Rest In Peace!!

Early morning when my Chitappa broke the news of my grandma’s demise, a sense of shock overtook me. Even though, we all knew it was going to happen sometime in future, the real news perhaps delivered a sucker punch to my normal life.

My earliest memories of my paati were about twenty-five years back when I first went to my native place. She would smile on seeing me, invite me into our ancestral home and give me some sweets to eat. She was ever-smiling and so resilient in life. I have never seen her say that she is hungry or thirsty on any of our long temple trips. She could walk faster and longer than any of us.

She was always beautiful and ever youthful. The last six months were quite cruel to her as she suffered second degree burns when her sari pallu caught fire in the karthigai deepam. Perhaps now, she was at peace with herself. I don’t know how or what I would feel while entering our ancestral home the next time I visit Inida without my paati being there to welcome me. As I begin to choke with emotion on finishing this post, I hope that my Paati’s soul would rest in peace!!

What are you doing, Maddy?

As I patiently stood outside a small internet shop about 9 years ago in Tirunelveli, wondering what my cousin would be doing, she came out happily with a printout in her hand. One look at the printout left me in awe. For the first time I had seen somebody take a printout of an actor and it was none other than R.Madhavan or famously called Maddy after his very successful blockbuster movie Alaipayuthey.

I happened to watch the movie long after its Hindi version released on a lazy Sunday night on KTV and instantly I recognized why he was the guy to bet all your money on. Charming, sweet, remarkable acting skills and all girls labeled him ‘CUTE’. I quickly remembered Maddy from the one of the previous serials called Sea Hawks where he essayed the role of a navy officer fighting against drugs and mafia and added a lot of color to his character portraying his funny side more often in it.

His next movie, Minnale instantly became a cult movie and was also re-made in hindi called Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein. But my favorite movie of his is ‘Dum Dum Dum’ in which he essays the role of a young lawyer who is forced to marry a village belle against his wishes. This is one movie which I would have watched over 50 times with my mother (not an avid movie watcher like me), for she likes the movie too.

Movies like Run changed his image into an action hero and his last major solo hit Thambi gave him an extended lease of life. However, his career took a wrong direction after Anbe Sivam(his role was praised in the movie), and he has seen his career plummeting like the Nasdaq during the recent recession.

I read his recent interview where he said he had no idea where he got the chocolate boy image from. Oh, com’on Maddy, your that's your USP mate. Not everyone is a Kamal Hasan to be able to do anything and everything they want and even he did it only after 25 years of acting in chocolate boy roles. I believe Maddy should look closely at the career of SRK who was praised for his roles in Bazigar and Darr but it was the next door lover boy roles in DDLJ, KKHH and Dil to Pagal hai that has helpd rise to dizzying heights.

I was very upset to see a great actor like him just stand behind Aamir khan in most of the scenes doing literally nothing in 3 idiots and perhaps even worse was his acting in comical negative shade character in his latest flop Manmadhan Ambu. His next flop ‘Tanu weds Manu’ has only strengthened my opinion that he should leave off his fixation over Bollywood movies and get back to a superb lover boy role with perhaps… Mani Ratnam.

A romantic movie with you, Asin and Mani sir would be the perfect platform for your re-entry into Kollywood back again. I hope you can enthrall us all again with your million dollar smile and some fabulous acting back again. Hoping to see you in a good movie soon..

West Mambalam.

Sometimes as I ponder what I am doing in this place far far away from the people whom I love and care about, I get more questions than answers. Something seems missing from life and perhaps it because of the awesome place that had been my home for nearly 18 years that any place in this world would always not interest me.

Be it the dry and deserted Tucson, greeny Merida, hot and humid Houston or cold and snowy Denver, none can match the sheer abundance of joy and happiness in West Mambalam. With a small area of less than 1 square KM it’s always teeming with enough people to make to safe even if you return home after midnight.

Whether it is the two minute walk to a very big and cheap sabji mandi or a 5 minute walk to station where all major trains from South stop or a 10 minute walk to the bus terminus in T.Nagar or a 15 minute walk to the busiest shopping place or innumerable temples surrounding my home, I believe no place can match the sheer central location of West Mambalam. Perhaps that’s why I have never heard of any person leave my building over the last 20 years unless they had an appointment with Lord Yama.

Whats more funny is the fact that third floor apartment in my flat is costing no less than 40 lakhs INR. Well, if you wanted to buy a home in West Mambalam, you should try to contact Mani Ratnam to be casted in his movie to match upto the building costs of more than a crore in here.

Perhaps all these make my sweet home all the more pleasant and hopefully, I should soon be able to return to the place I love and to the people I care.

End-Of-World!!

When I was a kid the “End-Of-World” feeling seemed quite funny and remotely plausible. My sister would fondly say that she and her father should be saved somehow :) I hope that now her wish would get changed to she and her brother just being saved.

When I visited the Mayan heartland for my summer internship in 2009, the rumors of 2012 prophecy were so strong and had caught on like a wild fire and there was an entire section in a book store dedicated to that. I passed off the incident as a rumor-mill working its strongest to sell more books.

Even the 10 minutes of extreme catastrophe in the movie 2012 when the entire state of California is shown to be destroyed by a massive earthquake did not affect me and still the end-of-world feeling seemed very distant phenomenon.

But as I and my roomate were watching hundreds of homes being swept away in the strong tsunami tides that lashed northern Japan after the strongest earthquake in its history, I have started to believe in the end-of-world phenomenon and that our end is bound to happen sooner or later unless we take drastic steps.

I can vaguely remember my trip to Kalpakkam nuclear plant many years ago where I saw tens of hundreds of jellyfish being killed when sea water was sucked in and used to cool the plant. Perhaps the Sea god is angry that we have dumped every waste product into the sea that we have had two major Tsunamis in such a short period.

I believe our mother earth has been far too silent and accommodative to all our atrocious activities from mining, to drilling oil to torturing and killing animals and polluting all river bodies that the time for a payback is very near. Unless we learn to live in harmony with Nature, I believe our end is very near and I hope the latest warning given to us would open our eyes and help us and our future generations survive.

Harry Potter!!

(Trying to footsteps of my friend, Narendra Reddy by blogging often)

It was in my college first year that I heard about a very famous novel called Harry Potter. At that time, I neither believed in magic nor felt that I needed them.

Flash forward ten years later; life had completely changed to me and I depended on miracles to survive on a daily basis. So one day, in one of those not-feeling-to-work type of days, I decided to give Harry Potter a shot and before I realized, I was devouring through the book at break neck speed. I somehow felt that I was traversing through the same struggles that Harry was facing. I believe that everybody who read the book has somewhere felt their connection to this story in some place or other.

Even though the book lags and drags in some places, the friendship between Ron, Hermione and Harry pretty much carries the story forward and highlights the importance of great friends in our life. I was also amazed the ability of the author J.K.Rowling’s to connect every minute detail in the story to its climax. Sometimes a detail specified in one of the books is connected to a later book.Just awesome; coz I know how tough its to devise a story.

As I finished the last chapter of the last book, a certain gloom descended on me. The book series had been my best friend for over six months making me happy in depressing situations. I believe that any book I read in future would be a no-match to this absolutely great novel which has completely redefined the word MAGIC!!

P.S: Oh yes.. I have had the absolutely great opportunity to meet Voldemort and Bellatrix in real life. Blessed I am!!

Movie Time!!

Its time to blog again and what best topic to blog for a movie buff than movies. I believe movies transport us to another world, a world of pure happiness and bliss. Though I try to watch as many movies as possible, only some movies leave a lasting impression. 

Band Baaja Baarat (Hindi)– Perhaps one of the most beautiful realistic romantic Hindi movie, I have seen after Jab We Met. Watch out for the casual yet witty dialogues and absolutely awesome acting by Anushka and new lad Ranveer as they set out to build their wedding planner business. A must watch for all romantic movie buffs.

http://travelinfo247.com/world_travel_video.php?num=1&id=6619

Yudham Sei (Tamil) – A very realistically portrayed thriller movie with Cheran in the lead. A little too grouse sometimes, but it captures your attention till the last frame. Definitely a one- time watch movie.

http://www.tamiltwist.com/2011/02/watch-yudham-sei-movie-online-tamil.html

Inception (English) – I had missed this awesome movie in theatres and had an opportunity to watch it recently. A dream inside a dream inside a dream. Totally amazed by the director who could visualize such an awesome idea and portray it so clearly as an awesome thriller movie. A once in a lifetime movie. DON’T MISS IT!!

Social Network (English) – A real jakaas movie. Just couldn’t believe that the movie’s story happened in real life also. Gotto listen little hard to capture all the dialogues in the movie. Watch out for the great performance from the lead actor Jesse Eisenberg who plays the role of Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerburg. A gud one time watch movie.

True Grit (English) –This movie transports us to the world of Wild West of 1850s. The story revolves around a young gritty girl who sets out to avenge the death of her father along with a US marshal. It’s the awesome performance from the lead actress (Hailee Steinfeld) that captures your attention all the way.

Aadukalam (Tamil) – The Pollathavan combo of director Vetrimaran and actor Dhanush have struck gold again. Their second attempt to re-create a realistic potboiler has reaped rich dividends. It’s a story of a jobless youth and his passion for cock-fights that drives the story forward, first bringing money and glory and later the realistic sadness. A definite must watch. Also look out for the beautiful heroine Taapsee.

http://www.123tamiltv.com/aadukalam-2011.html

The Other End of the Line (English and Hindi) – This movie was suggested by my best friend, Narendra Reddy. It’s a sweet love story based on the telephonic interaction between an Indian BPO employee and an American marketing executive. The film wows you with its sweet twist and turns and with its touch of realistic humor. A definite watch (perhaps with your GF or life partner)!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzGHgAAT7VI

There were host of other movies which faltered in story or screenplay and I can count Harry Potter movie in that list also. Thankfully I didn’t happen to watch Tees Maar Khan.

Would be watching critically acclaimed 127 hours this weekend. Do add in your comments on any of the good movies that you might have seen recently.

The Viking Lord!!

“Athu va varanum, vantha thaakanum.. Thala keela thirupi podanum.. Athu thaan unmayana…” FREEZING WINTER.

As I covered my steaming nostrils with the double layered scarf, I could just not forget these beautiful romantic lines from the movie ‘Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya’ exactly matching my worst predicament as I ploughed my way through the 10 cms of snow.

-13 Deg Cel. Perhaps I was better off not looking at the weather prediction on my IPhone again as I stood waiting for my bus. As my thoughts wandered through my memories for the beautiful Chennai margazhi days, I suddenly came to realize that my thermal wear, thermal socks, jacket, gloves, scarf and ears muffs – A True Viking Lord -  were no match for weather demenetors around me. 

As a young kid I remember how I much I used to enjoy the winters in Faridabad, but perhaps I have grown much more comfortable of hot Chennai and Arizona weather. But hopefully by the end of this winter, I shall start enjoying it and perhaps might miss it going into a warmer city. However, I would recommend everybody to experience one cold winter, for that in itself is a unique experience and what is life without these unique adventures and experiences!!