January 1, 2009
Last night i was out on the streets trying to discover what New Year celebrations are all about and why people do it.I have never 'celebrated' a New Year before.In my understanding New Year's eve was nothing more than a reason for guys to make use of open bars and 'couples only' parties to have fun.And for those with stiff budgets it simply was a time to get drunk,run around streets and get away with it.But i wasn't convinced.So i decided to just get along with the crowd hoot,yell and feel the 'spirit'.The plan was to experience the fun which i knew existed but have never understood or experienced.Instead i came back home with a deeper understanding about the world and myself.
The beach is one of those places where people throng on New Year's eve to celebrate.I went there by around 8:30 pm and met up with a classmate who had come there with a couple of his friends.And in a matter of 20 minutes i was a part of a gang of about 15 people.I am unable to recollect their names but they were a merry group.I did feel left out because i wasn't acquainted with any of them but they certainly were having the time of their lives.A closer look at the group and i realized that just like ordinary men these guys had dreams,desires and an element of dissatisfaction with life.But they were out to forget about all that they don't have and live the moment.It was the usual chit chat that you would observe in any group.But the idea was eminent.They were out to Live The Night.
I then met up with my best friend and the night began for us.He seemed to have a certain understanding of these celebrations.So we stuck together and kept roaming. We bought a bottle of Coca Cola and carried it with us sipping on it occasionally only to attract attention from passers by.It was only later that we understood that all of them had mistaken the bottle of Coke for alcohol and i guess it is expected out of 21 year olds.It reminded me about the inherent nature of the society to judge and stereotype people.From special children to homosexuals our perceptions are all skewed.We associate behavior with people rather than the other way around.Perhaps this is something people can ponder about on New Year's day!
At about an hour to midnight another group of friends joined us and now we were a gang.And as the night grew old people slowly started to loose their sanity.It was a combination of the New Year spirit from within and the New Year spirit which went in.The tiniest gimmick attracted a lot of attention which in turn spurred them.I guess the attention made them feel like performers and they revelled in their glory.And slowly all the groups wanting a share of the attention started to indulge.The end result was a huge crowd of people partying on the street with absolutely no bother.
I felt like i was watching a foreign language film without subtitles.But i knew that when the clock strikes 12:00 something special was going to happen.And it did happen.A strange emotion took over me.I had created a memory.A memory that all the guys with whom i spent last night will carry with them for a long time.Being a final year student in college i don't have the slightest idea as to where life is taking me.But at that moment, when i wished my friends a Happy New Year I wasn't thinking about why people around me were behaving the way they were i wasn't pondering over where i'd be by the end of 2009 all i knew was that i was standing on top of a parapet 7 feet above the ground hugging my friend wishing him luck with all my heart.This gesture was followed by mock Kung Fu duel and a huddle which strangers whose faces i can barely recollect joined.I too lost my senses because I had found what i was out to find.
Celebrations are about having people about around you to create memories which you can reflect on with a good feeling. Its not about how when where or why you celebrate.Its the happiness that matters.Everyday of the year is worth celebrating with the same zest.Eventhough it is impossible to do so memories are worth creating.It is worth doing something for atleast 2 mins a day which is worth remembering a lifetime.And it doesn't matter if we don't end up remembering them it is the intention that matters.
Its a beautiful day,don't let it get away....
U2
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Insignificant Indian
All of us have had to endure the torture and share the pain of our brothers and sisters in Mumbai who have been victimized by dastardly acts of cowardice.Reports of inhuman acts of terror have become rhetoric on Indian news channels to the point where some of us have become numb.But this act dubbed as a 'War on Mumbai' which lasted almost 60 hours reminded me of how insignificant we are in this country.
The fundamental democratic principle is to ensure that the opinion of every individual matters.Here we are at the face of one of the worst attacks on our country and its people,frustrated with the government and security agencies because of their incapability,angered by the sight of innocent people who have died for no reason,moved by the pictures of aggrieved family members.But what difference is it going to make?
Every incident of this nature has an expiry date in our memory depending on where people were killed , how many people were killed and most importantly Who was killed.As many as 18,350 civilians died during the past nine years in 61,226 incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, north-east, naxal-affected States and communal flare-ups.Very few of which we have actually read about or bothered about.Even if we do read about it and flinch what do we do next? Turn to the sports page.It takes us close to 200 deaths in the financial capital and the worst hostage crisis in Indian history till date to sit up and take notice.I wonder if an attack of this nature in a small town claiming the same number of lives have the same effect on us.We probably would have dismissed it.The life of every Indian has a price tag that we have put on it by of his status in the society. The life of a labourer who struggles to make ends meet is as valuable as that of High-flying executive who dines at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The first step in fighting terror is to appreciate this.
The very essence of a meaningful existence is to make a difference to the lives of the people around you.We have resorted to the fact that in our country we cant.And us resorting to such a conclusion is the defeat of purpose.
It is an insult, not only to the Government of India but to each and every Indian that someone has (once again) ridiculed us and reminded us that we are insignificant.A bunch of brutes have suggested that the tears shed and the lives lost will not transpire into anything .
Perhaps this is not the first piece of text you have read condemning terrorism and raising questions.It will defintely not be the last. So what do you plan to do?
The fundamental democratic principle is to ensure that the opinion of every individual matters.Here we are at the face of one of the worst attacks on our country and its people,frustrated with the government and security agencies because of their incapability,angered by the sight of innocent people who have died for no reason,moved by the pictures of aggrieved family members.But what difference is it going to make?
Every incident of this nature has an expiry date in our memory depending on where people were killed , how many people were killed and most importantly Who was killed.As many as 18,350 civilians died during the past nine years in 61,226 incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, north-east, naxal-affected States and communal flare-ups.Very few of which we have actually read about or bothered about.Even if we do read about it and flinch what do we do next? Turn to the sports page.It takes us close to 200 deaths in the financial capital and the worst hostage crisis in Indian history till date to sit up and take notice.I wonder if an attack of this nature in a small town claiming the same number of lives have the same effect on us.We probably would have dismissed it.The life of every Indian has a price tag that we have put on it by of his status in the society. The life of a labourer who struggles to make ends meet is as valuable as that of High-flying executive who dines at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The first step in fighting terror is to appreciate this.
The very essence of a meaningful existence is to make a difference to the lives of the people around you.We have resorted to the fact that in our country we cant.And us resorting to such a conclusion is the defeat of purpose.
It is an insult, not only to the Government of India but to each and every Indian that someone has (once again) ridiculed us and reminded us that we are insignificant.A bunch of brutes have suggested that the tears shed and the lives lost will not transpire into anything .
Perhaps this is not the first piece of text you have read condemning terrorism and raising questions.It will defintely not be the last. So what do you plan to do?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind....Apparently
I have a confession to make. I love 'Psycho killer' based movies! Movies which explore the minds of such people appeal to me because their creation involves a lot of thinking. I am fascinated by such portrayals.Simply because,it puzzles me as to how people end up that way. The fact that such movies dissect the psychology (the good ones) of such people makes them very interesting . The catch being that the person doesn't exist ( in most cases) and the director has to sketch the character's nature , the stimulus for his actions and a behavioral pattern.That is a LOT of creativity.
And the best that i have seen is AMERICAN PSYCHO. It has Chrisitan Bale (Batman) playing the role of Patrick Bateman , a Vice President in a large company. Patrick assaults women brutally, sometimes eats them and occasionally skins them and hang their corpses in his wardrobe.He goes around the city killing poor people on the streets because they are unsuccessful and are not like him,people who use oppurtunites to make things happen for themselves.Clearly he has an obsessive-compulsive disorder.That all men have to be succesful . He believes that people who aren't successful are inferior and deserve no place in the society.Also he says '..I believe in taking care of myself ' and goes on to explain his meticulously planned schedule for ensuring that his body is perfect.A narcissist . He watches disturbing videos all day and it fuels his hate for people.Women initially fall prey for his money and looks , eventually to his wrath.Even the slightest disrespect will drive the animal into murder.His anger knows no bounds.He is disturbed and angered by the fact that the world isn't perfect. Not all of us are 'successful' and 'beautiful' by Patrick's definition.The pain he goes through seeing the world as it is from his perspective drives him into doing the things he does. And being rich and powerful he gets away.
Why i like the movie? It is complete and coherent and is not one of those movies which has blood pouring all around for no apparent reason.
And i suggest you Don't Watch it.
Why?
I recently suggested to a very good friend that she watch the movie and tell me if she liked it and that i found it very interesting. Half-way through the movie she called me up and yelled at me for being a 'sick' SOB!!! She felt that the movie was obscene,explicit and filled with violence and could not stand the fact that i like it.She said that if i continue watching such movies,eventually there'll be a movie on me! The hope is that she reads this and changes her opinion about both the American and the Indian psycho.
We saw the same movie, but we didn't.
And the best that i have seen is AMERICAN PSYCHO. It has Chrisitan Bale (Batman) playing the role of Patrick Bateman , a Vice President in a large company. Patrick assaults women brutally, sometimes eats them and occasionally skins them and hang their corpses in his wardrobe.He goes around the city killing poor people on the streets because they are unsuccessful and are not like him,people who use oppurtunites to make things happen for themselves.Clearly he has an obsessive-compulsive disorder.That all men have to be succesful . He believes that people who aren't successful are inferior and deserve no place in the society.Also he says '..I believe in taking care of myself ' and goes on to explain his meticulously planned schedule for ensuring that his body is perfect.A narcissist . He watches disturbing videos all day and it fuels his hate for people.Women initially fall prey for his money and looks , eventually to his wrath.Even the slightest disrespect will drive the animal into murder.His anger knows no bounds.He is disturbed and angered by the fact that the world isn't perfect. Not all of us are 'successful' and 'beautiful' by Patrick's definition.The pain he goes through seeing the world as it is from his perspective drives him into doing the things he does. And being rich and powerful he gets away.
Why i like the movie? It is complete and coherent and is not one of those movies which has blood pouring all around for no apparent reason.
And i suggest you Don't Watch it.
Why?
I recently suggested to a very good friend that she watch the movie and tell me if she liked it and that i found it very interesting. Half-way through the movie she called me up and yelled at me for being a 'sick' SOB!!! She felt that the movie was obscene,explicit and filled with violence and could not stand the fact that i like it.She said that if i continue watching such movies,eventually there'll be a movie on me! The hope is that she reads this and changes her opinion about both the American and the Indian psycho.
We saw the same movie, but we didn't.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Dasavataram..After Watching the movie..
About the Tickets :
My dad's workplace has a recreation club which books tickets in large numbers for movies which generate a lot of interest. And so,they booked tickets and my dad bought the tickets for us. The tickets were for seating in the balcony of the Woodlands theater.
About the Theater :
The last time my parents were in the Woodlands theater was about seven years back. They are unable to recollect the name of the movie they watched. In fact i went along with them and i can't remember either. Anyways, we had no idea about what was in store for us.
The ambience was awful. Dirty toilets, chaos with people pushing to get inside,a car park where you have to wait for 10 others to move theirs before you can move yours, seats that were rock-hard, an AC system which didn't work and a cinema hall filled with waste bottles and wrappers.It was nightmarish and my dad felt bad that he got us into it. Filled with irritation and disgust we kept looking at the screen as we didn't want to face each other.
P.S-DON'T EVER GO TO 'WOODLANDS ' FOR WATCHING A MOVIE! DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK!
About the movie :
I have made it clear in my previous post that i am not expecting a great deal from the movie which ,possibly, could be the reason why i found it interesting! The best part is that i found that the movie had taken my attention off the theater.That itself is a huge success.
The opening 10-15 minutes were unbelievable.I am not a fan of Devi Sri Prasad but i think his background score for the 12th century period was mind blowing.Being a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu myself i was able to feel the emotion being conveyed.It was remarkable.
From there on it is the usual stuff.Commercial cinema at its best.The movie has an incredible pace to it in certain portions and is extremely sluggish in certain others.The manner in which the charachters are introduced and the roles they play as a part of the larger picture which unfolds is the work of a genius . The make-up was hyped but there were only two roles that stood out.The old lady and the Japanese teacher.The rest of them were mediocre. I will definitely have to agree with people calling it Kamal's magnum opus.More than his acting ability, the screenplay and storyline is what needs to lauded.The way the charachters were weaved into the story is terrific.Given that it is a commercial movie,we have to make our peace with certain illogicalities but from a bird's eye view everything seems coherent. And the song 'Mukunda' , has been beautifully picturized. It definitely deserves a special mention.You might have noticed that nobody mentions Mallika ,Asin or any other actor. They are merely props.
My Verdict..
From the perspective of a commercial movie lover (My mother) the movie is very entertaining and makes for an ideal evening with a bag of pop-corn.No doubt the movie is at the top of the food chain.
But for someone who is yearning for a change from the normal singing,dancing around trees, sentiments ,'Punch dialogues' illogical stories and invincible protagonists to a breath of fresh air with films that evoke concern on social issues , political issues or atleast a movie with a solid storyline where the director's prowess is the highlight , like in a play, in Tamil Cinema (Indian Cinema in general) the movie is a huge let down.Purely because Kamal Hassan is the only man who can make it happen.He has crossed the point where he has to do movies like Dasavataram to prove his brilliance.He should be looking at promoting meaningful cinema in our country and be more responsible.He must be looking at Cinema as a tool for providing people information about the world around them and promote awareness on issues that are plaguing our country.Considering the sort of interest his movies generate he can definitely make a difference.My rating ..
5/10
My dad's workplace has a recreation club which books tickets in large numbers for movies which generate a lot of interest. And so,they booked tickets and my dad bought the tickets for us. The tickets were for seating in the balcony of the Woodlands theater.
About the Theater :
The last time my parents were in the Woodlands theater was about seven years back. They are unable to recollect the name of the movie they watched. In fact i went along with them and i can't remember either. Anyways, we had no idea about what was in store for us.
The ambience was awful. Dirty toilets, chaos with people pushing to get inside,a car park where you have to wait for 10 others to move theirs before you can move yours, seats that were rock-hard, an AC system which didn't work and a cinema hall filled with waste bottles and wrappers.It was nightmarish and my dad felt bad that he got us into it. Filled with irritation and disgust we kept looking at the screen as we didn't want to face each other.
P.S-DON'T EVER GO TO 'WOODLANDS ' FOR WATCHING A MOVIE! DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK!
About the movie :
I have made it clear in my previous post that i am not expecting a great deal from the movie which ,possibly, could be the reason why i found it interesting! The best part is that i found that the movie had taken my attention off the theater.That itself is a huge success.
The opening 10-15 minutes were unbelievable.I am not a fan of Devi Sri Prasad but i think his background score for the 12th century period was mind blowing.Being a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu myself i was able to feel the emotion being conveyed.It was remarkable.
From there on it is the usual stuff.Commercial cinema at its best.The movie has an incredible pace to it in certain portions and is extremely sluggish in certain others.The manner in which the charachters are introduced and the roles they play as a part of the larger picture which unfolds is the work of a genius . The make-up was hyped but there were only two roles that stood out.The old lady and the Japanese teacher.The rest of them were mediocre. I will definitely have to agree with people calling it Kamal's magnum opus.More than his acting ability, the screenplay and storyline is what needs to lauded.The way the charachters were weaved into the story is terrific.Given that it is a commercial movie,we have to make our peace with certain illogicalities but from a bird's eye view everything seems coherent. And the song 'Mukunda' , has been beautifully picturized. It definitely deserves a special mention.You might have noticed that nobody mentions Mallika ,Asin or any other actor. They are merely props.
My Verdict..
From the perspective of a commercial movie lover (My mother) the movie is very entertaining and makes for an ideal evening with a bag of pop-corn.No doubt the movie is at the top of the food chain.
But for someone who is yearning for a change from the normal singing,dancing around trees, sentiments ,'Punch dialogues' illogical stories and invincible protagonists to a breath of fresh air with films that evoke concern on social issues , political issues or atleast a movie with a solid storyline where the director's prowess is the highlight , like in a play, in Tamil Cinema (Indian Cinema in general) the movie is a huge let down.Purely because Kamal Hassan is the only man who can make it happen.He has crossed the point where he has to do movies like Dasavataram to prove his brilliance.He should be looking at promoting meaningful cinema in our country and be more responsible.He must be looking at Cinema as a tool for providing people information about the world around them and promote awareness on issues that are plaguing our country.Considering the sort of interest his movies generate he can definitely make a difference.My rating ..
5/10
Friday, June 13, 2008
Dasavataram-Before watching the movie
It is all about hype isn't it? You can make people believe in something which is completely non-existent and gain mileage out of it.Right from rumors about the stock market crashing to 'God-Men' having mystical powers.
So where was I? Dasavataram .A movie in which there's one guy who puts on make-up and plays ten roles in an attempt to convince the audience that they're different people .And the reason to do so? Nobody has done it before. Perhaps he should consider having a sex-change operation and play both the heroine and the hero.Why?Because no one has done it before!! Give me a break people! I like the guy , huge Kamal Hassan fan by the way, but the fact that the movie is just a showcase of his talent as an actor i am pretty much sure the storyline will take a beating.In all likelihood its going to be a commercial entertainer and with a LOT of Kamal. The last time i had people around me buzzing with excitement about a movie was when 'SIVAJI -The Boss' .And frankly it wasn't all that great. This machine is running on a fuel called HYPE and guess what they'll run out of it once the movie releases.
And to demonstrate to people how all of us get fooled in our daily lives , i am writing this blog in all honesty to reflecting my feelings before watching the movie and this is my prediction.In a few days i'll be telling the world how the movie actually turned out to be! Whether i was right or it was worth the hype !!
So where was I? Dasavataram .A movie in which there's one guy who puts on make-up and plays ten roles in an attempt to convince the audience that they're different people .And the reason to do so? Nobody has done it before. Perhaps he should consider having a sex-change operation and play both the heroine and the hero.Why?Because no one has done it before!! Give me a break people! I like the guy , huge Kamal Hassan fan by the way, but the fact that the movie is just a showcase of his talent as an actor i am pretty much sure the storyline will take a beating.In all likelihood its going to be a commercial entertainer and with a LOT of Kamal. The last time i had people around me buzzing with excitement about a movie was when 'SIVAJI -The Boss' .And frankly it wasn't all that great. This machine is running on a fuel called HYPE and guess what they'll run out of it once the movie releases.
And to demonstrate to people how all of us get fooled in our daily lives , i am writing this blog in all honesty to reflecting my feelings before watching the movie and this is my prediction.In a few days i'll be telling the world how the movie actually turned out to be! Whether i was right or it was worth the hype !!
Friday, June 6, 2008
What was he thinking machi..
A few days back i went to the theaters for watching the latest Indiana Jones flick and MAN was it boring! I mean the script is a cross between a Telugu movie and a Tamil movie.It would've grossed much more the world over had it been a Rajni movie . This movie could've made for an excellent advertisement for promoting Rights for senior citizens!The average age of the cast would be in the mid 50s.Since it is a period movie of sorts the director has actually made a movie for the audiences of the 1940s.What was he thinking machi! Pure unadulterated crap!I can sit through 20 hours of History lectures on ancient civilizations and still those 2 hours will seem hard for me to get through.
Overall its a tribute to all the things that make you want to kill yourself
Overall its a tribute to all the things that make you want to kill yourself
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Campus Blues...
My campus recruitments started on June 2 and i got myself a job.The company recruited 246 SSNites and i was one among them. A proud moment indeed. But this blog is not an expression of my joy.It is of agony. Agony that some of my deserving friends were unfortunate not to get a job. Students with high scores who worked hard throughout their college lives were left in the docks by the recruiters.These things are particularly cruel for those students wh0 haven't faced any sort of rejection or failure in their entire lives.And this failure is hard to cope with because, for some, campus placement is the objective behind their admission into Engineering education.
Although it's true that some of them do not possess the skills that these companies look for in an employee it is hard for me to digest the fact that my FRIENDS are going through this tough phase.I have had my share of failures and i can empathise with these people.I also have my own doubts on whether some of them will be able to take it.These are testing times and i pray that my friends do well for themselves..
Although it's true that some of them do not possess the skills that these companies look for in an employee it is hard for me to digest the fact that my FRIENDS are going through this tough phase.I have had my share of failures and i can empathise with these people.I also have my own doubts on whether some of them will be able to take it.These are testing times and i pray that my friends do well for themselves..
Friday, May 16, 2008
Wrong timing machi
Recently i learnt my lesson on how important it is to get opportunities at the right time.My college announced an internship program for the Final year students, who are the most stressed out lot in college , with the worries about a future lying ahead of them. Also they have to cope with the fact that a few interviews could be make or break for them.The much hyped aptitude tests of Software firms is something students are freaked-out about because they have spent the last 3 years of their lives enjoying college life.Right now our profiles have nothing that set us apart from the crowd.Most of us don't even have a project to mention on our resumes.Althoug ,if expertise in Poker and Rummy count perhaps , we stand a terrific chance! After wasting all the time we had during the first 3 years our college is coming up with an Internship programme with impossible conditions to meet.It requires us to take a bus to college for 21 days on the trot during our summer holidays and work for like the whole day when we have those tests to prepare for.Had the management been smart they'd have arranged for this when we were in our second year or so.Now we're left with a blank resume and bitterness of having to let go of the opportunity.Its all about timing machi
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Am Back
After a long lay-off i've decided to start blogging again because i cant take the sheer torture of having to do nothing during my summer vacations. My friends tell me they're 'finally going to get some time-off'. I wonder what we did during the semester that has got them tired.Anyways lets get back to the subject of this blog ,which is NOTHING!
Actually there's are a lot of things going on in my life. Important decisions ,crucial interviews and the last year of college lies ahead of me.But its best that i take it as it comes.
I've started reading the ET and becoming familiar with businees jargon.Money is something that really fascinates me now.It directly affects everything around you.If you think about it you cant 'make' anything in today's world.You can only BUY it.
One disappointment is that off-late i have'nt found any band that fascinates me.Not even a good movie release.My only hobby of collecting movies has taken a beating. I havent added a movie to it in months.
My desktop crashed a few days back meaning that my wife is sick.Hate life without her.And as always i have taken my holiday vow of having to use them productively and this time i really see that happening i really do. Will update regularly from now on
Actually there's are a lot of things going on in my life. Important decisions ,crucial interviews and the last year of college lies ahead of me.But its best that i take it as it comes.
I've started reading the ET and becoming familiar with businees jargon.Money is something that really fascinates me now.It directly affects everything around you.If you think about it you cant 'make' anything in today's world.You can only BUY it.
One disappointment is that off-late i have'nt found any band that fascinates me.Not even a good movie release.My only hobby of collecting movies has taken a beating. I havent added a movie to it in months.
My desktop crashed a few days back meaning that my wife is sick.Hate life without her.And as always i have taken my holiday vow of having to use them productively and this time i really see that happening i really do. Will update regularly from now on
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