the personal domain sometimes borders on politics when a husband tries to woo his wife by giving an expensive kanchipuram saree. It is nothing but love politicized.
The third type of gifts which to me is apolitical and sacred is the one involving divinity. Nothing equals to this one. It cannot be copied or faked it 100% original. All the singers in this world, players, and even leaders they are gifted from above. SPB, K.J Yesudas, K.S Chitra, A.R Rehaman, Kishore da and all others who were truly gifted by God himself. Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, V.Anand, Schumi and thousands of others received a rare and exquisite gift from god which we can call as – Talent or Genius. Even I feel that I have received some precious gifts from my maker, like this one what I am doing, writing - plus interpersonal skills.
I feel that each one of us posses a gift from above and the whole purpose of our life is to figure out what exactly is that gift as the quote goes - “Everyone is gifted - but some people never open their package”

Papillon...Born to be free...

You can look at your life the way you want to look at it. You can just survive, exist or you can live. Papillon, added one more dimension to this list of being free. He wanted to be free, break all the shackles of suppression and fly away like the butterfly. The central motif of the movie is the butterfly image that is tattooed on the chest of Papillon, wonderfully brought to screen life by Steve McQueen. He is complemented by Dustin Hoffman who is the infamous counterfeiter – Louis Degas.
Papillon echoes the theme of other great movies which dealt with prison breaks like – The Great Escape, and Escape from Alcatraz. I feel that the treatment here is different. Unlike other movies, this movie is all about a person, an individual who has got a plan and that’s one reason why I enjoyed this one. It gives you a vivid picture of life inside and outside the prison.
The internal life is filled with reclusion, the infamous death sentence machine Guillotine, homosexuality, blood ducking vampire, half rations, cockroach plus centipede soup – the events and things are endless. Life outside the prison is more hazardous with poison arrows, lepers, rapid river, swamps and bounty hunters. This was Papillion’s life and he was not affected by this coz he had his own way of defeating all the odds. This movie is worth watching to understand the true meaning of words like – hope, friendship, courage, and finally freedom.

Me and Rumi

Rumi was a Persain poet who lived in the 13th century (1207–1273). He was also a jurist and a theologian. During a 25 year period, he composed over 70,000 verses of poetry. The main themes of his poems are love and longing for unity. He believed that music, dance and poetry were a path for reaching God.Rumi's work has been translated into many languages around the world, including Spanish, Arabic, German, Turkish, Russian, and English, among others. His works are being performed at concerts, readings, workshops, dance performances, and in other artist creations.

• Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.
• It may be that the satisfaction I need depends on my going away, so that when I've gone and come back, I'll find it at home.
• Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.
• Something opens our wings. Something makes boredom and hurt disappear. Someone fills the cup in front of us: We taste only sacredness.
• The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you; Don't go back to sleep. You must ask for what you really want; Don't go back to sleep. People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch. The door is round and open. Don't go back to sleep.
• This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.
• We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust.
• Inside the Great Mystery that is, we don't really own anything.
• Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form
• The rain-weeping and the sun burning twine together to make us grow.
• Respond to every call that excites your spirit.
• When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.
• Your essence is gold hidden in dust. To reveal its splendor you need to burn in the fire of love.
• Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond...
• Every object, every being, is a jar full of delight.
• At last you have departed and gone to the Unseen. What marvelous route did you take from this world?
• Knowing that conscious decisions and personal memory are much too small a place to live, every human being streams at night into the loving nowhere, or during the day, in some absorbing work.

Celebration through Music

Most of my blogs are based on music, cinema and books, because these three are the lifelines of my life. This blog is all about connecting music and the supreme power which is described by three letters as GOD. Songs and prayers have always co-existed. I have enjoyed the Christian hymns that were sung in our church and also the devotional songs on Lord Ayyapa and Guruvayoorapan.
Recently, I came across four songs which celebrated unbridled devotion and support to the supreme one. Music composer undoubtedly was A.R Rehaman and the movie is Jodha Akbar. I feel that the movie is all about celebration (religious sense), an ecstasy filled atmosphere where something is worshipped. There are two songs in the movie which celebrates something that is mundane i.e. Love for the Kingdom and the King and the emotion of love between Akbar and Jodha. The other two songs are purely devotional and they are my favorites.

The song Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah celebrates the magnificence of the Emperor Akbar. The crowd sings eulogies to him and refers to him as Shahenshah; they welcome him and enthrone him in their heart. The song is fast paced with the drum beat kind of reflecting the fact that Akbar is the heart throb of the people. The movie, as the title indicates also talks about the attraction that Akbar had towards Jodha Bhai and later it became mutual. Besides celebrating the oneness of Hindu-Muslim community, the movie celebrates love between individuals. The song Jashn-e-bahaara gives a musical expression to this universal emotion.

The other two songs which as I have mentioned before are my favs is pure classical music and one is sung by Rehaman himself. The song is Khwaja Mere Khwaja and it is based on Sufi rhythms. It begins in a humble & simple way and then gradually picks up tempo as if the song, singer and the listener are caught up in a trance like state. I am reminded of the dervishes who dance to the tunes of Rumi music. The song is meditative, melancholic and it speaks about the total surrender before the ultimate one. A.R Rehaman has got that pure magic in his voice which is so evident in the song Vellai Pukkal from the Tamil movie – Kannathil Muthamittal. The next song is Man Mohana sung by Bela Shende. She is a treat and I feel that she will dominate the Indian cinema when it comes to classical music. The voice is tantalizing and the lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar is meaningful. The song worships Shi Krishna and there is a stage in the song where she sings the Man Mohana in four different ways. WOW – that’s indeed a treat, amazing voice. God bless her…

Rare Gems from Russia and Pakistan

Today I stumbled upon two short stories. I should thank William Dalrymple for the web links he provided in his Outlook magazine book review. (I think he has became a regular with the magazine) I was able to strike literary gold by visiting www.newyorker.com. I read short stories one from a renowned author who is also one of my favorites - Vladimir Nabokov titled - Natasha. The second one was from a Pakistani story-teller Daniyal Mueenuddin titled - Nawabdin Electrician.

Natasha tells us about the life a girl who is nursing her father who is dying. His mind is filled with fears of the war that he had fought. Apart from Natasha and her father, the other character is Baron Wolfe. He is in his late thirties and one day takes Natasha on a picnic to the country side - The day when her father, Khrenov succumbs to death. The story is appealing for the style of Nabokov which made Lolita an unforgettable experience. The subtlety with which the reader is made to experience the feelings of Wolfe towards Natasha is wonderful –
‘Leaning over the bannister, Wolfe glanced back at her. For an instant he caught sight from overhead of the sleek, girlish part in her hair’
I think it is purely cinematic and hence vivid. The story explores the mindscape of the three characters – Natasha who is a dreamy girl, trying to get out of the greasy situation of life by fantasizing. Wolfe, who concocts stories about distant lands and people. The picnic scene involving Natasha and Wolfe is highly picturesque and reminded me of the Loft Scene in Sons and Lovers of D.H Lawrence.

The second story which is from across the border (Pakistan) tells the story of an electrician who is in charge of a farm. He’s got thirteen daughters because he was married at an earlier age to ‘a sweet woman of unsurpassed fertility’. The story is a sketch of Nawabdin’s life as the electrician. The story can be divided into two parts, the first part deals with Nawabdin cycling along the farms repairing and trouble shooting electrical problems. In the second part Nawabdin, is given a motorcycle and his social status increases. ‘The motorcycle increased his status, gave him weight, so that people began calling him Uncle and asking his opinion on world affairs, about which he knew absolutely nothing. He could now range farther, doing much wider business’. The story ends with Nawabdin lying in the hospital bed in a pool of blood, ignoring the pleas of the robber who tried to attack him and steal his bike. I don’t think the story has got multiple levels of meaning. It is just a story and as the old adage goes – there are no questions asked when you read/listen to a story.

My 100th Blog...

PARTY TIME , this is my 100th blog, time to look back with pride and look ahead with hopes and more dreams. I should thank everybody at Blogger and Google for creating an online space like this. This is one thing which really helped the writer in me to prosper...the process is going on. Hopefully I will be able to celebrate my 200th blog very soon. As it should happen, this was like life, with numerous ups and downs. earlier I used to write thinking about the people who are gonna read my blog. As I realised that I am the only regular reader for my blog, I learnt the lesson that post not for others but for myself. Still there were some readers. I thank them from the bottom of my heart not throat. after I started blogging and I became a blogger, I was able to convert atleast 30-40 people into bloggers and I am really happy that they too have started writing blogs. Me, along with them have embarked on a journey into the world of words...

The Right thing to do is Write...so goes the saying and I wish all of them a fantastic writing spree

My Musical Journey

I am kind of excited when I write this words coz the topic is close to my heart. I do not know whether I can really document the true spirit of music and its influence in my life. I owe a lot to my dad who is a true connoisseur of music. One object which he bought with his first salary was a gramophone record player. It is still there gathering dust in a corner of our house. Everybody has moved on to CDs and other digital gadgets. I also remember my friend Shenoy who used to share his cassettes with me. He is also the one who introduced me to western music. I have listened to George Michaels Wham – The Best a hundred times which had the lovely track – Last Christmas. Then it was Shenoy again who introduced me to one of my favourite band till date – MLTR. Shenoy moved away from our colony and I don’t know where he is now.
My Dad had even managed to find a place in the city of Calicut where they recorded music and rented cassettes for a nominal fee. If I remember it was 2rs per cassette. The name of the shop was Ragini Music. I used to make frequent trips to this shop and dad supported me irking my mom. Most of my evenings were spent sitting in front of the Fischer player either listening to radio or playing my favourite tape.
My love for western music took a new turn when DD2 started a trial transmission of MTV for two hours every evening. I became a voracious viewer. I still remember some songs which came in MTV during that period. Oasis with Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Enya – Time (which mom liked) and Michael Jackson’s Earth Song. I found a shop near Nadakkavu market which recorded music from CD. The shop name was CD FX.They charged a hefty 50 bucks for each cassette, but it was worth it. Jon Bon Jovi enthralled me with Its My Life and MJ with Heal the World. This is also the time when A.R Rehaman became part of my life. I also remember forcing my dad and mom to sit watch Yanni performing at the Taj Mahal
It is only after I started earning on my own that I got the freedom to buy music and try out new things. I owe a lot Sahaya Illam Chezhian who introduced me to the world of New Age music and Trance. He had a lovely collection and sometimes if he is in a good mood used to describe the songs to me. I still remember one CD which was titled – Chants of India by Ravi Sankar which he made me buy from Landmark – Chennai. It was worth buying. In many ways musically I owe a lot to Che (in Spanish it means mate or partner). I cannot forget the day when me and Che played Enigma – Principles of Lust on a stage that was supposed to be the altar for Maundy Thursday services at Loyola. Che also introduced me to the exciting world of movie soundtracks. The next person who influenced me was my own student – Manickvel. He used to do part time work at Music World at Spenser’s and he had a mammoth collection of songs. I used to sit with post midnight and record songs. We had planned project to record the songs of all artists according to the alphabetical order but some how the project got fizzled out. We started with Aerosmith, did BSB, Corrs, and then ended with Dire Straits.
At MCC, it was Shainu, Prince, and Vimal who shaped my musical sensibilities. Shainu and Vimal took me to the world of 70’s and 80’s of Western music with artists like Peter, Paul, and Mary, The Doors, Billy Joel. There is one person in MCC who is still a bachelor and is the greatest music lover I have ever met in my life. We all call him Suri sir. I like him for three things – First he is still a bachelor, second – he spends large sums of his salary to buy music and thirdly I like him for his possessiveness about his music collection. He never gave me music CD or a DVD, but still I do not have any grudges against him. He is the one who got hooked me into Travelling Wilburys and the legendary Beatles.
The more I got to know the world of music, I feel all the more deprived. I am more like Einstein who described himself as a small child standing on the shore of knowledge picking a pebble or two while the vast ocean of knowledge is stretched out in front of him.

The Dreamers

I got to experience the passion and the beauty of Bernardo Bertolucci's magic world once again. Last time it was 'The Last Emperor' and last night it was 'The Dreamers'. The movie is set in the cradle of fashion and cinema - Paris and it is not a romantic scene out there - There are student mobs and police, armed with tear gas and then there is Theo, Isabelle and Matthew. This time Bertolucci's does not depend on time to tell the story. So there is no flash back technique in Dreamers unlike the 'The Last Emperor'. In this movie there are two worlds –‘internal’ – kind of Bohemian in style and the other one, ‘external’, which is filled with the flames of 1968 student revolution. The inside world is mainly happens in a Cinema hall and Theo’s home and the outside world is the riot torn streets of Paris.
I really could see the motive behind using the three characters, both Theo and Isabelle belongs to the base of a triangular relationship. Mathew occupies the head of the triangle and he serves more as a commentator or a kind of choral character. They complement each other but at the end, nothing even Mathew could not separate the twins – Theo and Isabelle.
Bertolucci's films are explorations into the human psyche. (Wikepedia). The title of the movie is very much indicative of this. Theo and Isabelle lives in a dream world filled with cinema images. It is also interesting to note that the corridor leading to Theo’s and Matthew’s rooms are narrow and mostly dark but lit up occasionally by red light. The movie is also worth watching for its depth study of the Classics. Even when Isabelle contemplates the act of suicide she got a cinematic image running in her mind. There is even heated argument between Theo and Matthew on whether Keaton or Chaplin is better. There is French culture splattered every where. Discussion about Godrad, French food – Ratatouille, literary books all makes the movie a cultural treat.
Bertolucci's discusses love and violence in this movies and he does it by showing love and lust intertwined. The movie was given a NC17 certificate in the US for its explicit portrayal of nudity and sex. I feel that the sexual scenes are beautifully portrayed and it is a visual treat. One scene which I fondly recollect is the scene that happens in Isabelle’s room, where she behaves likes Venus Adonis. I remember one line from the movie which made me think about my own life and human life in general. - 'There is nothing called as pure love, there are only proofs of love'

My Best Nature Photographs...

Not that I am an avid photographer. After purchasing my mobile ( Sony Ericsson K610i) which has a humble 2 megapixel camera, I started clicking away...and here are some of the snaps of nature that I captured. I think blogging is the best way to preserve the photographs for posterity...

Samsara

Samsara means the universe or the world. It also refers to the cycle of reincarnation and rebirth. The movie is kind of inspired by Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. I had some difficulty in understanding the meaning or the essence of the film. Two days after I watched the movie, the meaning slowly sunk into me. The path you take in your life is always determined by some external forces. As it is said in the movie - Do you want to satisfy one thousand desires or do you want to conquer one? You are like the small twing in a river and you are always moving forward.

It is just the direction that matters not the place or events that occur around you. The destination is decided and you just have to reach it.

The movie is worth watching for the scenic beauty of Ladakh and the philosophical overtones.

The Lonely Individual and the Celluloid

Being alone is different from being lonely. The former one is torture and the latter one is a constructive act. This blog is dedicated to all those people who enjoy the bliss of loneliness. I am one who likes to join their company. I think being lonely helps you to achieve much more than in the company of others. I detest the herd mentality that is quite common in today’s academic environment. Stand up for your rights – single handedly. Not afraid of the world and the consequences. In a gap of one year I have seen two movies related to this theme. Both the movies celebrate individual glory. The first one is titled – The Straight Story and the other one (which I saw last night) is, Into the Wild. Both the movies are based on real life stories.

The Straight Story is directed by David Lynch and tells the story of an old man, from Iowa, who decides to visit his brother in Wisconsin. He begins journey on the 30 year old John Deere lawn tractor. The film thus follows the story of Alvin's six-week journey across rural America, the people he meets, his impact on their lives, and theirs on his. It has been called a modern odyssey of a man dealing with his own mortality and mistakes and the lasting bonds of family. I read some where that the actor who played the role of Alvin Straight died a few months after the release of the movie. This is indeed one of my favourites and I keep watching it when I get a chance. Alvin teaches me new things each time when I encounter him on the celluloid. I should also mention Alvin’s daughter who has got some psychic disturbances. I think hers is one face which is still fresh in my memory. I also liked the theme of the movie – reconciliation and resolute mind of Alvin.

The movie which I watched last night again celebrates the caption – Being lonely is Lovely. Into the Wild is all about a 23 year old college graduate who decides to leave for Alaska. He hates society and control. He is kind of searching for the ultimate truth which was never there in his home. He changes his name to Alexander Supertramp. He is a voracious reader. His favs being Tolstoy, Jack London, and Thoreau. The script is sprinkled with quotable quotes from all these writers and has got some beautiful songs by Eddie Vedder. The movie is directed by Sean Penn and has got some beautiful cinematography. In one occasion the boy says that the purpose of human life is not just about making human relationships. We can relate to anything in this world, provided you have the mental perception within.

I also fell in love with the 16year old girl who the boy meets at the Slab Colony. Her name is Kirsten Stewart.

My Best Photographs # 2

Dogs and cats always fascinate me. It is something which runs in my family. We had two German shepherds, one poodle, one Doberman and finally two Daschunds. My parents loved them so much that they use to make us jealous. Anyway, we were given the invaluable lesson in life that dogs and cats can be trusted more than a human being. My parents after the death of the daschunds stopped looking after dogs. They simply refused to buy a new puppy after that – the reason cited was that they cannot bear the pain caused by their death. I salute my parents for these Maneka Gandhi like thoughts. After some time months, since they were no dogs in our house, cats started visiting our house and they easily befriended my parents. I think they are there to stay. So this one in the photograph is named as ‘kuttapan’ which can be roughly translated into English as the smart one. Last night I heard from my Mom that Kuttapan got killed and was taken away my some street dog. The pain continues…

My Best Photographs...Snap # 1

This snap had surprised me. I was pillion riding on my brother's bike and Naethan was seated on the fuel tank. He was strapped on to my bro's body. He is just 2 year old and likes to go for jaunts on my bro's bike. I am happy that the photograph clearly shows the excitement on his face. His face is captured in the mirror and the expression shows how he is engrossed in the sights and sounds around him.

How to get out of bad situations...

Below is given some ways we all can grapple with bad times in our lives. Human life is quite interesting and much more interesting is the fact that we ourselves create all the misery in this world - by our thoughts, actions, and by our behavior. So the problem solving part is quite easy because we ourselves are part of the problem and we should know the way out if we know the way in. I recommend the following for people who think life is choking them to inertia.
- Prepare yourself to take in the fact that the bad thing has happened and there is no point in spending too much time on that.
- You got every right to feel bad about the problem. Most of the times, there are only few problems for which you can find a solution all by yourself. Certain things and events are beyond your reach or control.
- Allow yourself to think about the situation not to feel about it. I am sure that the logical and analytical method will be helpful than shedding some tears or heaving some sighs.
- Listen to some instrumental music and try to get the music inside by closing your eyes.
- Read some books which will take you away from this world at least for some time.
- Take a walk and try to be aware of the sights and sounds around you as you walk.
- Talk to your friends about the problem or some other topics which are interesting. If nobody is around, talk to yourself. If you have a voice recording software with you, records your voice and document it.
- Look forward for something interesting, maybe a trip, a movie, a good dinner…

I have done the following in my life and if you succeed please drop me a line at jith77@gmail.com

The Measure of Cruelty

Last night I felt ashamed about the fact that I am part of the human species. I felt so miserable and developed a kind of nauseating feeling towards all human beings. I hate myself that I am born into this cruel world. I suddenly became aware of the cruelty that is there in the human mind. It is so extensive and intensive that becomes almost incomprehensible to understand. It kind of chokes you to a state of speechlessness and utter disbelief. The movie is called Redacted by Brian De Palma which was an eye-opening experience for me. The movie is based on the US presence in Iraq.Intially I thought that I can display the grotesque images from the movies along with this blog, but I now have second thoughts regarding that . The images are highly disturbing and I do not want to see them every time when I log in into my account. You will understand my words better if you watch this movie.

The Pain called Rain

The title of this blog may create an uneasy feeling because rain is always romantic and it is associated with regeneration and rebirth. For me, it is just a pain in the wrong place. I remember my prof from MCC, Mr Ganesh talking about the romantic concept of the rain. I still don’t know whether it is his quote or is a borrowed one. Anyway, the words were thought provoking. Rain is romantic and poetic to all those people who have a proper roof above their heads. The less fortunate among the mortals gets drenched in the rain and may end up with a severe cold or fever. Right from our childhood we are conditioned to hate the rain. I still remember the nursery rhyme that was drilled into me as a ‘LKG scholar’.
Rain rain, go away,
Come again another day.
Little Johnny wants to play;
Rain, rain, go to Spain,
Never show your face again!
Children are always advised and cautioned to keep a safe distance from Rain. Rain is always portrayed as a ‘natural villain’. Because of the rain as children we had always missed some outdoor actions. To stay indoors (sans power) was a difficult experience. I cannot exactly recollect how many times my parents have cancelled outings citing rain as a wonderful reason.

A die hard cricket fan will hate a game which got cancelled due to rain. I feel that the Duckworth-Lewis method (D/L method) was invented to escape the cruel nature of the unnatural effect of this natural phenomenon.

My mother used to curse the rain especially when the clothes remain wet for days together. Even I hate the rain because of the frequent power cuts and for creating an eerie kind of atmosphere. Lightning’s and thunderstorms make the ambience spookier. The roads become slushy and inaccessible. The so called homeless ones will find it extremely difficult to cook something outdoors. Rainy season is also the time for a battalion of diseases. From a common cold the range of disease will extend to cholera. The public works department will have some difficulty to welcome as a romantic entity. The sewage gets clogged and they get lots of complaints. The Army, instead of fighting the enemy who is standing across the border will participate in relief operations and flood management.

Rainy season is also the time when TV is flooded with ads of umbrellas. Most of these ads show children playing in the rain and enjoying the act of splashing water on each other.. The way cinema handles and hyper-glorifies rain in a romantic way has some serious effects on the mind of people. The rain and the subsequent ‘kiss’ in the movie ‘Raja Hindustani’ stays in the psyche of the audience as exactly the producers of the movie wanted. I am sure that many would have seen the flick for that 'stolen kiss'. Rain is so unromantic that there should be re-thinking about these drops of water that comes from God-knows-from-where.