Thursday, November 17, 2005

My best friends....Part II

It was for a business meeting that I first visited the so
called "Land of great oppurtunities".We landed in
LA International airport on a snowy morning.The Black lady
at the immigration counter smiled courteously
and looked at my passport.

"Mr.Kuumaar"

"Yep"

"Ohhhh, Indian...!!!"

"Yep.."

"I love Sania Mirza"

"Me too,She is my best friend,of course shez lives next door", this is Balu.

"Reeeaaally!!!!!, I cant believe that.."

"Dont believe him,he is lying"-this is me.

"This is the mobile number"

Balu scribbled something on a paper..

"Sania's phone number??"

"No this is mine, gimme a call,I will tell her phone number"

I almost dragged him away from the counter.

Balu...he is my school-mate,my friend,can solve
The Hindu's toughest Su-do-ku in 5 or 6 mins,
can read Richard Feynman and Ayn Rand with equal ease,
and ofcourse he is an IIM-L grad,but the problem is ...
you would have known from the above conversation.

We directly went to Tanya's house in the evening after the meeting.
It was almost a year since I saw her in the wedding reception.
I know she will be expecting us.She welcomed us with her

usual charming smile. But her eyes spoke a different story.
The hot tea she served us was very refreshing
for the Los Angeles cold.

"So,Howz ur marriage life Tanya"

She smiled wryly.
No... Never ever I saw her smiling that way.

"Heey, what happened..?"

She just broke down.I didnt expect that.
It seems she just waited for this moment.
For the next fifteen minutes she told the miseries and
tribulations that she faced.She was not treated properly,
not given due respect,the respect that a women will expect
from a man.


Seems all the dreams she had dreamt for in her marriage life
had just become a dream for her.
Seems her husband is a kind of chauvinist.

But what made me really sad is when she told me
that there is no one around in US to share her sorrows.

I didnt say anything for a minute, just stared at the distant
Los Angeles river.I dont know how to console her.

Her husband just entered the house.

He just came and hugged her,smiled at us.
Never bothered to know whom we are, why are we here.
The hall is filled with alcoholic smell.He is almost trembling.

"Vodka...", this is Balu.

"hmmmm"

"Why dont you take alcohol in limits..",this is Tanya

He kind of got infuriated,exasperated.

"Who are you to advice me...Do you know my social status..
do you know how many Harvard MBAs reporting to me..?"

"Education should have taught you the manners and not..."

"shut-up you..."

"You should know to respect a women.."

He just slapped her.
She didnt utter a word.I cant believe my eyes.
I am helpless.Probably the most distressful,traumatic

moment in my life.We just left.

While we are returning back to India in the flight
I was pre-occupied with that incident.

"She should have slapped him..."-this is me.

"Forget it da.."

"How dare he talk that way,Social status and education should have
taught him to respect a women..if Harvard MBAs report to him...
does it allow him to behave like this.."

"leave it da"

Life has itz own twists and turns which we dont expect,
but I never expected that it will be too harsh.
I know life is unfair.Life is unfair to my friend.
She should bounce back...but will she?

Exactly two months later, I got a phone call from Tanya.
"Heey Senthil, I am going to start a consulting firm in India,
got a VC to back me,looking for some IIM grads....interested..?"

I know, she will...

(The End)

P.S.

In the story "I" not necessarily refers myself.
I feel at ease in writing in first person singular.

Monday, November 14, 2005

My best friends....Part I

Wedding.It was my best friends wedding reception.
We were welcomed with an instant(artificial?) smile
at the reception. The Italian tiles and the aesthetic art work
in the hall boasted the wealth of the groom.I can see my friend
Tanya attired in bridal costume accepting everyones wishes with
her usual smile.

Well,the groom is from United States of A(where else??).
He was stout, kind of gigantic in stature and had a slight bald
in his forehead.She in her traditional Tangail bengali saree
almost looked like an angel.

Tanya....Shez my Engineering collegemate.
One of the eccentric human being I have seen.
We have discussed almost everything during our college
days-from sex to divine-from Stephan Hawking's String theory to
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, the disease that crippled him to the
wheel chair-from complex Game theory algorithms to
Nicolo Machiavelli's political doctrines.

An enthusiastic odissi dancer whose hobbies include still photography and
taking classes for Primary school students(?!)...but the problem with her
is she doesnt believe in God, and even worse, she doesnt believe in Love!
(Hey, thatz an hormonal imbalance,therez nothing called as love!!)

The kind of analytical reasoning and the business acumen she possesed
made me think that she will one day lead a big business conglomerate.
Atleast she is nonpareil in our college.

But during our final year college tour...
On a full moon night...
While sauntering in the beaches of kanyakumari she told me that her
wish is to get married and to become a mother of a boy and a girl.
Seems motherhood is the eternal joy she wants in her life!
Girls are quite complex to understand.

My friend Balu entered the reception hall.
"Heey, whatz this, Red color shirt and red color pant?, looks odd...",this is myself.


"Didnt you see Asin's interview yesterday"

"wwwhat...??"

"Red is Asin's favourite color"

"Nee ellam thirunthavee maatiyadaa...?"

He switches his loyalties towards actress almost every fortnight.

Balu,"Is the groom from USA or UK"

"USA"

"Machhi, if every one is getting married to US guy, who will marry the
bachelors like me in India..."

"Summa irraa"

"Do you think the guy really deserve Tanya,avanum avan thalaiyum, Kiliya pudichii,...."

"Deey, summa irraaa"

We reached the dais....
I can see the happiness in Tanya's eyes on seeing me and Balu.

She introduced us to him.He seems to be not interested in these
formalities and spoke in an heavy californian accent.

"This is senthil..."

"Ohhhhh...Cooool maaan"- was his only reply.

I dont know whatz cool in my name.

Now a days I stopped going to reception hosted by the US grooms.
But I was happy that my friend got married as she wished and

settled comfortably in her life.

I didnt know that my happiness wont last long.
(To be continued..)

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Weekend trip photos -Belur and Halebidu


Belur and Halebidu,240 kms from Bangalore, the masterpiece of Hoysala rulers.
And the doors open, for the Nandhi...!









Weekend trip photos -On the way to...





Bekal Fort, Kerala,built by the Portugese. It is 50kms from Mangalore.




Weekend trip photos -Bekal Fort

Manisha Koirala,
Bombay movie,
Uyirea song...

Yep, you got it!








Weekend trip photos -Moodabidri

1000 pillar Jain temple in Moodabidri,
35kms north east of Mangalore.
It is called as "kashi of Jains".








Weekend trip photos -Kudremukh












Finally the photograper(?!) with his
Canon camera.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

My new bicycle experiences

The moment I told my friends that I am going to buy a bicycle,
the first question they asked me is, "Senthil, Are you okaay?"
But I bought the cycle inspite of the apprehensions my friends had.

Seems cycle riders are considered to be of lesser mortals!
On the busy Bommenahalli-Hosur road,people never heed the
cycle's bell sound,neither they do heed the two-wheelers horn
is a different issue!.(My friend really made a fun out of me when
I told that no one pays attention to the cycle bell sound).

What really irked me is the way, the guy on a Hero-Honda Karizma
looked at my cycle when I parked near his vehicle in the signal.
I still cant digest that, "ohhww... cycleee!" kind of stare that he has given.

But the worst thing is that I was not allowed to park in my office
basement.I had a bitter quarrel with the security person.

"Saar, stop, stop"- this is security person,the same guy who always
lets me in when I go in my bike.

"why?"- this is myself.

"Saar, are you an employee?"

I showed my access card.

"cycles cant be parked inside the basement"

"But even it is a two-wheeler,It is a new Atlas cycle that I bought..."

"No saar,not allowed"

He is not convinced with my answer and he made me to wait.
He then spoke to his boss and they discussed something

seriously(??) for 2 minutes and I was allowed to park in
some far corner of the basement.Thanks!.
I should have taken my friends advice to go in my Pulsar itself.

I still remember the sweet pleasant day when I rode my new bicycle
that my father bought for me during my 6th std and the fuss
I created for getting it. I didnt had good sleep the previous night,
I was dreaming about the cycle and the ways to brag about it
to my friends. And I remember the jealousy looks by my
school- mates when I rode it the first day.

Seems first love and first cycle ride are unforgettable sweet memories.
I dont think I will be getting the same happiness even if I buy a Merc Benz.

Monday, June 20, 2005

Film Review-Anniyan

Starring : Vikram, Sada, Prakash raj,Vivek.
Direction :Shankar.
Artists :Harris Jeyaraj, Sujatha, Sabu cyril.

Enough of all the Multiple Personality Disorder
debates. If we can google and find what is
Chaos theory,then... Got it? Fine.
That is the knot of Anniyan movie.

A small negligence by a human being may lead to

a catastrophic end.A four-wheeler who violates
the overtaking rules and blocking the
ambulance(No,I am not referring the Bangalore
traffic!) is virtually killing the person inside it.
A small mistake..but a deadly end!

You need guts to build a story on that theme.
Shankar has that.

Director Shankar sacrificed the first 30 minutes

of the films pace just to explain this theme.
The Hero of the movie Ambi(Vikram) is a martinet
who hate disorders. He just wants to see an
utopian world in place,but gets traumatised by the
chaos,negligence by each and everyone, which
makes him to acquire a MPD who is nothing
but Anniyan. He ruthlessly kills the people
who
violates the rules.

And another MPD is Remo, a modern macho with

a "US return" kind of accent and this MPD happens
just to make Nandhini(sada) fall in love who
dislikes Ambi.Ohhh...Interesting!

Vikram.Well, the ability to distinguish the facial

changes and body language of two contrasting
c
haracters(Ambi and Anniyan) with an
elan in a split second(during Prakash raj

Interrogation) speaks he is at par with our own
yardstick for acting-Kamal Hassan.

Sada...Yes,I switched my loyalty to sada now.
The "Iyangaaru girl" role suits her.She is beautiful.
Prakash raj is good,as usual.Sujatha's dialogues are
as sharp as a razor edge.

Stunt scenes are stupefying, that too the fight

with karate students(Is it karate?) fills us with
a sense of astonishment. It resembles me of
Jackie chan movies.By the way who is that
stunt master Peter Hayen?
Is he new to kollywood.

Harris Jeyaraj is at his best.My colleagues

started commenting that even I recognize raga.
Yep,Iyangaaru veeta Azaghe is dulcet in
Naatai raga(remember Chennai Senthamil...song).
The picturisation of all the songs are feast to

our eyes.

Seems Shankar bounced back with a
vengenance
after Boys. A strong message to the society,
with a very talented and commited actor on his
side and accompanied by veterans in the
respective field,Sabu cyril for art direction and
Sujatha for
dialogues,he almost did it again.

Some of my friends keep telling that the
movie
would have been good,had the first half
been a bit fast..

I dont believe in "First half is slow, second
half is
good" kind of comments. The movie is good.

Cheers,
Sen

Friday, April 22, 2005

No, It is not a movie review

The only thing that is constant in this world is change.This seems to hold good w.r.t me and to my 2nd std studying cousin.We are the only two in our family who keep changing our allegiance to actresses.Once we were great fans of Manisha,then we switched our loyalty to Aishwarya Rai,then to Simran,Jyothika,Trisha,Asin. Ofcourse quite a rapid transition,but until last week,we were devoted fans of Nayanthara.

My sister keeps telling that we keep switching loyalties.

Alaas, she didn't know that the only thing that is constant
in this world is change!

Whenever I go to my native Dharmapuri,I see a mentally challenged person roaming in the streets near the bus stand.Ofcourse he gets food, which were given by the near by shop owners and the passers by,but the quality of life he lives is pathetic.I have seen him many days sleeping on the stairs of the shops even if it is raining,with almost no clothes.He becomes furious and uncontrollable when some miscreants or some school going children throws stone at him....Miserable.

My friend Balu and myself went to a saloon shop.This person is usually seen in that street.We were told that his name is kannapan.Seems the barber in the saloon knows kannapan and he also gives him food.

"why dont kannapan be taken to an asylum or some ashramam, probabaly he may have better quality of life",Balu told the barber.

"Better quality of life?"-barber

"we will arrange for that.And therez an ashram in bangalore,
which takes care of ..."

"Thambhi, he somehow(?) gets the food daily and he sleeps in the stairs of the shops,then what else he need"

We were startled by his stoic reply.

Then we went and spoke to a "relative" of kannappan.

"what do you mean by better quality of life?", kannapan's relative.

"No,If admitted to an asylum, atleast he can have good place to sleep and there are chances of recuperating", this is Balu

"He gets the food daily.then what else he need.
Is there a problem for both of you, if he is here",

"No, but.."

Then the door was closed.

I am unable to convince Balu, since he took great pains to get a police certificate, certificating kannapan as a destitute, a requirement the ashram people asked.

Even when we were boarding the bus to Bangalore that evening,he was pre-occupied with that incident.

I tried convincing him,"Machi, come on da, anyhow he gets the food for his living".

The answer which, even, I am not convinced with.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Film Review--Chandramuki

Starring : Superstar Rajinikanth, Jyothika, Nayanthara,Prabhu,Vadivel.

Mad applause erupted,hell broke loose,in a
Bangalore Multiplex, filled to brim with so
called decent,urbane,genteel people.
It all happened when Superstar entered the scene
in his latest movie Chandramuki. It speaks
the craze,the charm,the charisma,the Superstar enjoys.

Rajini is a psychiatrist, a role, which an ordinary
fan wouldn't have expected. The story is how
Rajini cures his friend Prabhu's wife Jyothika
who is having Multiple Personality Disorder.

Quite an eccentric story for Superstar's caliber
and his "larger-than-life" kind of image he has.
But Director Vasu handled the story in such a
way that Superstar's fans dont get disappointed
even though the storyline runs in the mainstream.

Vadivel is fast getting moulded to a persona
whose dominance in Tamil film industry is
inevitable.His own Madurai-slang and the way
he reacts to the witty circumstances is hilarious.

Nayanthara is beautiful,but Jyothika is the one
who steals the show for her exquisite acting.
I always argue that shez not only charming
but also a good actress, happy to know that
it has been proved again.

A Telugu song in a Tamil movie....thatz interesting!
Ra ra (telugu)song is quintessential of
Shuddha dhanyasi raga.
I think it is almost perfectly sandwiched on the raga.

My friend asked, is Chandramuki a remake of
Mani chithirataal or a remake of Aaptha mitra?.
Well, I retorted saying, it is Superstar's movie.

My friend keeps telling, one of the beautiful things
in life is watching a Rajinikanth's movie.Yes it is.
So...

Cheers,
Sen

Film Review--Black

Hi,
It is my first review(?!) on a movie...
Hope you like this.


I usually argue with my hindi speaking friends that bollywood doesnt dare to take soft,elegant,non-skin revealing movies but I have been proved wrong for the second time!.
Yes, Black is of that kind.

Developing a script with a storyline of a blind and deaf girl(Rani Mukerjee)
needs extra-ordinary brilliance and story writing skills.Director Bhansali portrays himself as a story writer too.

Well, A.Bachan is the teacher of the violent,rude girl who is blind and deaf by birth who doesnt even know the gentle way of having food.He steps in her blind,mystic world, struggles a lot,to unravel her talents and he makes her to graduate from the college.Alas, but he is bed ridden with Alzheimers when she attires her Graduation suite.


The pondicheery girl who acted in Rani Mukerjee's childhood character will get her fifteen minutes of fame she deserves.

Rani Mukerjee would have been very happy for doing this character and her acting speaks a lot,if not the character itself!

I dont think it it necessary to comment on Amitabh's acting ....as bollywood people say, he is a superstar.

Cameraman Santhosh Shivan is the real hero.He seems to have mastered the art of creating magic with his camera and to mesmerise the audience with all those contrasting panoramic, picturesque scenes that blossoms in the 70mm screen in front of us.There are two kinds of technicians, Intellectuals and Magicians.Santhosh Shivan is a magician in his own field.

Just spend 3 hours, if you hadnt seen it ....


Cheers,
Sen
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