The Gen next....

I am right now sitting in Mumbai airport. 

I happen to witness a small conversation which has happened between a mom ( should be in her late 50s and her daughter - should be in her late 20s). 

I do not know the context of the conversation.

However I kept on hearing words like " fuck you mom" " you are insane mom" " you lost your mind mom" " its no great deal mom" " don't interfere in that matter mom". 

That old lady kept telling something like " no beta... you can't take hasty decisions" " you need to have more tolerance"..." you haven't seen the world yet'. 

I was too stunned to hear such conversation between a daughter and a mom.

May be age is catching up with me. I could not help but stare at them.  They were seated hardly five foot away from me across the table in the lounge - CCD.

From the way they were talking and dressed - ( it isn't diwali today isn't it) they appeared to be from Delhi. ( Hey I have nothing against Delhites - their " hanji" and " loud dressing" stands out).  The girl turns her attention to me and asked me " hello Mr. What are you staring at". 

I was momentarily ashamed of myself for staring at them.  Then realised what the heck, its a public place. I got up and walked to them  - said in a low voice to that lady " I was only visualising twenty years from now or later - your daughter having a conversation with you like the way you had with your mom... in a public coffee lounge in one of the airports as you travel". 

I returned to my seat and finished writing this piece.  Now I am looking up and searching for them.  They are nowhere to be seen. Did I teach a kid how to talk to her mom?.  ( late 20s they are still kids in India isn't it) I would not know. 

The old lady had a triumphant smile across her face when I seen her last when she heard me talking to her daughter.

Do we know what we are

Slowly but steadily that feeling sinks in as you mature with age.  Age is all an illusion though if time is an illusion. 

Some days you wake up to the irrevocable feeling of selfless expression which after considerable amount of realisation only learns to experience and express good things in life.  Appreciate every moment in life.  Feels good to be connected to to this universe.

Most of us would learn to listen to that inner voice, experiencing the smile breaks across your face when you wake up every day and experience the joy every small things brings in  your life. 

The bright sun outside ( trust me Sun is your best friend and he keeps you healthy if you can be with him for an average of thirty minutes a day), the little squirrel running around ( yes we do see squirrel in our society park) and the small little bird - sparrow ( some places in India you wont even get to see them anymore) and sheer joy of saying hello to your fellow human being, few hugs, couple of handshakes, some small talk, enquiring about the well being in your morning walk. 

God has created our life to be beautiful around us.  A perfect harmony with nature and the universe.

I have met a young friend of mine from my past recently. That friend used to be an epitome of joy, positive energy, wisdom, cheerfulness and amazingly connected to self.  The meeting was a sad realisation to me how we beings gets manipulated by the system around us.  How some of us are forced to believe we are good when we are actually on a destructive path ( I am particularly talking about the human relationship angle) and we become a product of something I learnt to term as " Self Destructive Freaks" nonchalantly.

When the universe is capable of giving you what you want or ask for - its only up to us to ask for what we "want and ask for". 

There isn't anything bad or good about what we ask for - its awarded irrespective of what we ask for. I am taking a personal oath from today - that I will spend at least five minutes in prayer asking the universe to bless us all.  Bless my family.  Bless my friends. Bless my society.  Bless my fellow human beings. Bless all living beings.  Bless the universe itself. I am overwhelmed with joy.  Join me wherever you are in the universe. If we are well together as a race we are all blessed.

Wolf of Wall Street...

You The movie opens with a TV advertisement for Stratton Oakmont, Inc. It discusses the nature of Wall Street brokers, describing them as bulls or lions. A lion walks through one of the floors of the company. We next see a large group of brokers playing a game where they throw little people onto a board with a dollar sign for a bulls-eye. Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) then introduces himself among those playing this game. He tells us that he is the son of two accountants living in Bayside, Queens. Ever since he started working on Wall Street, Jordan has enjoyed a life of endless drugs and countless hookers of his choosing. He is seen blowing cocaine into a hooker's butt, and then later flying a helicopter while hopped up on quaaludes. We also see him driving his Ferrari and getting a blowjob from a woman revealed to be his insanely gorgeous wife Naomi Lapaglia (Margot Robbie). According to Jordan, he does enough drugs to sedate the majority of New York's population. The one drug he loves the most, however, is the one that can make man conquer the world, and that is money. He snorts a line of coke with a $100 bill, crumples it up, and then tosses it in a wastebasket. When he was 22 years old, Jordan began working on Wall Street while married to a woman named Teresa Petrillo (Cristin Milioti). He starts working as a broker and he meets his smooth-talking, easygoing boss Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey), along with another abrasive and foul-mouthed co-boss, Peter DeBlasio (Barry Rothbart). Jordan is astonished at how everybody talks and works. He has a drink with Mark, who is doing a rhythmic chant while pounding his chest. Mark orders enough martinis for them to "pass the fuck out". He asks Jordan how many times he jerks off. Jordan says about three or four times a week. Mark says those are rookie numbers and that he does it at least twice a day. He starts babbling to Jordan about how nobody knows if the stocks will go up, down, sideways, or whatever, and that it's all a fugazy. Mark's primary reason for going into stocks was pretty much just for hookers and blow. He gets Jordan to join in the "Money Chant". Jordan starts his first day with his broker's license on what happens to be October 19, 1987 - aka, Black Monday. The stocks around the world plummet, and Jordan loses his job. At home, Teresa suggests they pawn her wedding ring as he looks through the jobs section in the paper. He comes across one place in Long Island: Investor Center. Jordan shows up to Investor Center in a suit. The place is merely a small establishment that hardly looks professional. Jordan is greeted by Dwayne (Spike Jonze), the man who runs the place. He assigns Jordan to pitch a sale for a company called Aerotyne, and he will receive 50% of the commission. Dwayne also offers to blow him for free if it works. Jordan calls a potential investor about Aerotyne. He sells it to him as a huge company (we're treated to a pic that shows it looking no bigger than a tool shed), but the way he pitches it draws everybody's attention. Everybody in the office stops what they're doing to listen to Jordan. He succeeds in making the sale. After a few months, Jordan is making serious money. He is approached in a diner by a chubby bespectacled man with fluorescent white teeth named Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill). He asks Jordan if the Jaguar outside is his car, to which Jordan says 'yes'. Donnie says he lives in the same building as Jordan and mentions he works selling children's furniture. He asks Jordan how much money he makes, and Jordan says he made $72,000 the previous month. Not believing it, Donnie asks to see a pay stub for $72,000. Jordan pulls one out, and Donnie calls his boss to tell him he's quitting to go into stocks. Jordan and Donnie have drinks at a bar. We learn that Donnie married his cousin because he didn't like the idea of anybody else trying to sleep with her. Outside, Donnie smokes some crack and offers some to Jordan. He takes one hit and gets pumped, telling Donnie they need to go running. The two find a garage where they plan to set up a business. Jordan recruits some of his friends to join. They include Robbie Feinberg (Brian Sacca; nicknamed "Pinhead"), Alden Kupferberg (Henry Zebrowski; nicknamed "Sea Otter"), Chester Ming (Kenneth Choi), Nicky Koskoff (PJ Byrne; nicknamed "Rugrat"), and Brad (Jon Bernthal). Brad is especially well known for making sales in his old neighborhood. Jordan tells Brad to sell him a pen that he pulls out of his pocket. Brad tells him to write something on a napkin. Jordan says he doesn't have a pen, and Brad "sells" it to him. Jordan also brings along several guys from Investor Center, including a guy called Toby Welch (Ethan Suplee). Jordan and Donnie set up what is basically a boiler room in the garage they find. The guys are all set up at desks, ready to make calls with a script that Jordan wrote for them. They start with blue chip stocks like Disney and AT&T. Jordan calls one investor to purchase stocks in Kodak. Jordan anticipates the deal by making sexual gestures to everyone just as the investor signs on. From there, Jordan creates Stratton Oakmont and forms it into a much larger business with even more brokers working for him. He has groups of ambitious and hopeful brokers clamoring in his office showing off their resumes to his face. As one Strattonite makes a sale, the whole floor celebrates, with a marching band and a big group of hookers. They even have one employee get her head shaved if Jordan pays her $10,000 grand for her to use on a boob job. Over the next few years, the business of Stratton Oakmont gets around, from Forbes Magazine to the FBI, specifically Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler). Forbes does a piece on Jordan, calling him a "sleazy Robin Hood" and dubbing him "the Wolf of Wall Street." Jordan is at first angry about it, but Teresa tells him there's no such thing as bad publicity. They bring on Jordan's father, whom everyone refers to as "Mad Max" (Rob Reiner) due to his constantly irritated attitude. This is established when we see him watching an episode of "The Equalizer" with his wife Leah (Christine Ebersole) and getting pissed because somebody is calling him, forcing him to miss the show. Once he picks up the phone, he becomes straight polite, then back to angry. He oversees his son's accounts and berates him and his partners for spending $26,000 for a dinner, interrupting their chat about using the little people for their game (as seen earlier). Jordan throws a party where he announces a plan to take the company "into the FUCKING STRATOSPHERE!" He is about to explain to us the effects of quaaludes, but Donnie suddenly rises and slowly goes over to Jordan's table in slow motion to mumble "Steve Madden." Steve Madden, as Jordan notes, was the big name in women's shoes. Jordan then sees Naomi for the first time. He runs down to introduce himself, inviting her to join him on his jet ski. Donnie's wife Hildy (Mackenzie Meehan) sees this and tries to get Jordan away from Naomi by saying Teresa needs his help. Donnie then goes downstairs and starts masturbating to Naomi in front of the whole party. Jordan takes Naomi out to dinner one night. When he takes her home, she invites him to her apartment for some tea. Jordan is extremely tempted by her, right before she steps out of her room nude. The two have sex for 11 seconds before Jordan tries to get it going again. He continues his affair with Naomi for a while before Teresa catches Jordan doing coke off her breasts in the back of a limo. She pulls Jordan out and starts smacking him. She tearfully asks him if he loves Naomi, but he doesn't reply. Narrating again in voice-over, Jordan says he felt bad about hurting Teresa... and then filed for divorce three days later. Naomi moves into Jordan's apartment. She hires a decorator to redo the place to Jordan's liking, and she also hires a gay butler named Nicholas (Jon Spinogatti). Jordan likes him until the night that Naomi comes home to find that Nicholas is holding a gay orgy in the apartment. She goes crying to Jordan and tells him that $20,000 in cash is missing from their room. Jordan, Donnie, Chester, and Rugrat interrogate Nicholas about what he knows about the missing money. Nicholas refuses to answer questions and openly tells them that he thinks them questioning him is just gay prejudice. Chester punches him hard in the nose, and he and Donnie hold Nicholas by his legs over the balcony. Jordan calls the cops, who arrest Nicholas for stealing, and kick his ass instead. Jordan manages to recover the stolen cash through money laundering. Since he recognizes that these practices are illegal, he hires an attorney, Manny Riskin (Jov Favreau), to keep them clear. All Jordan cares is that he's making more money than he and anybody else can know what to do with. Jordan proposes to Naomi with a yellow diamond ring. She accepts. He holds a bachelor party in Las Vegas, where even the plane ride consists of a lot of hookers and a lot of cocaine. The wedding is also a pretty big event. Naomi introduces Jordan to her English Aunt Emma (Joanna Lumley), who is aware of Jordan's cocaine use. He even buys Naomi a yacht as a wedding gift (it's also named Naomi). 18 months later, Jordan and Naomi have a daughter, Skyler. By this time, the couple is constantly bickering over Jordan's antics. He slept through the night calling the name "Venice". We see she is a hooker who pulled a lit candle out of Jordan's ass during sex and poured the hot wax on his back as he kept screaming "Wolfie" (his safety word). Jordan says this fighting is part of their routine, which ends with them getting intimate. When they put the baby to sleep, Naomi says she is wearing short skirts from now on and won't be wearing panties. This is seen through the teddy bear cam by their two bodyguards (both named Rocco). At work, it is the day of an IPO meeting with Steve Madden. Jordan catches a broker cleaning his goldfish tank. He sends Donnie to call the guy out and humiliate him in front of everybody by swallowing the man's goldfish whole and then sending him out while everybody else jeers him on. Steve Madden (Jake Hoffman) goes up to present his latest shoes, the Mary Lous (which one broker says look like fat woman shoes). The brokers start throwing junk at him, which Jordan stops. He wants Madden to join them in business, which he agrees to. Jordan then gets up to the stage to give a speech to the whole floor about the wonders of being rich. The FBI sends the company a subpoena to request Jordan's wedding video tape. He learns from Bo Dietl (as himself) that Denham has pictures of Jordan's inner circle. He invites Denham and his partner Agent Hughes (Ted Griffin) onto the yacht Naomi. He shows them the list of everybody in attendance to the wedding. When Jordan tells Denham of an employee of his that he hired after needing money for his mother's triple bypass surgery, Denham interprets this as some sort of bribe. Jordan laughs it off and sends the agents off his yacht. He mockingly throws money at them as they walk away. Jordan decides to keep his money safe from the tax men as well as thieves by storing it in offshore accounts. He, Donnie, and Rugrat go to Switzerland to get the job done. The trip there is chaotic for Jordan since he takes a bunch of quaaludes prior to the flight. He tries to bang the stewardess and he insults the pilot. He wakes up strapped to his chair. Upon their arrival, the trio meets with a group of Swiss bankers led by Jean Jacques Sorel (Jean Dujardin). Sorel persuades them to get someone outside the U.S. to store money in their account. Jordan travels to England to convince Naomi's Aunt Emma to take some money. This also leads to Jordan unsuccessfully trying to hit on her. They also use Brad's Slavic wife Chantalle (Katarina Cas) to smuggle money in with her family. Donnie and Brad get into an argument that ends with Brad punching Donnie out. Donnie drives (drugged out) to make an exchange with Brad. They get into another argument with the cops watching nearby. Donnie drops his briefcase of money and flees, leaving Brad to get arrested. Donnie brings to Jordan a strong brand of quaaludes called Lemmon 714. The two take a pill each and watch "Family Matters", but feel no effects after 35 minutes. They take more and still feel nothing. They find out that they expired in 1981. Naomi (pregnant again) goes downstairs to find the two working out. She tells Jordan that Bo Dietl is on the line. Dietl tells Jordan to go call him from a payphone. Jordan drives to a country club to use the payphone there. Dietl tells him about Brad getting arrested, and that Denham has Jordan's home and work phones tapped. Just then, Jordan starts to finally feel the effects of the Lemmons taking effect. He starts slurring his words and then collapses to the floor, unable to stand. He crawls outside, rolls down the steps, and gets into his car. Naomi calls him to say that Donnie is calling Sorel. Jordan makes an attempt to drive his car home despite being too high. He slowly manages to get home and crawls his way out of his car and to the kitchen to pull Donnie (also getting a delayed effect to the quaaludes) off the phone. Donnie runs to stuff cold cuts in his mouth, but he starts choking and falls on top of the glass table. Naomi runs in to find Donnie turning blue and choking. Jordan grabs a little vial of coke from a drawer and pours the whole thing into his nose. This is juxtaposed with a Popeye cartoon as Olive Oyl feeds the sailor man some spinach, with the tune accompanying Jordan and the coke. He pulls the food out of Donnie's mouth and saves him. Jordan wakes up the next morning to find the police. They arrest him when they show him his Ferrari, with a bunch of dents and scratches, despite Jordan thinking he got the car home in one piece. He is released after it's determined they have no proof Jordan was ever behind the wheel of the car. Manny and Max tell Jordan he got lucky. Jordan holds a big meeting on his floor to announce that he is stepping down from the company to pass it onto Donnie, Pinhead, and Rugrat. He calls out one woman for starting at Stratton with "barely two nickels to rub together", and now living rich. He tells the brokers he loves all of them, moving them to tears. Jordan then changes his mind and decides to stay, leading to cheers. He gets everybody to join him in the "Money Chant." Jordan holds a celebration on his yacht, right after Brad is released. Brad subsequently quits doing business in stocks, and Jordan tells us he died of a heart attack two years later. Jordan and Donnie take their wives to Italy to continue the celebration. Rugrat calls then while they're drinking Bloody Marys to tell them that Steve Madden is unloading shares after hearing about Jordan's recent trouble with the law. To make matters worse, Naomi comes crying to tell Jordan that Aunt Emma died of a heart attack. Jordan is distraught, but more due to the fact that this leaves the money in her account inaccessible. Jordan calls Sorel, who tells him that Aunt Emma named Jordan the successor to the money. He just needs to get to Switzerland immediately. Jordan runs to tell the captain to take them to Switzerland, despite Naomi's insistence that they go to England for the funeral. The captain warns that there may be choppy waters ahead, but Jordan doesn't care. Indeed, they do sail right into dangerous waters. Jordan orders Donnie to run and get more quaaludes, even as Donnie objects. He runs downstairs anyway and brings the drugs up, just as a huge wave breaks through boat and turns it over. The group is rescued by a jet called in by Jordan. They're taken on another boat, and Jordan sees the jet crash into the ocean. He tells us this was due to a seagull flying into the engine. He believes this to be a sign from God. Two years later, Jordan is sobered up. He is seen in an infomercial advertising his moneymaking seminar, Straight Line. During a taping of the infomercial, Denham and other agents arrest Jordan. Turns out Sorel got arrested in Switzerland for crimes unrelated to Jordan, and he ended up ratting him out while having dinner with Rugrat (who is also arrested). All the members of Stratton refuse to give anybody up to save themselves. Donnie goes over to Jordan's place as he is under house arrest. He says he's got Jordan's back in the scheme of things. He also asks Jordan how sober life is. Jordan thinks it sucks. Jordan and his lawyer meet with Denham and two other lawyers. They try to make a deal in which Jordan wears a wire to incriminate the other co-conspirators. Jordan and Naomi have sex one last time. She tells him she wants a divorce and that she is taking the kids, and also that she doesn't love Jordan anymore. Jordan becomes enraged and calls Naomi a cunt. She slaps him and he hits her back harder. He storms off to his kids' bedroom, and Naomi runs after him. Jordan turns around and socks her in the gut. He scoops up Skyler from her bed and runs downstairs to leave with her. Naomi and the Belforts' maid try to stop Jordan. He drives the car out of the garage, crashing it into a post. Skyler is unharmed as she was wearing her seat belt, but Jordan suffers a head injury. Naomi takes Skyler out of the car. Jordan is set up with the wire to bring in his partners. They all cheer for him upon his return. He goes to start with Donnie. Jordan slides him a note that says "Don't incriminate yourself. I'm wearing a wire." When he asks Donnie about their financial practices, Donnie pretends not to remember anything. The FBI arrive at Jordan's house to arrest him when they discover the note he slipped to Donnie. The rest of the co-conspirators are arrested at work. Jordan is sentenced to 36 months in prison. His mother cries as her son is taken away while Max looks at him disappointed. When he arrives at prison, Jordan admits that he was terrified when he got there. For a fleeting moment, he says, he forgot that he was rich. He had become so accustomed to a life where everything was for sale. The last scene takes place at a Straight Line seminar in Auckland, New Zealand (The host is played by the real Jordan Belfort). Jordan comes out to the crowd and stands before one man. He pulls out a pen and tells him to sell it to him. The man awkwardly starts his pitch before Jordan takes the pen away. He hands it to another, who is equally awkward. Jordan continues to do the same with more guests, as all the hopeful millionaires watch him.

Ravi Venkatraman

Gravity......

Set solely in space and with only two characters worthy of note, Gravity is a tense, gripping, beautiful, tight and nerve shredding movie experience that deserves to be seen on the big screen, and especially in 3D. There are points in the movie where you, like the lead character Ryan (Sandra Bullock), will stop breathing because the tension Cuaron creates gets to be too much. Telling a story of this nature required a skillful hand who wasn't affraid to play with 'normal' cinema conventions which is where Cuaron is able to shine. His script isn't exactly daring but his style is captivating.

As with Children of Men, Cuaron is a director who is not afraid to hold on a single shot where other directors would have used ten. Shooting coverage does not seem to be in his manifesto but this is part of what makes Gravity so fantastic. The scenery presented throughout the movie is magnificent and the opening shot (which appears to go for 10+ minutes) is visually stunning. Never has the empty and vastness of space seemed so impressive, like a cinematic version of Space Oddity. Of course, this is all done through green screens and camera trickery and is therefore less impressive than the long takes in something like Rope, but the fact that Cuaron never shies away from the option of lingering on a single shot immerses you in the environment which only helps build on the nail-biting tension.

In a sea of horrid conversions and pointless attempts to exploit the gimmick, Gravity is the first movie since Avatar to make use of 3D for something other than an excuse to charge you extra money at the ticket booth. But unlike Avatar that used 3D to seemingly distract from its boring story, Gravity uses it to create a genuine and almost realistic atmosphere of space and the emptiness of it. Like its use of long takes, the 3D is an immersive element of Gravity and although it uses the tried and tested 'things flying at the screen' technique, it never feels cheap and is justified in the story it's telling. 

As an audience, we see these events through the eyes of Sandra Bullock's Ryan Stone who is on camera for 95% of the movie. And while the idea of Miss Congeniality as an astronaut is akin to Meg Ryan as a helicopter pilot in terms of believability, Sandra Bullock never misses a beat and gives the best performance of her career as the panicked first-timer who is low on oxygen. We panic with her, we struggle to catch our breath with her and try to remain calm with her. It's spellbinding how good she is. The always reliable George Clooney turns on the charm as the talkative veteran Matt Kowalski and he acts as the much needed calming influence to Stone (and therefore the audinece) as she tries to regain her composure. The two bounce off well together, but it's Bullock who steals the show.

Much like In Fear, Gravity excels in the 'what's going to happen next' stakes and there are only a few moments during the movie where you feel totally at ease. During some of the more tense scenes, you'll find yourself gripping the armchair and nearly crying in pure terror at the spectacle on display and Cuaron never lets up on this. Some shots are extremely difficult to look at, but Cuaron forces you to see the horror to make sure that you are on the same emotional ride as his lead. Many have posited that the trailers have given way too much of the movie, but even on the big screen they do not do the whole experience justice. 

Gravity is simply a masterpiece in filmmaking. The acting is sublime, it's gorgeous to look at, the 3D is incredibly immersive and the tension is almost unbearable at times. There is a point during the movie in which it feels like it loses its nerve and jumps the shark, but luckily Cuaron isn't the sort of director to bow to 'Hollywood' conventions. The hype and critical praise of the movie may seem like a touch too much for some, but its earned every ounce of it. This is pure cinema and a science fiction experience like no other. Movie of the year? Quite possibly.

Do not miss it.

Chennai express took off from Dadar finally...

Dear Shahaa Ruukh Anna, 

You are really a "kalakkals" character.  Got the cheese (out of your guts) and poured it on screen.  Exemplary work of Shetty guy.  And this girl Deepika Padukone, didn't have to do anything unnatural .. all she did was speak her natural Yindi.... guess Hindi or whatever it is... and I have no wherewithal to understand how its spoken in some parts of the Dravidian belt ( we don't speak Yindi in the dravidian belt you know)... 

I remember one of the famous dialogue of Satish Shah in a Televised Serial called "Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi"... ( don't second guess if I got the spelling right or diction right.. that's the only way I am going to explain it anyway... period ) " Nagpur Ke neeche tum sab log .. saala madraasi hoten hain".... A true mistaken identity and quite chaotic in that too. 

I am a Tamil Brahmin myself.  Would have loved to do the Rasam Part with my wife even today ( I am completing 18 years of my married life this August 30th  and she is still featherweight) if someone would have told me that's the part of our culture.  I checked with some of my living ancestors and some none living too ( you see we all have a spiritual connection... damn good in predicting and a bit of clairvoyant too - didn't we predict after you completed the rasam part - that  in the end of the movie you will join hands with Deepika and will be her pair for the next seven 7 births).... apparently no one seems to remember where did the rasam part originated from. 300 steps is quite steep Anna. You did a wonderful job. I was told you insisted no double for this scene for you.  Since its Deepika you agreed to carry her all the way up and they shot the scene for three days with 78 takes and some reshoot to get the perfect shot.  Its still a mystery how did you manage to keep the  "Sandanam Pottu" ( its the Thilak in your forehead Anna ) intact after such a tedious 300 steps climbing that too carrying Deepika in your hands. Bravo Anna......

Shetty should have done some research on the basics about the cultural root.  Typifying comes very naturally to - we Indians. He is so confused with a dravidian dress sense - most of the henchman and his people wore what we call ( please for heaven sake don't call it a Lungi or Dhoti.. both are in correct...  ) " Veshti"(adorably and a decent adage too..)  but with all sorts of Thilak on their forehead which is not part of Dravidian identity. I bet you can learn the pronunciation of " VESHTI"in another couple of years of so. 

Some of them woman in those dravidian village ( Anna they are mostly known face in Tamil " Chinna Thirai" meaning " Small Screen" and " Velli Thirai " meaning " Silver Screen" - quite an ensemble Anna.. no wonder the movie costed a bomb in producing) are a great ensemble to start with and how on earth would they know they will wear such a colorful dresses and mix up of all sort of Kerala Tilak in their foreheads, Karnataka Sutra's on their neck and north Indian Sindoor on their foreheads ( Anna this Sindoor thing - remember your own Om Shanti Om -  is quite a fascinating point in Indian cultural integration which the likes of your Bollywood did to those hapless misplaced "anything fair" is from North believers. No jokes about it Anna, We even call our Bengali and Oriya brothers as North Indians. No offense meant. But a true Bengali calls a non Bengali as " Hindustani" thats a different story).  Not your mistake though.  After all you are an entertainer without social consciousness or responsibility and the disclaimer in the beginning of the movie that all said and done in this movie is a work of fiction does it all.  

My wife kept nagging me while watching the movie ( or should I say FILUM..) even the subtitles couldn't help as to what were you talking in Tamil in the end of the movie... very touching scene anna .. you told Deepika/Meenamma to keep quite...(the Yindi "talking subtitle") and took the mantle of sorting it out yourself through a " heart - to - heart" language comprising Yindi ( which poor Deepika/Meenamma's clan don't understand) Hinglish ( dont assume we Dravidians don't tease your English ) and in your superlative Tamil. Since you wanted to have a heart to heart conversation with Meenamma's  father you stopped her from doing her role of a "Talking -  Sub Title" which she was doing quite efficiently throughout the movie with some added  Antakshari every now and then. With all those running around adventurous trip with Deepika/Meenamma you managed to learn Tamil too. Anna thanks ... The way you said ... Ennamma Kannu .. should have been enough for Sathyaraj to forget his tamil and to tell you ..... the way your were known in many parts of our country with your famous " I love you.. KKKKKKKKKKKK.........KIRAN" remember your Dar movie, Sathyaraj's trade mark dialogue is "Ennama Kannu".  I can only think of one thing - that he thought you were actually talking something in Yindi... otherwise he wouldn't have continued acting in the rest of the movie if somebody would have told him that what you spoke was Tamil and that too his own trade mark dialogue. 

I was half expecting you will be given a chance to eat in a Banana leaf, sing suprabatham, clean cow herds, make filter coffee.. no such luck.  Shetty  instead let you drive an open jeep through the hilly roads of Munnar ( I was told you went to the shoot in a chartered flight and got stuck in Cochin airport for 4 hours.. OMG) and in the back ground traditional Kerala dancers dressed in their ethnic dresses of course all for a Dravidian emphasis Song.  Anna you also learnt to topple a huge jeep using a typical kill weapon used by our Dravidians down South in our movies called " ARIVAAL" ( I don't know whats the near name of this killing weapon other than specially made curved sword like thing)... it was far believable than the " CYCLE RICKSHAW" chase you did in a memorable " Mein Hoon Na" (movie without showing your bare chest to us - which become symbolic after Om Shanti Om Six packs Anna). 

But Anna.... forget you trying to remember Deepika's/Meenaamma's  father's name. Many of us cannot even say his name. But you made a good comic of it even when you were serious.  Quite applauded in the end. ( You know there is letter " Zha" in Tamil which has no near or similar letter in any other language and we can learn it only through Gurukul method ... passed on from one generation to another generation as to how its pronounced.... majority of us dravidians cannot even pronounce it correctly so we take no offense on your diction. Even the super hero from down south actor Surya .. the original Singam Star cannot pronounce it correctly... so no issues)

But Anna .. this common man could summarize only one thing for sure.   It's a full entertainment.  We forgive the ignorance of the makers of this movie and their firm belief that anyone from below Nagpur are Madrasis....( I mean our India map )  At least in your scripts you have united all the four southern states ( I am getting confused now should I say 5 or 4.. Telangana should be considered as well isn't it). 

Don't worry about anything else.  Let Dhanush of our filmdom rock your Bollywood.. ( He got a cheese to attend one of the parties specially invited by Sonam Kapoor ... to appear in our traditional " Pattu Veshti" and " Angavastram" in spite of someone telling him that the dress code is formals but forget to mention Western formals... he firmly turned out in the typical Dravidian formals... all gleaming to the horror of the onlookers. See you need to specify the specifics always) and you continue to eat noodles with Curd. Grow curly hair and improve the coconut oil market in India. ( Anna remember Coconut oil and its usage is patented by our neighbors called Keralites... for you it doesn't matter...... all are - Madrasis only no....)

No matter how one may attempt to write a perfect script... A Punjabi will always have a Bhangra music in the  background when he appears on the screen, a Tamil Character will have a Kerala ' Sandanam' pottu on his forehead,  generally all madrasis are dark ( by the way I thought " Kamal Hassan" is also a Tamil by birth - whom we once used to call Kamalahasan... but after his debut in Hindi with Ek Tujhe Ke Liye - he split his name into two -  is not so dark). You can take shot at Rajini the power of Indian Cinema ... by thanking him sincerely in the title card.  I still wonder what was he doing in RA - One as "Chitti" ( that too when he was sick and the 6 crores plus Tamil Nadu was praying for his recovery and Kareena attempts to make all sorts of so called Tamil Yindi making fun of him - on screen in the movie). God... regrettable appearance. 

But down south we do say " Hey that Robot was a grosser and RA - One ..... Oothikichu.. ( No I am not translating that). When I say down South I mean Tamil Nadu. 

Anna for one minute, I was confused whether the Madrasis are from the pre Nitish Kumar state called Bihar ( against all the odds of statistics that the law and order in South is somewhat better compared to other parts of India) when you stopped the train in the picturesque "middle of nowhere village" to let yourself out of the train... (See perceptions are hard to change) forced by the henchmen who escorts you by pulling the chain to stop the train. But the " Veshti " gang ( for heaven sake don't ever call it as Lungi.... its called "Veshti") brought me back to my senses that indeed it's the dravidian belt .. of course but shot in Kerala... Or Konkan.. Or some part of South or simply shot at some picturesque location.  The best helicopter shot I have seen in any Bollywood movie Anna. Thanks to Deccan guys. 

Thanks Anna.  Some of us folks can understand both the language .... The Yindi and Tamil.. which helped to decipher your Tamil without the subtitle and in a rare given occasion I had the privilege of making my wife listen to me when I was talking ( I was the subtitle for your Tamil though it lasted for very few seconds) which I enjoyed. 

Wonderful movie.. far far better than many of your earlier attempts in the recent past.  So what if some reviews gave you two stars ( Mumbai Mirror for example ).  I give you five stars. ( It doesn't matter I know... still I wanted to rate the movie).  And to think of it -  I am going to watch the movie again for the second time tomorrow ... my elder daughter missed the movie when we watched it the first day first show ( I used to do this only for Thalaiva Rajini Sir movies and for the first time did it for your movie Anna) therefore she might need my sub title services for your Tamil while watching the movie.

Thank god Shobha De didn't take any lead to talk about the movie so far... but she lashed out on Dhanush like a crazed and caged restless animal for his performance in Raanjhanaa... and she thought its was a South Indian way of calling Love the word ' Raanjhanaa' coz she didn't understand the meaning of it... how can she take a pot at King Khan .. Anna. Will she survive if she does. But she has no such fears about a hapless son in law of Rajini Sir - the talented Dhanush. You know Anna - he is the youngest actor to have won a National Award for best actor and he rose from ranks to where he has reached now.  The brand Rajini didn't help him to have instant fame, he worked hard to reach where ever he is now Anna - like you.   He is going to be the next Super Star down South Anna.  I mean in Tamil Nadu. 

Keep up the good job.  Btw next time when you go visiting South ( Oh Sorry Chennai) for any film award function ... ( I was mildly surprised when they bestowed you with Chevalier Sivaji award recently) please go in a casual jeans and a white tops - like your Vijay Sir does Anna. That too only pure white cotton shirts Anna.  I can't bear to see you undressing one piece at a time of your three piece suit.  At one point in time when you were asked to dance with Vijay Sir during the award I thought you are going to strip down completely like your close friend Salman Khan does. See your producers and director are smart. They make you shoot you for a movie in which Tamil is an important element but never took you around within real Tamil Nadu ( In Tamil Nadu most of us sweat most of the time) and shoot in cool Munnar and some other hill stations. 

And Anna - for all we know Chennai Express might be the biggest grosser of your ventures.  Calculated. Very well planned and marketed. Enjoy the success Anna.

Chill Anna.  Keep up the good work.  Chennai Express finally left Dadar Station. 

Ravi Venkatraman

Raanjhanaa...

The sole purpose of attempting to watch the movie "Raanjhanaaa" was on two accounts. A) The national award winner actor - Kolaiveri Dhanush is starring for the first time in Hindi. B) Shobhaa De - musing about the movie.

I lost all respect to the columnist and took offense to her remark - "Raanjhanaaa' (I had no clue what the title stood for... I assumed it was the heroine's name spelt South Indian style)" - absolutely said in a sad taste and making a comment about South Indians and generalizing them would warrant a more severe reaction from people of intellectual worthiness.  Unfortunately people from down South are not even close to the figment of element of her imagination and she is not even worthy countering in any which manner.  None of her C grade musings were sold off the shelf from Higgins Bothams is a different issue but that's the respect we carry for her down South.  As a South Indian I felt offended by her comment. Let her make one statement about Raj Thackeray's English accent and see how she survives in Mumbai.  The worst is a respected daily like TOI got the audacity to publish such rubbish without qualms. Oh they might argue it as freedom of expression. 
 

Let's talk about Dhanush later.  What turned out to be an interesting piece of write up by the renowned columnist - (I believe she is not only highly biased and I guess forgets her own writing couple of decades ago) was nothing but a farce and harsh review..  clearly written with some personal vendetta. This movie for that matter any movie which is made in India or in Hollywood is not about changing people or life styles or culture or remotely expected to touch the society at large in any which manner. If she thinks otherwise I guess we are continuously misinformed or ill informed by the likes of her. She was not only harsh and through her writing she has definitely influenced tons of her readers ( one of them happens to be me) who would enter the movie hall with a biased opinion about the movie or for that matter some would have chosen not to enter as well.  Thank god in my case - the Southern actor is a good performer in his own way and some of us strongly believe - winning a national award at an young age of 26 is not a kids game.  He has proven his worth as an actor and fairly a good return on investment in terms of box office success - as well.

 

The review piece written about the movie was so harsh... I was forcing my daughter who is a teenager stating that its not a move worth watching and lets skip it.  She stood her ground firmly and she won finally. The movie is no where near the harshness of the stalking logic which was condemned as and its about an innocent infatuation happens at an young age - people like her those who lives in high rise many not believe in such things may be - in an environment like Kashi - experiences.  Its not an end of beginning of banishment to society and to call the director and cast are confused and comparing them to acid throwing Romeos.  God give me a break.  Its a pure entertainment. Set at the back ground of Varanasi and a brilliant performances by everyone in the movie.  Forget about the teary eyed part about the audience leaving the theatres said at sarcasm... it was the story of a human who needed to live with a guilt and was not willing to fight back to live again and gives it up.

 

Dhanush on his part with his limitation with the language done an extremely a great job. Sonam has finally arrived as an actor.  No body talks about - Abhay Deal - who did a cameo but a powerful performance.  The whole movie is a different feel from the run of the mill Hindi movies. 

 

One should not take all these reviews seriously and should watch movies without bias. 

 

When people fall in love, ......they eat, sleep, drink, walk, run, chase the person they love. They pursue their love to its destination. Neither is Sonam a celebrity in the movie and nor Dhanush's character a mad fan of some movie star who night falls in his dreams. Its a simple love story of how boys and girls fall in love all over the world. Call it stupid ....whatever....but that's how it happens !!!! for gods sake.

 

Or simply as I hear from one section of the press - Shoba de and Sonam do not see eye to eye.  A person of her stature is not expected to write such a crap about a movie which in Chennai on the day of release - though its a dubbed movie - is a roaring success and in Hindi all across the country. It connects with your ordinary senses.  And none would have taken a leaf from the movie to turn themselves into a stalker or worst - acid thrower.  That was not only harsh but unwanted.

 

People like her should stand as an example about honest writing and reviews specifically.

 

The movie is worth a watch and undoubtedly a good entertainer with substance.

 

Great job Dhanush....:-)  

The truth of life..

"I maintain that truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path. If you first understand that, then you will see how impossible it is to organize a belief. A belief is purely an individual matter, and you cannot and must not organize it. If you do, it becomes dead, crystallized; it becomes a creed, a sect, a religion, to be imposed on others "

J.Krishnamurti

The Indian Sense of Freedom... Viswaroopam...

No where in the world one would dare to make a mockery of a artistic sense of freedom except in India in the name of secularism.  World Cinema celebrates every attempt of an initiative which is never attempted before and in the name of religion and its so called purist who god knows what they want guard can stand against a movie from being viewed by one and all and can declare it against the sentiments of a religion.  Who are these guardians of India can vehemently deny the right to view the movie in a country watching a movie is a culture. Who are they?.

As NDTV reported its more than the eyes meet.  An insider reveals over the distribution rights of the movie some vested interest playing possum in a democracy and absolute talent like Kamal Hassan cannot fight against such idiosyncrasy.  I am at a pain to understand how many more times one will divide India in the name of religion and we the public will stand to watch it and accept it.

Is the will of the people of India is small in front of the religious miscreants?.

Is it justified?.

A. R. Rahman Chennai Concert and " KADAL" motion Picture Album..

I have already written about ARRs Chennai Concert.  I cant stop myself from writing some more.  If any of us seen the MTV Un Plugged Season 2 - which kick started with A. R. Rahman's unplugged songs - also featured one Shaktisri Gopalan singing the song called " Nenjukulle" which went Viral in the internet within hours of its telecast.
The energy this album displays is of different kind.  A sort of divine serenity... which touches you more than one way.  I am not even referring to lyrics here which elates you to a different level altogether which some of us can understand and follow. In the Chennai concert ARR - presented almost all the soundtrack of "Kadal".  His proud " Guru " Maniratnam was all smiles.  Undoubtedly this duo has mesmerized the Indian audience with their work - individually as well as together.
I was in a flight from Delhi to Mumbai this afternoon and had the good fortune of traveling with the lesser flamboyant Khan called Irfan Khan ( the Life of Pi fame ) who was once referred by Shoba De in her column " the most over rated actor in India is Amir Khan and the most under rated actor in India is Irfan Khan" - also heard my praises for this album and promised to download this album as soon as he access his iTune store.  Yes he was using a Apple Pro lap top. :-).
This album is going to be another trend setting methodology in the music industry for India. Many will struggle to cope up with the changing times and the composition of ARR which clearly moved from the set path. Only an ARR can take such a risk.  He learnt is formula quickly and dominates the Indian music industry for over two decades now. A pathetic Blue and Jab Tak Hai Jaan - are of course need to be forgotten. His acknowledgement openly for Maniratnam as his guru proves a point a creative mind needs the freedom what he deserves. No one would have thought a rejected " Jay ho" by Subhash Ghai would have made it to Oscars through Slum Dog Millionaire.
Jaya TV did telecast this event twice during the PONGAL celebrations.  The grandeur with which the concert was executed, the super director Shanakar's presence, amicable Hasini and Maniratnam, Mass hero Kartik in the front row and a young crowd breaking into frenzy.... in our own soil one experienced an international concert .. probably first of its kind.
ARR welcome back. Every change is good and I am sure you will rock for decades to come.

 

Finally returning to my blog...

Returning to my blog pager after a very long time... it has two objectives to express. One I was mesmerized by the grandeur of A. R. Rahman's concert in Chennai. Two his new motion picture album " Kadal" yet another winner the Maniratnam & ARR duo combo. Seldom one would have seen such a frenzy in this Southern capital of Tamily Nadu - Chennai. An audience who not only went crazy but stood the test of even rain god to watch their favorite Mozart of Madras performing live. Little did people know of this maestro when he began his journey with the trend setter " ROja" again a Maniratnam & ARR duo combo. The freshness which he brought to the audience to a nation which was routinely getting no fresh ideas, ARRs entry was a welcome change with a bang. Even today he is learning and re learning himself without boundary. Kadal is one good enough proof. Amazingly rendered by all young voices, Rahman choose to experiment once again. I will not get into much details of which song is better and which one is superb which I am sure every one who listens to it will realize on their own. I was remembering the day I picked up the audio cassette of Roja in Chennai, how mesmerized I was. I had a Sony Walkman and now I have a iPod Classic 160. I still carry my music as I travel and move and cant stop from listening to Kadal again and again. In the past two decades or so the young population of India had doubled. An estimate says by 2020 the below 25 year population in India will 51% of the total population of India. And the demands of this generation is different. A global audience who not only lives in an era of information explosion but who also learns to deal with it on daily basis. Both a common man and a learned man together are learning a process of evolution which are so different from what it was some two decades ago. Why a Musician should be different. For those who frown let me assure you there will never be another R. D. Burman or there can never be another Ilayaraja. A. R. Rahman is a living legend who will stand the tests of time against all odds for the simple reason he has never stopped learning in his life and even today in the concert he played a new electronic instrument which had the our traditional instruments as a bank. He was so humble that he even went to the extent of making an appeal to the audience to forgive him if there are any mistake since he was learning the instrument and not fully conversant with it. This is the Oscar pride of India. He still talks like a kid on an exploratory trip. He does not talk in circles which will make most of us wonder what does he mean or what he doesn't mean. No nonsense and non complicated communication and to the point. He lets his music talk. The Chennai concert was almost ruined by the rain gods. Even the rain god decided to let her favorite child play the music and in the end the maestro acknowledged the prayers of the audience and allowed an eruption of smiles on all those faces. A true inspiration to watch performing live. Great gong ARR. Keep it up. The millions who loved your music when you started have only quadrupled now and some of us fading in the back ground with age. Your music makes us feel different. Current. Connected. Thanks a ton.

The Social Network....

I am a movie buff. Rather a movie buff so crazy about movies I watch it to prove a point that I am a movie buff. The Social Network is not a mere watching for me. Its an experience.

Some people are born with good looks or with the natural talent. Others come from money or are naturally charismatic; they draw people to them in a way that just can’t be learned. Then there’s the rest of us. We’re nothing special. We’ll never be those people. We look at them and say it’s ok, but can’t even convince ourselves. Whether we choose to admit it or not, we want to be them or at least gain their approval. We want those people to see us as their equals.

Known to many as “The Facebook Movie,” David Fincher’s The Social Network is not about the creation of one of the internet’s most successful websites. It’s not about becoming the world’s youngest billionaire. It’s not about greed and it’s not about power. The Social Network is a film about the inescapable need for acceptance inside each one of us.

It’s the fall of 2003 and Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) is sitting in a bar with his girlfriend (Rooney Mara). He explains to her the importance of belonging to one of Harvard University’s eight prestigious all-male social societies called “final clubs”. Why? Because they’re “exclusive,” a word that Mark does battle with throughout the movie. Mark has a serious personality problem. To put it in psychological terms, he’s an asshole. Because of his intelligence, he gives off a stink of superiority and has no tolerance for those whom he thinks are beneath him (Read: everybody). He’s bullish and stubborn, which, of course, makes him unlikeable. His only option is to do something that makes people accept him.

Enter the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer). These 6’5” blonde Adonis’s are everything Mark is looking for: members of the Porcellian “final club”, future Olympic rowers, and holders of inherited money. They sit at the head of the cool kids’ table, shining examples of the kinds of people Mark wants attention from. He gets it after creating something called FaceMash.com, a small website so powerful it shuts down Harvard’s servers. The Winklevoss twins bring him in for a meeting with the Porcellian Club stairway and tell Mark their idea: create a social networking site defined by exclusivity, where women can find and meet Harvard men. It seems like everything Mark wants. But he’s not in a “final club,” he’s in a stairway. He’s not friends with the Winklevosses, he’s a business partner. He hasn’t been accepted – he’s been reached out to with a ten foot pole.

Whether because of his attitude or his approach, everything that Mark does to gain acceptance ends in rejection. He tells his girlfriend that being in a final club would allow her better access to the upper class, leading her to dump him. Mark’s first attempt to make a website in the film, a site where pictures of female Harvard students are posted next to each other and the users click on the girl that they think is the hottest, is wildly popular but results in every girl on campus seeing him as a sexist pig and their boyfriends repeatedly threatening him. Facebook is a billion dollar idea that winds up with Mark dealing with two simultaneous lawsuits, one of which comes from his best friend.

You may be tempted at this point to think of Mark Zuckerberg as a sympathetic character, a Willy Loman or Shelley Levene for the 21st century. Don’t be fooled - Mark Zuckerberg is a tyrant, an unstoppable force. Every effort Mark makes to gain acceptance winds up hurting someone; he is a serial bridge burner. Feeling disrespected by the Winklevosses, he morphs their idea and keeps them dangling on a string before cutting them off entirely. When his best friend and Facebook business partner, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), becomes a prospective final club member, gaining the acceptance that Mark craves, he begins to shut more and more doors, rejecting idea after idea, before Eduardo is left behind completely. Mark is attempting the impossible, trying to gain acceptance through rejection.

This isn’t a simple film. It’s not the paint-by-numbers approach that you might see from a director less talented than David Fincher. At no point during the movie is the audience meant to sympathize with Mark. There’s no emotional scene during the climax where he crawls into a corner and bawls uncontrollably because he feels so alone. While the audience may feel the occasional shiver from the cold, Aaron Sorkin’s script never lets the audience feel distanced from the material. Eisenberg, recently stuck playing the nebbish, nervous weakling elsewhere, is stronger and more captivating here than we’ve ever seen him. There’s more than a film here; there’s a comment.

All of us can relate to Mark Zuckerberg. And that’s what will keep you engaged. You and I both want that same acceptance and equality Mark wants. Plenty of movies show that heavy is the head that wears the crown. We have enough movies where money goes to people’s heads and they espouse that greed is good. The Social Network outright rejects the tropes of power and money. Instead, Fincher and Sorkin have given us something that we can all understand and relate to: the costs of the desire for acceptance when it mutates into the blind ambition of social climbing. There are a finite number of cricket team, only so many seats available at the cool kids table, and we all want to be offered that last spot.

Must watch for all ages. I for one will watch it again and again. Waiting fot the Blueray disc to be out. I can enjoy it frame by frame at my private home theatre of course.

Inception..

Inception is probably the first movie of 2010 that movie lovers have been legitimately anticipating—that is, looking forward to since that very first preview back in February.

Certainly I was.

Sometimes that anticipation is a bad thing, as when your hopes are dashed against a mediocre production; sometimes it makes a movie even better, when it meets or exceeds all of your expectations.

Inception isn’t quite the latter but certainly isn’t anything else. Mostly, I think, what few preconceptions I had about the plot or scenario the movie would cover turned out to be wrong, so I can’t call it what I expected, but the movie as it exists blew me away.

The story of the film—and this is what surprised me—turned out to be one story with several layers, not several smaller arcs as they tackled different jobs or something.

No, it’s just one job, and it is a big job. A swan song for DiCaprio’s character, who wants as payment for the job the client to use his political connections to clear him of murder charges against his wife.

What they are trying to do is not extract information (which is their usual line of work) but implant an idea that will then bloom from that subconscious/unconscious implantation via dream into the flower of a conviction from the man himself, by his conscious mind’s reckoning.

They have to create layers within layers in order to achieve this implantation, this “inception,” as they call it, and there is a risk to all of them, going this deep, that if they die in the dream they do not awake but get cast into limbo where the time dilation might well render them a lifetime before the dream comes to an end.

So here was the interesting thing about this set-up: I wasn’t sold on the framing story, about DiCaprio trying to get home to his kids via this shady corporate spying deal, and we never saw anything about the man they were implanting with this inception to know if he was a villain or a victim. I didn’t know who I should, in a moralistic way, be rooting for—but by the time the action started, it didn’t matter. I didn’t care whether I was in favor of the mission’s execution; all I cared about was that within the parameters they were given, the objective was immediate and exciting and tense to watch them try and accomplish.

The flashes back through the successive levels of the dream ratcheted that tension higher and higher, as you saw each team racing within its time dilation to beat both their clock and by extension the clock driving the entire structure.

Another thing that made the story not matter—I loved this conception of the dream world. For me, one of the only enduring ideas that stuck from my 13-year-old reading of "The Wheel of Time" books was the dreamworld his characters could enter, where things were like and yet not like the real world.

I have a version of my parents’ road that I know as well as their real one, but yet it exists only in my dreams.

And we all have times when we’re trying to tell someone about a dream, and we have to say things like “well, in the dream this made sense” or “then we were just elsewhere, like you are sometimes in dreams,” and this movie played with those ideas.

The world had its own physics, its own rules, and the dreamer would never notice it was odd until s/he awoke, because in that dream those were the rules.

The visuals were the final piece of this movie, and they were awesome. From the scene early on with Ellen Page’s character changing the physics of the world and creating streets that met at right angles along the x/y plane instead of the y/z, to the sequence when they are in a rolling van in one dream and the physics of that physical change affect the next level down so as the van rolls they are engaging in this fight that ranges from the hallway floor to its ceiling, to the sudden rearing of new buildings in the landscape or their equally sudden crumbling…this movie had some awesome things to look at. So if you’re someone who likes visuals—not special effects, which were actually used sparingly in comparison to achieving the same effect, but better, via camera tricks, but visuals—then this movie is worth seeing regardless of other considerations.



But I’ve spent all this time saying why the story didn’t matter without touching on whether it turned out to be good. It did. It was a bit slow to get started, and you will leave the theater still thinking about it. There is a facile surface reading that you can take away and feel satisfied with. If your mind can’t let go of the ideas that were incepted early in the film, however, if you paid close enough attention to note them, then you will start reevaluating everything.

I have gone through three layers of understanding so far, and this is only in the first 12 hours since I saw it. I am planning to see it again already—I expect on a second viewing my theories will become obviously right or wrong. But on the first viewing, this film leaves you thinking.

Chris Nolan is an excellent director, and I think he does better with idea movies rather than plot movies—for as much as I enjoyed the first of his Batman movies (I was the one person any of my friends knew who didn’t like The Dark Knight), I think they are the least of his films. He has a great cast that he’s working with here; there were no real weak links, although Ellen Page was probably the weakest only because she wasn’t doing anything we haven’t seen her do before. Which could easily be said of DiCaprio, too, here, except we forgive him for it because he’s just so damn charismatic to watch anyway. Joseph Gordon-Levitt—off his 500 Days of Summer backslide and back to his better form—Cillian Murphy (doing his usual naïf thing, too), Handsome Bob from Rocknrolla (Tom Hardy), Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, and John Hurt round out the rest of the cast.

My bottom line on Inception is this: if you thought you wanted to see this movie, you do. And if you weren’t sure, imagine a mix of The Matrix’s reality-bending and reality-questioning and Ocean’s Eleven slick, complex heist, and The Dark City’s mind games and Memento’s mood and fractured storyline, and you get some idea of what this movie is. Add in a dash of Plato (“A man’s mind, once stretched to encompass a new idea, can never go back to its original dimensions”) and some hyberbolic space-time dilation, and I think it becomes obvious that you can’t go wrong with this movie. Expect to be caught in the moments. Expect to be made to wonder. Expect to be made to think. And expect to want to see it again.

Where are we heading

The other day I had a very challenging travel to undertake. These early morning flighta and late evening return flights to Mumbai and out of Mumbai are not so easy.

Combined with it, the run way in Ahmedabad was closed for few hours and all the flights were diverted to Mumbai. Our Pilot was sounding apologetic about the delay however said with lots of happiness - "dont worry we have enough fuel".

We keep hearing those horrible stories of flights were hoveing over Mumbai with just "two minutes of fuel" to spare and "flying within 500 meters" etc.,

One need to live on hope in India when you fly in the sky. Not that its bad... there is no comparison when you fly with uncertainty and expect to achieve effeciencies.
Its a tall order.

Now the real reason why I started writing this blog was for somethign else.

I was in this flilght which provides a satelite connectivity to watch your favourite channels. I was surfing and landed up watchign a horrible, half baked, orchestrated, immature program conducted by India's leading anchor woman Barka Dutta.

Hey Barka no offense meant. If you are running short on time demand two episodes instead capsuling it in one. It will help.

There were half dozen of eminent personalities in the show. They were impressive and particularly one recited some Hindi Peoms as well. The show was to discuss the linking language for India other than English. Its was so biased.

What was the BBC reporter doing in this show god only knows.

There was one teacher who teaches Sanskrit - very meakily sounded off to the audience - why wont we revoke the Sanskrit the mother of all language and develop it as a linking languguage only to be snubbed by Barka's statement stating that " she was so scared of the language as a child".

Barka who cares. And all those so called intellegencia in the show who cares what are you scared off. The concept of the linking language other than English to a grossly misinformed and under previleged Indians is a sin to discuss in open. Some one was throwing statistics 4% of the civilised world in India uses Engllish and majority of them uses Hindi.

Hindi in India is spoken in many forms. There is a Bojpuria, UP - eria, Tamilindia, Telugindia, Malayalamindia,Begalindia ( even today in Kolkata - if you happen to call your friend and if some senior citizen answers the phone - if you ask in nice sweet Hindi can I speak to Chakraborthy - you can hear the Senior Citizen yelling at his son in Bengali " hey listen you got some call from some Hindustani" - thats the extent of Bengali understandig a non Benali.).

The fundamental thing about this so called orchestrated show conducted by Barka - leaves nothing to ponder over by the intellegencia, policy makers, academecians, students or any one who wants to think.

Why Barka why do you have to do this. When we go out for shopping in a Video shop with our Children we always land up pikcing educational DVD made by BBC, Nat Geo or some one who is non Indian. The best Children movie is also from Iran. Shame on us.

The time now for India is to present a single face to the world.

The only country in the World which is talking about economic growth and the world is eagerly waiting to participate in this opportunity. There will be a fall out of greedy minds currupting it. We agree.

The only thing which worked in favour of invading foreigners to India is - be it Moghuls or Brits we as Indians were always divided by cultures, language even through the skin of our colour. We recognise faces and based on the text of the skin within India and declare them - hey he is a Madrasi, he is a Punjabi etc.,


There was this theatere personality ( he acts in movies too by the way) from Maharashtra. He was sounding too sleepy and for heaven's sake this wasnt about saving Marathi as a language. But discussing about the linking language among Indians.

The lady I didnt get her name, but she is the one who did the role of Vidya Balan's mom's role in Paa. Lavishly spoken, articulated few sentences and got applauded by people in the show.

Why is that I felt half of the audience in the show were South Indians. Then there was some celeberity who was defending how the formation of LTTE has happened because of forcing a language on Tamils of Srilankan made them to fight for their own identity therefore dont force Hindi on Indian. Rubbish.

Mr. Roy of NDTV. Have you actually seen this episode while it was shot or after it was telecast. Can this episode be shown to my growing up child and explain the relevance of our a naion which needs to be united through a common language other than English?. Can this open up debate among academians accross the country to seek for a reform. A french for france. A German for a Germany.

God some one need to remind Barka.

The mother of all language on earth are not from England, Germany, France or US. Its from India. The mother of language per se which united the civilisation during its formative days are not from an outer space - but from India. The oldest lanuage known to civilisation is none other Tamil, Sanskrit and Tulu.

Tamil has become a pride for DMK and its multiple forms ( did you notice D of any party in Tamil Nadu represents Dravidar - be it DK, DMK, ADMK and many more) of parties.

The only oldest language which survived its brutuality over a period of time is Tamil. Sanskrit (which the greeks worship) has gone out of circulation. Thanks to many more Bharka's of our society who never had a parent to preach them what is Sanskrit is all about.

Divided India during British regime had nothing to gain - yet was so undecided about its rich language heritage and culture.

We almost were partonised on every possible occassion. Indian post Independence were united for a cause. Who will make the fastest run in amassing wealth.

That too disproportionately. Will anyone ever bother to keep " Chanakya's ArthaShastra" as a compulsory study among school syllabus. Can the epics like Ramayan and Mahabharata can be replaced by anything else. Will we stamp Bhagawat Geetha meant only for upper caste in a caste ridden politically exploited system.

Vedas, Upanishads and many more - all were for generations were written and read in Sanskrit. Some time during the formation of a society which got divied between educated and not educated - the educated took advantage of the not educated and created multiple forms of Mannu's of our society. Sanskrit was systaatially murdred. Driven out of practice. System.

And Bharka shot a snobbish and rubbish statement on the one and only woman in the entire show who made one sendible statement.

Bharka -- we call it you know what " time pass". We have better things to do in life but not at the cost of corrupting a nation with this half baked theories telcast over a channel like yours.

The topic which you choosen is so powerful and none will dispute it. Talk to your producer. Provide a show underplaying your personality. Engage a research team. How was this nation still managed to exchange ideas, built Universities, ( I am sure you would have heard about Nalanda University) and a Chinese traveller called Yeun Sheung who travelled accross India and understood its culture - the country was united from its inception through a medium called " Sanskrit".

India is happy with its English ability to communicate with each other. What we need a movement now. And that movement can connect us only if we have a history to support it. Difficult task. But not impossible. Proivided you media does enough of research and present the Glorious India back to its citizens.

A country thwarted by its intellegencia who never even bothers to vote when its the time to elect a new system has no right to participate in this discussions. How many times have you voted in India Barka. Good question. I wont get an answer.

I know you are a Punjabi born and brought up in Delhi - scared of Sanskrit. Dont worry you will find enought of voluteers to help you... including the Sanskrit teacher who appeared in your show. Take some time out - may be its time you can do with some learning before you present it to your audience.


Indias linking was never in its language, will never be in its language - it will be in its culture. And that culture is hidden in libraries accross the country written in sanskrit. Instead of searchign for IGSE/ICSE/CBSE and many forms of Firang Universities - which has a history of not even 500 years lets start digging our own language history which has taught the world to communicate and interact.

Participate in promoting it in India for Indians by Indians.

God bless India.

Raavan and Raavanan

I had this good fortune of following Tamil as well Hindi as a language. Last Friday the day movie got released in Mumbai I watched it in Hindi and next day in Tamil. Contrary to the usual style of Maniratnam this movie is a an attempt which easily could not be digested by hardcore Maniratnam's fans.

Well who is a fan by the way?. I never understood the concept or interested to understand it either. Only a Maniratnam can have the guts to recreate a story we would have heard over hundred time while we all grow up. The theme is quite contemporary. To some extent elusive too. But who cares.

I was stunned at the Visuals of the movie. Something other movie makers in India got to learn from Maniratnam. None of his movies ever had a locale which is outside India. Even his master creation " Kannathil Muthamittal" the Srilankan visuals were created within India.

Whether it Ilayaraja ( remember his movies before the Roja era) or A.R. Rahman - only a Maniratnam movie can have such a wonderful music. Ranja Ranja is a soul warming number.

Every one in the movie has attempted something which they would not have done otherwise in our star stuck fame world. Govinda for instance will find a batch of egomaniacs preaching him how did he land up doing such a role which otherwise no one would have considered doing. Yeah you are right - Sandra Bullock should have never done the part in " Time to kill" for instance.

Maniratnam is always a trend setter. He defeated our so called Star system and made them look characters. Prabhu and Karthik for instance in Tamil are totally applaudable. Similarly the Bhojpuri actor in Hindi Ravi, is good. Priyamani and Aishwarya Rai Bachan ( such a long name) are the two characters remains same in both the version.

Two things I need to tell about this movie:-

Watch the movie don't listen the nonsenses written in media or the so called self declared film critics. May be the PR agency of Maniratnam didn't buy them a beer or showered them with gifts. Everything in this country can be orchestrated - media included.

Watch the movie with your friends, family and children included. You will not find an opportunity to be yourself in which you can be the one family all over again watching a movie.

Maniratnam - one word to you. Great attempt. Keep trying more and more.

A child is the source of inspiration...

I have earlier written about the leanings I have undergone through children. As the day progresses and in the process when I watch my children - who are growing up as every day passes - one is 13 and other is 6. It's amazing to watch them, talk to them, connect to them, observe them and above all you learn something new from them every day. I am never tired of learning from my own children.


We can learn so much from children. And most of us have the good fortune to get to be closely reacquainted with the magic of childhood twenty or thirty years after we were children. If our children then have children, we get another lesson some years further down the track.

It would seem that many parents see the teaching process as a one way street.

Parents can also do well to spend more time learning from their children and less time teaching.

Children know a lot more about having a good time than most adults. Children know how to laugh.

They don't need much to laugh at. Sometimes they don't need anything at all. They laugh because it feels good. Did you get your quota of laughs today? ( I was moved to see my 13 year old daughter once remarked in FB - about generally feeling good factor)

They are delightfully spontaneous. Children don't analyze and work everything out. They are just busy "being".

Whenever we meet grown ups who are so spontaneous, we tend to treasure them also.

Let's do less thinking and more responding.

Children are eternally fascinated. They are curious.

Everything is a new exciting experience, to be absorbed. We Adults switched off ourselves.

Many of us have forgotten what a magic place this planet is.

Children are also very accepting. They are without prejudice. Rich or poor or black or white, you are OK. A child is not your religion or your politics. One of those occasions where I lost my cool for some thing ( an unfortunate night when I returned from travel when there was no power till wee hours I have lost all my cool and subjected my kid as a recipient for which I am ashamed off myself) the next day morning I called my daughter from office ( when I left in the morning she was still sleeping) and said sorry to her and apologized to her. She simple shrugged it off. That's children for you. They never do any carry forward of grudges.

Kids have enormous resilience and determination. If they want, they don't quit. Their persistence is really something to be admired, as well as endured. Children just keep going for it. When you learned to walk, you kept at it and kept at it. You fall over and got up. Finally you learned to walk! Do you still exhibit that kind of determination?

In a nutshell - Spend time with children. Learn more about laughter, spontaneity, curiosity, acceptance, resilience, trust, determination, and your imagination. They are here to teach us!

Get on with life... Dont be in the captivity of your own negativity....

Blocked?
Frustrated?

Know you are doing things right yet there still doesn't seem to be any movement towards getting your goal.

Spiritual Timing may be the answer. To determine if Spiritual Timing is the cause of your delay, you must first ask these questions.

Are You:

Trying to control the situation?

Worrying about what people will think?

Confusing happiness with fulfillment of desire?

Insisting that your way is the only right way?

Rationalizing your situation to maintain your own independence?

Living in the past or future and not in the moment?

Trying to stop change?

Setting up too rigid goals and paths to manifest your goal?

Setting up expectations for outcomes?

Trying too much or too hard to fulfill your desires?

Using the ego to set up significance, projections, feelings or attitudes towards accomplishment of your goal?

If you answered YES, to some or all of these questions, it may be your personal growth that is stopping you from actualizing your goal.

To eliminate these obstacles you must work on eliminating negative thought patterns that may be getting in your way.

If you answered NO to all these questions, the next step is to find out if you are in a place that I call the Creative Void.

A Creative Void is a time in your life where you are shifting, adapting and getting ready for a major change.

It is a spiritual growth time, where like spiritual timing, there is little or no movement. You may or may not know what your next step towards your goal is and you might not even know the goal. You feel and know a shift is about to occur and things around you don't feel exactly right - but nothing seems to be happening.

The Creative Void may be a time for information gathering, reflection, sitting still, eliminating things that are no longer necessary in your life. It is the time of spiritual growth and advancement towards balance in your life. To determine if you are in a Creative Void time here are some of the questions to ask yourself.


Do You:

Hold on to ideas, methods or things that inhibit your spiritual growth?

Need to get rid of attachment to people, places or things?

Want to find the missing balance in your life by including time for: Spirituality? Self? Family? Significant Others? Community? Career?

Need to let go of negative emotional situations?

Have to eliminate sources of fear in your life?

Need to make and accept changes in your mind, body or spirit to allow change to flow?

Have a need to find your purpose or service in life?

If you answered YES to any or all of these questions, you must honor this time of spiritual growth. Consider these things as opportunities for growth and work on them one-by-one.

Always remember that the Creative Void is a time to resolve issues and allow balance to come into your life. It is the time to throw away the old and invite in the new.

As issues and balance are resolved in your life, action will manifest and movement will follow.

If you answered NO to all these questions, it may be that Spiritual Timing is at work.


Spiritual Timing is what I call God's Timing. It is a time when everything is in synchronicity.

The right time, the right place and the right action all manifests when it is exactly right for everyone and every thing in the universe.

Everything is comprised of energy and we are all one. Therefore, every thought or action affects not only us but the universe as well. Negative thoughts produce negative energy just as positive thought produces positive energy. Universal truths (e.g., the power of love) are not perceptions and have their own energy.

Our perception, which is another energy, is just that -Our Perception. Every thing and everyone's perception is different from each other and is dependent upon their individual life path journey.

When you think about the magnitude of all this perceptive energy it can be overwhelming. Think of the energy of a flower growing, an ant busily living its life, the earth's energy or the individualized perceptive energy of the billions of people on earth. Each and every thing with its own energy!

Spiritual Timing orchestrates this energy for the good of all. Not just for the individual but for everything, everywhere.

You may be coming from the right place, doing everything right, having the right thoughts and providing the right energy, but perhaps somewhere some thing is not ready for what you are to manifest. Synchronicity is missing, so Spiritual Timing comes into play.

When Spiritual Timing is the cause of lack of movement towards your goal, patience and acceptance can help you cope with the delay. There are no mistakes and there is a reason why everything happens or does not happen.

Remember that we are comprised of body, mind and spirit and some or all of these areas can be addressed to help you wait until the Spiritual Timing is right. However you choose to cope with Spiritual Timing is exactly right for you. Here are some hints that I use when I get into Spiritual Timing.

Reduce Your:

Physical Stress by taking care of your body - Eat a proper diet - Take the correct dietary supplements and herbs - Get enough rest and sleep - Exercise

Mental Stress by quieting your mind - Accept that things are exactly right and stay positive - Understand that there are no mistakes and things will manifest when and how they are supposed to - Let Go and Just Be without expectation - Meditate and Pray

Emotional Stress by releasing attachment - Maintain an attitude of love, joy and happiness - Know you will be provided for and everything's all right - Practice
patience - Gain comfort knowing that things are happening for the good of all

Spiritual Stress by cleansing yourself of negativity - Feel and connect to the Oneness and Universal Love - Trust your inner guidance always - Know that everything is exactly right and the solution is being taken care of.

Following these hints doesn't mean that Spiritual Timing will work any faster.

After all time is man-made and not a prerequisite to the master plan. What will happen is that you will feel part of the whole, gain understanding and peace and be able to assist with even more positive energy.

Happiness.... clearly its all yours...

Happiness is a gift that we can all enjoy if we choose to; it enters your life when you let your thinking patterns take a more positive angle.

Rather than coming to negative conclusions hastily, the key is taking time to think about a situation in its entirety. A new angle will reveal itself which will make you understand why things happened the way they did. There is always the opportunity to be happy around every corner as the quotation by James Oppenheim states: "The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet

Learn to smile and laugh a lot more, it is infectious and soon you have others around you doing the same and time passes a lot better. Happy people radiate a field around them that draws others to them who want to share in their happiness. We all have come across people who have been through all sorts of problems in life and yet they have not stopped laughing or smiling. These people are examples to follow and they prove that even in their difficult times they have not given up hope or given up on life.

Happiness comes from acceptance of your situation or your surroundings. It comes from counting the blessings around you and believe me each one of us has plenty of blessings if we care to count them. The gift of health, the gift of families, the gift of friends, the list is endless. And if we are amongst those who have had more than their share of sadness in life, there are still things that make you have another go at life. It is a matter of finding something that will make you feel good about yourself and doing it.

Being healthy makes a person happy so learn to cultivate good health. This means eating less junk food, exercising not only the body but also the mind and entertaining good thoughts. The mind, body and soul work together as a unit so try and keep all three healthy and motivated. Being anxious and stressed does not promote happiness so try and rid yourself of emotions like these that drain the mind and the body. Seek help to get you on the road to good health

Learning new skills and exploring new subjects expands the mind and if it enhances a career then the satisfaction will relate to happiness. Self development makes a person feel good about themselves so do not let yourself stagnate but keep evolving. Life can be an exciting journey with so much that one can do and achieve at every stage, young or old.

To be loved gives a lot of happiness but to get this love you have to give it too. Do not hesitate to show your love to those that matter the most and caring to those that need it the most. Happiness also comes from giving to those not as fortunate as you.

The irony of life is that happiness lies in the simplest things of life and it does not have to cost a penny. Wouldn't it be sad then if we spent our lives not being happy and making everyone else around unhappy as well?

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go." (Oscar Wilde)

Care to live..

When does life really begin?

Is it when the first fluttering beats of the primitive heart of a fetus start, or when the child is pushed from the womb into the world?

Does it all actually start at the moment of conception when the egg and sperm meet and mix their genetic code together to create a new being.

Who can say really. No one knows because no one is sure of when life truely begins.

There are many out there who say an unborn child isn't really a person, or even alive because it can not sustain it's own life.

If this were true, then no one is a real person until they are living on their own away from their parents. When you stop and really think about this, without listening to the arguments about when life starts or if something is considered alive until a certain time, you would be suprised at what you may find.

When the primitive heart of a tiny fetus starts to beat for the first time, it is then that it starts to actually survive on its own, apart from its mother.

Though at this time, most mothers-to-be don't know they are mothers yet, they begin to change their attitude to a more gentle caring way and doing what they can to protect the tiny life inside them in many different ways. Its that life growing inside them that started those mothering instincts.

Its those instincts that protect it from harm until it is able to survive outside the womb and until it can live apart from its mother later in life. Even beyond that point, any mother will protect her young from everything she can.

I'm not a scientist, a theologist, or even a doctor. I am just an average woman with a child of her own. From the moment I felt those first flutterings of life within me and heard my child's beating heart for the first time, all thanks to modern technology, I have thought about when life truely began.

No matter what, from the very beginning when the egg and sperm meet, it is a living breathing human being. Sometimes, the life can not go beyond a few weeks inside the mother, but its still alive, until it can not go any longer.

There are times, when that life has to be ended, in such cases, it is still sad, but if the mother is to live, then it has to be done. There are other times, when frankly, it is best because there are other problems such as a tumor which is eating away at the child little by little.

It doesn't change the fact the child had to die, but at least, it had a small chance and brought just a little happiness into the mother's life.

So, when does life really begin? I don't know, but when ever it does, its all well worth keeping it going, for the rewards are more than what anyone truely deserves.

When you saw god very close.....

I literally felt him and saw him too. He was wearing specs. Slim well maintained physique. He spoke in Telugu to me, a language I cherish talking in eventhough I am a Tamilian. He walked with a smile always and an easy manner which is comforting.

I am talking about Dr. A.V.Ganesh Kumar, of Hiranandani Hospital, Mumbai who established the Cardiac Department 6 years ago in Mumbai.

My mother had this peculiar issue of a Diabetic combined with a very high Blood Pressure. She is 72. She was panting whenever she took even a short walks. Dr. Vishal Chopra a fine young man who was treating her for Diabetics felt she should undergo 2D echo and ECG tests which showed certain abonormality.

The real topic is - my mother went through Coronery Angiography and while the process was on we have to carry on with Angioplasty as well. At first, it was scary. Anything to do with heart is always scary. The comfort we felt dealing with Dr. Ganesh Kumar is amazing.

His process of handholding a patient is simple. He talks straight.

When I saw my mother getting discharged the next day I felt a sigh of relief.

I realised I saw god in him ... that too very close.

Can there be an alternative to Value based systems

I am not a puritan. So don't get me wrong. I am not a preacher either. So do not look for words of wisdom in my writing.

I am not what you think I am and I am what I am and what I want to be. So a question I want to pose to the learned minds, friends, family and the likes of such people who hold a very high and esteemed positions as a heads of family, heads of places of worship, heads of institutions, law makers, politicians and mostly to those narrow minded politicians who sees an opportunity to molest a woman in a Pub in Karnataka in the name of up keeping the social standards of our society. What do you think should we do about the so called deminishing value systems in our society. Whom will you make responsible.

Twenty year olds from Mumbai and Jumrithaliya co exists in the same society which marvels the reel divas like Deepika Padukone (She was particularly gyrating to Rakhi Sawant like standards in the IPL opening ceremony is a different issue) and these youth who are of the same age group, graduate in commerce, look at Deepika like divas with different eyes. And they are the same gender, youth who will be responsible to drive this country to the next level of growth. One will own the changing mindset of the youth in Inid and the other will defend the values. I dont know. Its clearly a demarkated social standards. In values. In systems. In outlook.

2025 will see India as the leading nations dominating the eligible workforce in the world. Every 6th human being on earth is said to be an Indian. Where are we heading?

I pariticularly enjoyed going through some of the works of Jk and more specifically the one which I reproducing below:-

"Can love be divided into the sacred and the profane, the human and the divine, or is there only love? Is love of the one and not of the many? If I say,`I love you', does that exclude the love of the other? Is love personal or impersonal? Moral or immoral? Family or non-family? If you love mankind can you love the particular? Is love sentiment? Is love emotion? Is love pleasure and desire? All these questions indicate, don't they, that we have ideas about love, ideas about what it should or should not be, a pattern or a code developed by the culture in which we live.
So to go into the question of what love is we must first ideals and ideologies of what it should or should not be. To divide anything into what should be and what is, is the most deceptive way of dealing with life"

I am involved with his work in a sense, it appeals to me more than anyting else appealed to me. I felt compelled to read it again and reproduce it again in my blog after watching a disastorous commercial of a mobile phone service provider in India.

Typical story of a grown up boy ( I refuse to call him man) with a average looking girl ( I dont want to recognise her as woman as well) making out in a restaurant and suddenly the boys sets his eyes on a seductive girl who is alone in the bar( sexy and inviting looks could be the right looks, however worried about those puritans who is celeberating their victory over 33% woman's bill might crucify me) and says to his girl

" You don't love me anymore" She responds after a initial shock " yes".

They they shake hand " Friends" " Friends". There comes the Indianised movie making. The boy moves to the seductive girl and while exiting turns and looks at his ex - and the commercial shows her busy already with another boy.

And this commercial is done in the interest of promoting a mobile telephony services. I am sure the ones who created it clearly targetted those uncertain young minds and advocated to opt for changing tariff plans.

I watched this commercial along with my thirteen year old daughter. It amused her. She was laughing. My wife didnt react. I was to laugh at it too. But could'nt.

Do I consider this. When you are in love and wake up the next day morning and realise you are actually not in love - should you walk out. I suppose thats the standards we are advocating isnt it. Do I need to worry about it. Not really I guess.

Is it changing times? I suppose not? Its probably perversion. We are getting conditioned to the idea of try it if not give it up. Fine by me. You might find something better.

Are'nt we progressing. Freedom of speach. Expression. Whatever it is.

When I tried talk about it some one around me summarised it with one sentence:-

" You are stuck with middle age syndrom. Keep moving"

I am. What about you.