Wednesday, December 17, 2014

ரசிகன்


போத்தீஸில் பர்ச்சேஸ் பண்ணேன் என்பதை காட்ட கட்டப்பை வைத்திருப்பது போல, ஜாக்கி ஜட்டி அணிந்திருப்பதை காட்ட ஜீன்ஸை இடுப்புக்கு கீழ் அணிந்துகொள்வதை போல, ரஜினி படம் ரிலீஸானவுடன் பார்த்தேன் என்பதை சொல்லிக்கொள்ள எல்லோரும், (அடியேனும் அடக்கம்) லிங்கா படம் பார்க்கின்றனர்.

தமிழ்நாட்டில் இருந்திருந்தால் ரஜினி படம் பார்க்க தியேட்டருக்கு 2 வாரங்கள் கழித்துதான் போக முடியும். மல்ட்டிப்பிளெக்ஸ் மெட்ரொ நகரங்ளில் முதல் நாள் முதல் ஷோ சாத்தியமான ஒன்றாகிவிட்டது. ரஜினியின் பிறந்த நாளன்று வெளியானதால், திரை விமர்சனத்தைவிட வாழ்த்துக்களையே தொலைக்காட்சி நிறுவனங்கள் ஒளிபரப்பின. லண்டனில் வசிக்கும் தோழி வாட்ஸ்ஸாப்பில் செய்தி அனுப்பினாள். "நான் தலைவரை வாழ்த்துவது டிவியில் வரும். மறக்காம பாருங்க". படம் எப்படி என்று கேட்டால், "அதை விடு, இதை பாரு" என பதில் வந்தது.


 
இன்னுமாடா இந்த உலகம் நம்மள  நம்புது?? 


அந்த நிகழ்ச்சியில் உலகெங்கும் உள்ள தமிழ் மக்கள் ரஜினிக்கு பிறந்தநாள் வாழ்த்து தெரிவித்தனர். ஒரு குடும்பம் அமெரிக்காவில் அவருக்காக சிறப்பு பூஜை செய்கிறது. மற்றொரு பக்கம் நாசா விஞ்ஞானிகள் ரஜினியின் பக்தர்கள் என்கிறார்கள். இயக்குநர் அமீர், "உங்களை நம்பிட்டோம், எதாவது பண்ணுங்க" என்று கேட்கிறார். பாரதிய ஜனதா கட்சி, இதுதான் சரியான சந்தர்ப்பம் என அரசியலுக்கு அழைக்கிறது.


சாதாரண பேருந்து நடத்துநராக வாழ்க்கையைத் தொடங்கி, வில்லனாக நடித்து, கதாநாயகனாக உருவெடுத்து, சூப்பர்ஸ்டாரான ரஜினி, தன் வாழ்நாள் முழுவதும் பெரிதாக எதையும் திட்டமிட்டு செய்யவில்லை. அவரது இளவயது நண்பர்களே இன்றும் அவரின் நண்பர்கள். சின்ன சின்ன குறும்புகள், சேட்டைகள், அவ்வப்போது பார்ட்டி என மிக சாதாரண சந்தோஷங்களில் சிரிக்கிறார். படத்தில் மட்டுமே பன்ச் வசனங்கள் பேசிய தன்னை நம்பி இத்தனை பேரா என குழம்பி, இமயமலை செல்கிறார்; இறைவனை வழிபடுகிறார். அமைதியை காத்தால் அனைத்தையும் மறந்துவிடுவார்கள் என முயற்சி செய்கிறார். ஊஹும். மக்கள் விடுவதாயில்லை.அவர்களை ஏமாற்றவும் மனமில்லாமல் "கண்டிப்பா ஏதாவது பண்ணுவேன்" என உறுதியளித்து மீண்டும் எதிப்பார்ப்புக்களை எகிறவிடுகிறார். இன்னொரு பக்கம் பாரதிராஜா , "20 வருஷமாவா ஒருத்தரை அரசியலுக்கு கூப்பிடுவீங்க ?" என கொந்தழிக்கிறார். சீமான் "அரசியலுக்கு ரஜினி அவசியம் இல்லை" என்று சீறுகிறார். அந்த பாசமுள்ள மனிதன், மீசை வச்ச குழந்தை என்ன தான் செய்யும் ?!



 
"இவன் ரொம்ப நல்லவன்னு " சொல்லிட்டாடா !!

ரஜினிக்கு வேண்டுகோள் விடுக்கும் ரசிகனே, உனக்கு ஒரு வேண்டுகோள். அவரை அரசியலுக்கு அழைக்காமல், அவர் போக்கில் விட்டுவிடு. அவர் நமக்கானவர் அல்ல; நம்மில் ஒருவர். ரஜினிக்கும் ஒரு வேண்டுகோள். உன் எளிமைதான் எல்லோரையும் ஈர்த்திருக்கிறது. என்றாலும், மக்கள் உன்னை நம்பியதற்க்காக நற்காரியங்கள் சில பல செய்துவிடு. மதுபானங்களுக்கு எதிராக குரல் கொடு. பெண்களின் பாதுகாப்புக்கான போராட்டங்களில் பங்கெடு. முக்கியமாக உன் ரசிகர்களை தங்கள் தொழில்களில் கவனம் செலுத்தச்சொல்லு. உன் சொற்களும் செயல்களும் அவர்களுக்கு உற்சாகமும் நம்பிக்கையும் அளிக்கட்டும். நீயும் நிம்மதியாக நித்திரை கொள்.  இப்படிக்கு, உன் நலம் விரும்பி.

படம் 1 உபயம் : andhrawishesh.com
படம் 2 உபயம்: funny-pictures.picphotos.net

Thursday, November 20, 2014

INTEResting Story TELLAR


When I intend to watch a movie, I avoid reading reviews, as they tend to give away the entire story sans climax. When Interstellar was released, I was told to read a few reviews as the director is known for handling multiple complex concepts in his movies, and understanding them completely, without the initial preparation would be tough. So, I did. Interestingly, none of the reviews dealt with the story in-depth but dwelt more on the director's personality, his style of narration and the emotional part of the film. After watching the movie yesterday, I realized that it was not the discretion of the review writers to hold back the complete story but just that it simply CANNOT BE RETOLD THE NOLAN WAY. Except for the elaborate detailing of the pilot's sojourn to the space (much of it was seen in the movie Gravity three dimensionally), Interstellar is worth the watch.So what am I going to write about? Only my takeaways from the movie.

Picture Courtesy: sciencefiction.com

THE HINDU dated November 16, 2014, published an interview of Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code and other bestselling novels. Here is an excerpt from it.

It is a way to live that he imbibed early in his life from his organist mother. His father was a mathematician. He recalls living with two different streams under one roof. “Science and religion always coexisted at home. It was like having two cars in my garage — one of the church with all the attendant beliefs; the other of logic, reason and maths. I had to balance the two. Initially, I was very close to my mother but, as I grew up, I started to question Noah’s Ark, the Adam and Eve story. I kind of started understanding my father more. However, the more questions I asked of science, the more religious it seemed to become. As a result, I ended up where I started!”


This describes exactly how I felt after watching the movie. Theoretical physics seems only like ratification of religious beliefs through mathematical models. For instance, the protagonist Cooper, in the movie names his daughter Murph, after the Murphy's law which states that 'Anything that can go wrong will go wrong'. Isn't that what we call FATE precisely?

When the movie suggests of the possibility of aliens initially but later brings it down to future beings of our own species who exist defying gravity if not time, I cannot control but think of REBIRTH AND THE SURVIVAL OF SOUL AFTER DEATH. If it will be possible for explorers to hibernate for decades without food and water, then it must have been possible for sages and saints to meditate for years.



Picture Courtesy:quotesvalley.com

Cooper desperately tries through a black hole,to push his daughter to stop him from letting her father, himself, go on his mission to the space.TARS, the robot reminds him that they were not there to alter the past. And that is KARMA, past actions of an individual influencing his/her future. Also, when he firmly believes in the reciprocation of his daughter's love to decode his communications and his daughter trusting his father to keep up his promise of returning, it melts down to the Biblical saying 'FAITH MOVES MOUNTAINS'.

I am not a very religious person but of late I have come to believe that our customs and practices did have a meaning in them. Sadly, that meaning was not passed over resulting in the questioning of its relevance in the modern contexts.

As for the true message of the movie, there was only one man who understood and even demonstrated it, to the audience in the movie theatre, and that was MY MAN! The movie lacked dance numbers, romantic music, overreacting expressive actors, all those elements that could have interested my four-and-a-half year-old daughter. So she had to pee to escape the boredom, not once or twice but four times during the two-and-a-half hour show. The father, an ardent lover of astrophysics, accompanied her. Message from the movie? The prime responsibility of a parent is to provide a secure environment for the child without fears of the future.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

THE friend


Two tiny eyes wavered as fast as they could trying to catch a glimpse of the second row in the fast approaching school bus. She was not there. As the bus neared, I found her seated in the third row as against the usual second row. I sighed and rushed to the bus not waiting for my father to bade goodbye.

When my parents proudly boast to the relatives that their daughter never cried to go to school, they donot realize that the credit had to be shared with my best buddy, Kayal, who guarded a seat with her bag and waited with a smile for me, to spend the rest of the school bus journey with momentous memories.

We talked about everything in detail, be it the silly school fight or debating on the existence of The Almighty. She was a voracious reader and I the perpetual questioner. We brainstormed and came to our own conclusions. Those were days of exploration through observation.

On the first day of grade I, the students were shuffled and luckily we were in the same class. Kayal wanted to be with those sent to a different class and cried  inconsolably. The teacher sympathized and took her to that class. I felt left out. I could not do much but reserved my knowledge quests for the bus journeys.

Kayal's parents put her in a different school in grade VI. For another time, I felt lonely despite the cacophonous school bus. Suddenly she returned after a week. Kayal had not liked the new school and had come back. By now, we had grown up and had different friend circles. The next year, I was shifted to a different school. After one year, I too returned to my old school as nothing felt like second home than my old school. We both had drifted apart in different directions. I did not have anyone to confide in. There were caring friends, loving friends, supportive friends but none like her. There was no one to understand my motives exactly the way she did.



While in grade XI, we were back in the same class after a very long time. The void was refilled with joy and peace. We enacted a classic play, staged a political satire and even directed one on teacher's day. All only for a couple of years. Most of the students chose the obvious best college in the city while Kayal joined another and I failed miserably in persuading her to join mine.

Our interactions had been few and far between since then. However, we had been with each other on our testing times a well as ceremonial celebrations. When her father shed tears of joy on the day of her wedding, nobody noticed another pair of moist eyes
shedding copious tears of separation.

I always had wondered God's reason behind this hide and seek game in our friendship. Maybe it was to avoid familiarity breeding contempt. Or it was to strengthen our bond over the years. I don't know. Kayal has joined Whatsapp now and I am over-excited. Will we part again? So what? God has destined us to be friends for life which will reunite us, sooner or later.

 Picture courtesy: wikihow.com

Thursday, July 24, 2014

NATURE FOR AN EIGHT YEAR OLD



My friend wanted me to write a poem on nature for her 3rd grade daughter's school assignment. As I had barely a few minutes to do this (she had to memorize and recite it as well), I was not sure how much can a child say about nature. So here it is, nature, from an 8 year old's view.


Picture courtesy: http://www.clker.com


NATURE

My dear trees, oceans, mountains,
Please pause for a moment to hear my concerns.
Grandfather says it is'nt raining as it used to, these days;
Neighbour uncle worries about the scorching heat waves;
I know not what they mean,
But I understand, what is now is'nt like what had been.


Mother tells about the small chirping morning sparrows,
Which I have seen, only in library books that I borrow.
Father talks about dwindling numbers of tigers,
For me,  a mere comparison of facts and figures.

 
We must nurture our nature,
Says my teacher.
I promise to keep you clean, green and in tact my dears,
Donot make me mumble over your absence, in my later years.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

An ode to orkut

Dear Orkut,

It's been years since I interacted through you with my friends and family members. Today, a mail from you made me realize that I can only interact with you for one last time before you expire on September 30, 2014.




Orkut, you, had been our first window to the now buzzing social networking sites. When a friend introduced you to me, little did I know that this will change the way I am going to spend time in the future. I had just finished my school and did not have much of contacts to get back in touch with. However my seniors whom I admired as role models could be approached; mere acquaintances for years became close buddies. A personalized message made me feel important. I as a person had an identity to reckon. What a boon you were to people who wanted to say million things but were shy facing others!

I had played games like anthakshari, riddles and puzzles earlier but imagine playing all these online with people whom you don't even know?! I mean, I had never played a game without knowing the players though attempted some, not knowing even the rules :) But this was exciting than anything else. Forum discussions helped me share my views on various topics. I also learnt different ways of looking at a half-filled glass.

You had your ways of tricking us and I was no exception falling prey to it. I chanced upon ( okay okay say searched for) the profile of my favorite television anchor and found his name with a single letter misspelt. Too busy poor lad, I thought. After waiting anxiously for a couple of days , he accepted my friends request and I was on cloud nine! When I asked him about his profile photo which looked like a younger him, he casually said it was a recent picture. After chatting, I came to know that he was actually the brother of the celebrity whose name rhymed with his sibling and face resembling the celeb very much! And there ended my silly searches for big heads!

Marriages are made in heaven. You showed people that relationships could begin with Orkut. Interestingly, I decided to break one such marriage proposal through you. As I was not ready for marriage, I searched for the profile being considered by parents, found it, made pretty sure that it was the right guy and decided to tell him a no if the proposal was accepted by my family. Luckily horoscopes didn't match and I didn't have to take that extreme step. On a serious note, Orkut taught there was a way, of letting others know your say ! No fairness cream or stylish two-wheeler could do that in today's distant lives. You gave us the courage and confidence to express ourselves better.

People accuse you of not changing with time but that's fine. Pioneers only share blue prints. Initiators only inspire once. We have taken to different forms of social networking and virtual connectivity but without you, this would not have happened. The unlimited availability of networking  has resulted in a slow down of our online activities. We no longer develop goosebumps like we did, when we opened you in closed browsing center cubicles. The restricted ones linger for long in our minds. So will you, Orkut. We may not miss you but will remember you forever as the one who transformed our social networking experiences to the next generation platform.

Love you!

Picture courtesy: indianexpress.com

Thursday, March 6, 2014

The break


I know I was out of blogging for a long time and that too without the slightest botheration to see if my blog really exists still. But no regrets this time.

 My cook had fallen sick and did not turn up since December. I had to experiment on a daily basis and guess what, I started to fall in love with the much dreaded art of cooking. My older posts on culinary experiments will tell you how much I fear mathematics and cooking, though I know I am not bad but only lack interest in them. From starters to stuffed parathas, chutneys to cakes,  I tried them all and fared above expectations. Apart from that, a few home town visits, friends get-together and that's it.

Moreover, the winter ensured I was not going to stay awake after mid night to go back to my blog.
So now that spring has started spreading its smile, I am feeling better and waiting to write more of all that I had missed in the last three months.




Meanwhile, there are a few interesting incidents that I felt like sharing.  See if these random three interests you.

1. I have this quirky habit of observing people and playing the guess-their-ethnicity game. No, don't mistake me for a racist or being judgmental. I only try understanding similar patterns among people of particular regions and try reasoning them out. For instance, when Malayalis use 'b' in the place of 'p' or Tamilians conveniently substitute 'aa' for 'ae', its because of the lack of these phonetic alphabets in their mother tongues. You get me now? I also try guessing their place of origin through common predominant physical features. I am sure many women are ace at it. The other day while watching a movie, there was a foreigner passing by next to the hero and I yelled "he's french!" My husband stared and started laughing loudly. I thought to myself, was I going overboard in guessing?!

2. Childhood secrets were the most surprising, at the same time most sincerely kept ones. We listened with pleasure to the hushed whispers and pretended to ignore those that were not shared, though secretly we wished to be part of that serious secret business. Today when I told my daughter not to play in sand with her friend, they nodded and mumbled to each other, "Dont tell aloud. Use the code word". Five-year-olds using CODE WORDS?? The tech era  has no secrets to unravel but only codes to decipher, I realized.

3. After a very long time, I awed at the sight of a puppy. As a child, I was crazy of them. Years of grooming and taming ( I meant myself) taught me to think about hygiene, dangers of dog bites and so on before touching puppies. More now, I was afraid of infections that could pass over to my family. The madness was lost. I could not believe the child in me was back for a few seconds. Do we think way too far to feel guilty of enjoying today's little joys, be it pets, rain or chocolate? I am still wondering.

 “For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.”
John Connolly, The Book of Lost Things

 Keep pondering until the next post, sitting back sipping your cup of tea on this spring day.


Picture courtesy: http://imgarcade.com