Romance is in the Air! - Part 2

Hasn’t she kept her word? Has she not turned up? Is she keeping you waiting? Here’s what would best express the pathos of the lover’s wait for his beloved…

Manjalayil mungi…
Manjalayil mungi thorthi
Dhanumaasa chandrika vannu
Ninne maathram kandillallo
Nee maathram vannillallo
Premachakoree… chakoree… chakoree…
(Manjalayil)
Karnnikaaram poothu thalirthu
Kalpanakal thaalameduthu
Kanmaniye kandillallo
Ente sakhi vannillallo
Kandavarundo… undo… undo…
(Manjalayil)
Kadha muzhuvan theerum munpe
Yavanika veezhum munpe
Kavilathu kanneerode
Kadhanathin kanneerode
Kadannuvallo aval nadannuvallo…

Neeraduvan…

Neeraaduvan, nilayil neeraaduvaan
Neeyenthe vaiki vannu pooonthingale
(Neeraaduvaan)
Eeranaam vennilaavin, poompudava azhinju
Ee nadhi than pulinangal chandanakkuliraninju…
Poompudava thumbile kasaveduthu
Pookaitha kanyakamaar mudilyil vachu…
(Neeraaduvaan)
Aattuvanchi pookkalum kaattilaadi ulanju
Aadimaali manalthattum aathira poovaninju…
Aalinte kombathe gandharvano
Aareyo manthramothi unarthidunnu…
(Neeraaduvaan)

Next is my favourite genre… the ‘naughty’ songs! These light-hearted songs have subtle lyrics that reveal a lot more than they apparently say. Some of them have highly suggestive lyrics, and a second reading should get you thinking! Now this is called ‘reading between the lines’. Check it out!

Thanka bhasma…

Thanka bhasma kuriyitta thampuraatti ninte
Thinkalaazhcha noyambinnu mudakkum njan
Thiruvillwamalayil, nedhichu kondu varum
Ilaneer kudaminnudakkum njaan
(Thanka)
Vadakkini thadathil poojayeduppinu
Veluppaan kaalathu kandappol
Murappenne ninte poom kavilingal njan
Harishri ezhuthiyathormayille
Premathin, harishri ezhuthiyathormayille
(Thanka)
Thumba pookkalathil thiruvonathinu
Thumbi thullaanirunnappol
Pookkila kathirukalkkidayiloode enne nee
Nokki kothippichathormmayille
Oli kannaal, nokki kothipichathormmayille
(Thanka)
Kalappura thalathil meda pulariyil
Kani kandu kannu thurannappol
Vilakku keduthi nee aadhyamaay nalkiya
Vishu kai neettangal ormayille
Premathin, vishu kai neettangal ormayille
(Thanka)

Laksharchana kandu…

Laksharchana kandu madangumbol oru
Lajjayil mungiya mugham kandu
Mallikaarjuna kshetrathil vachaval
Malleeshwarante poovambu kondu
(Laksharchana)
Mughakuru mulakkunna kavilile kasthuri
Naghakshatham kondu njan kavarneduthu
Adharam kondadharathil amruthu nivedikkum
Asula nirvrithi arinju njaan… arinju njaan…
(Laksharchana)
Asthikalkullilorunmadha vismrithi than
Ajnjatha sowrabham padarnnu keri
Adhu vare ariyatha praanaharshangalil
Avalude tharunyamalinjirangi… alinjirangi…
(Laksharchana)

(Look how the poet converts an innocuous visit to the temple into an amorous meet! And you’d think a temple visit was just that!)

Has she left you? Here are the classic songs for those who have loved and lost!

Sanyasini…

Sanyasini nin punyashramathil njan
Sandhya pushpavumay vannu…
Aarum thurakkatha poomukhavaathilil
Anyanae pole njan ninnu…
( Sanyasini)
Ninte dukhaardramam mookaashrudharayil
Ente swapnangal alinju sagadhgadham
Ente mohangal marichu…
Ninte manassinte theekkakannil
Veenente ee pookkal karinju
Raatri pakalinodenna pole,
Yaatra chodipppoo njaan…
( Sanyasini)
Ninte ekaanthamaam ormathan veedhiyil
Enne ennengilum kaanum
Orikkal nee ente kaalpaadukal thedum
Annumennathmaavu ninnodu manthrikkum
Ninne njan snehichirunnu….
Raatri pakalinodenna pole,
Yaatra chodipppoo njaan…
( Sanyasini)



Sumangali…

Sumangali, nee ormikkumo
Swapnathilenkilum ee gaanam
Oru galgadhamaay manassilaliyum
Oru prema kadhayile dhukka gaanam
(Sumangali)
Pirinjupokum ninakiniyee kadha
Marakkuvaane kazhiyu
Niranja maarile aadhya nakha kshatham
Maraykkuvaane kazhiyu
Koonthalaal maraykkuvaane kazhiyu
(Sumangali)
Kozhinja peelikal perukkiyedukkum
Koodu koottum hrudhayam
Virinja poovinum veenapoovinum
Virunnorukkum hrudhayam eppozhum
Virunnorukkum hrudhayam
(Sumangali)

Mangalam nerunnu…

Mangalam nerunnu njan manaswini
Mangalam nerunnu njan
Alinju chernathin sheshamen jeevanil
Pirinju poyi nee enkilum, ennum
(Mangalam)
Evideyaanenkilum ninte sankalpangal
Ezhu varnangalum vidarthatte
Ennumaa jeevitha pon maniveenayil
Sundara swaradhaara unaratte
Unaratte…
(Mangalam)
Nirayumee dhukhathin chudu neduveerppukal
Nin munnil thennalaay ozhukatte
Aa punya dhaambathya varna vallariyil
Aananda mukulangal janikkatte
Janikkatte…
(Mangalam)

Listen to these three songs, and even the most cheerful of you will plunge into sorrow! Such is the mood evoked by these gut-wrenching songs.

Romance is in the Air! - Part 1

(Disclaimer: This is a tri-partite series. It's long. Really long.)

It could be the monsoons, my vacant (and idle) mind; or it is the season of love! And no, I have not fallen in love (if that’s what you were going to insinuate!)

As I was on my way to work (???) today, old Malayalam songs came flooding to my mind. And my mind can be like the neighbour’s pesky radio! It keeps on playing tracks in my head and I just cannot wish it away. But that got me thinking on a lot of things. Most importantly… Lyrics! Songs like those are no more written. It is sheer poetry; a delight to the mind. Every time I listen to old songs, I feel invigorated by the lyrics… I am amazed how the erstwhile lyricists could bring in so much richness; be it the imagery or the comparisons they draw. And for me it’s akin to sacrilege if people do not care about lyrics while singing songs. I am not here to brag, but I remember lyrics of a whole lot of songs (Hindi, Malayalam, old or new); and people ask how is it possible to memorize it. If you can appreciate the thought behind the lyrics, it’s a cakewalk for any, is what I’d like to say!

Undoubtedly, romantic songs are the most challenging and creative of the lot. I am a great admirer of lyricists like P Bhaskaran, Vayalar, O N V Kurup, etc. Any Malayali alive has heard, felt and imbibed the charm of the old Malayalam songs. And since we are talking of Romance, here’s a few from my list of favourite Malayalam Romantic songs. As you will see, there are songs for every occasion.

Lost in love? Want to tell your lady love how you feel? Want to praise her beauty? No fear, the best songs are here!

Aareyum…


Aareyum bhaava gaayakan aakkum aathma soundaryamaanu nee
Namra sheersharaay nilpoo nin munnil, thamra nakshatra kanyakal…
(Aareyum bhava)
Kinnara mani thamburu meetti, ninne vaazhthunnu vaanavum
Mannile kilippaithalum, mulam thandil moolunna thennalum
Innithaa nin prakeerthanam; ee prapancha hridaya veenayil
Aaaaaa… (Aareyum bhava)
Ninte naavile mounamaakumee ponmanicheppinullilaaay
Moodi vacha nighooda bhaavangal, pookkalaay shalabhangalaay
Innithaaa nrithalolayaay; ee prapancha nadana vedhiyil
Aaaaa… (Aareyum bhava)

Vathil Pazhuthilude…

Vaathil pazhuthiluden munnil kunkumam
Vaari vitharum thri-sandhya poke
Athilolamen idanazhiyil nin kala madhuramam kalocha kettu
Madhuramam kalocha kettu…


Hridhayathin thanthriyil aaro viralthodum
Mridulamam nishvanam pole
Illakallil jalakanam ittu veezhum pole
Uyiril amrutham thalicha pole
Tharala vilolam nin kalocha kettu njan
Ariyathe koritharichu poyi…
(Vaathil Pazhuthiluden)
Himabhindhu mukhapadam charthiya poovine
Madhukaram nugarathe uzharum pole
Ariya nin kalocha cholliya manthrathin
Porulariyathe njan ninnu
Nizhalukal kalamezhuthunoren munnil
Mattoru sandhyayai nee vannu…
(Vaathil Pazhuthiluden)

Both these songs are sheer poetic geniuses! If you read every word of these songs, it goes beyond saying that it’s breathtaking.

Wish your lady love was near you? The evergreen favourite of separated lovers, engaged couples, or silent admirers!

Arikil…

Arikil neeyundaayirunnenkil…
Arikil neeyundaayirunnenkil ennu njaan
Oru maathra veruthe ninachu poyi,
Oru maathra veruthe ninachu poyi…
(Arikil)
Raathri mazha peythu thornna neram
Kulur kaatililacharthulanja neram
Ittitu veezhum neer thulli than sangeetham
Hruthanthikalil padarna neram
Kaatharayaayoru pakshiyen jaalaka
Vaathilin chaare chilacha neram,
Vaathilin chaare chilacha neram…
Oru maathra veruthe ninachu poyi…
(Arikil)
Muttathu njan natta chembaka thaiyyile
Aadhyathe mottu virinja naalil
Snigdhamaam aarudeyo mudi chaarthilen
Mugdha sankalpam thalodi nilkke
Etho puraathana prema kadhayile
Geethikal ennil chirakadikke
Geethikal ennil chirakadikke,
Oru maathra veruthe ninachu poyi…
(Arikil)

Doesn’t that song always make you sigh? *Sigh*

Little Things

Yesterday, I was dicing lady's finger...(ladies finger? lady's fingers? ladies fingers?... How is it spelt?....I digress! Back to the story!) ...for dinner. That's when I had a blast from the past. I was transported to my nursery art classes. I think my first ever tryst with this vegetable (raw, I mean) was in the art class. My teacher handed out a chopped stub of this vegetable, prompted us to dip it into water colour and make imprints on paper. Then you follow it up with fanciful brushes of green (for the stem and leaves), and what you got were flowers! I was so thrilled back then. A cross-section of a vegetable put to great creative use.

And as my mind ploughed through the goldmine of childhood memories, I was reminded of yet another art class resource... pencil shavings! It reminded me of how carefully I would sharpen colour pencils to get neat shavings, which I would then carefully paste on paper to form flowers. And when it became a beautiful bunch of flowers on paper, I had felt proud! I made it!

And then I thought...

Where is that innocence? When all you needed were pencil shavings-turned-into-flowers to make you happy?

Where is that curiosity? To see things beyond what they appear, and turn it into a work of art?

Where is that sense of accomplishment? When all you had to do was dip a vegetable into colour and make a masterpiece?

I think that's called growing up.

It's ironic. When you are small, you wonder when you will grow up. My cousins and I, we used to play games where we pretend to be running a house and cooking; with toy dining set, dolls, mud, gravel, leaves... anything! (yes, we used anything we got in our hands!). We used to team up as little families and do the 'neighbourhood' game. Nothing exotic about it; we'd just pretend to be small families living in a neighbourhood and live through a make-believe world. We girls would try to make sarees out of any scrap of cloth longer than 1 metre, pretend we are adults and charade in the ancestral home (when we met up for vacations). Good times those!

And now that I am a grown up, I wish to be a child. Things were way uncomplicated back then. Are they now? Or they seem to be? I don't know.

When life grows on you, it's hard at times, to be delighted by the little things of life. I am not saying that the next time you look at a Bhindi (this solves the problem of me getting *lady's finger* wrong!) and say, "Wow! This vegetable looks like a finger!" But well, you get the drift.

 

I am talking of the ability to be amazed by the little things in life. I am trying to rediscover mine.

 

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Thought for the day: "Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why?"

Sex and the Internet

One day, my friend was at the receiving end of this message on Skype, from an unknown 'person':

"There are thousands of unhappy married women and men in every city, but they DO NOT want to leave their spouse. They want to stay married, but they want to have an affair without ever being caught. Our dating community is extremely popular!

Having an affair can be stressful because you never know if the other person involved is going to get attached to you. You just want to have an intimate encounter and nothing else.

A great thing about this Discreet Dating Community For Married People is that there is no cost to join. You can check it out, see if you like it, and then begin contacting married people for secret intimate encounters.

Press here if you want to have an affair with a married person:

www.xyz.com "

Now, what are your first thoughts on reading this? I had many; and that is exactly why this blog!

First of all, I can't help notice how they are trying to empathize with the reader. It's a very innocuous message which says that you are a very dedicated, loving spouse; but don't you want to have some 'harmless' fun? (read: one night stand) They egg you on to try out their "dating site" where you can have 'intimate encounters' (or, in short, sex). Notice how euphemistically they put the whole thing so that it doesn't sound sleazy. They are actually trying to offer you a 'guilt-free' ride and justifying it for you, just as your mind would! It actually manages to sound like a sophisticated dating site. But it's not. 

Out of curiosity (and no other compulsion!) I tried the link. (By the way, it's not actually xyz.com. I intentionally didn't put up that link over here.)

And voila! A whole new site loads, which doesn't bear the name given in the link! How clever. 

The site's actual name is a really sleazy one. "Sex personals and beyond" - reads the tagline of the site. And there were scores of profiles (of both women and men) with no names (remember, they are cheating!). I didn't want to overstay my welcome there, and hence closed it soon enough. All I noticed where the labels "man" or "woman" written for profiles, some with pics (more or less slutty ones, at that!), with details like age, location etc.

It's disgusting and revolting. There were and are many such sites on the internet, but why should this make any difference, you ask. Well, the whole modus operandi is very clever, but wicked too. For instance, their call to 'married' people. Is there any guarantee that only married people will register or use this service? For all you know, this is just a pretext to target people who wouldn't otherwise click on any such sites, by making it 'sound' decent. Further, they are trying to lure married people into committing adultery 'without being caught'! Like this was the answer to 'unhappy marriages'! As it is, infidelity needs no reason; and such sites market excuses to have flings!

And the fact is, it's not dating or an affair... just plain sex! And all the yarn they spin: "Having an affair can be stressful because you never know if the other person involved is going to get attached to you. You just want to have an intimate encounter and nothing else...." My foot!

More than anything, I am amazed at the genius who put Skype to use. As is well known, Skype is growing in popularity, with it's Skype-to-Skype free call facilities. Although Gtalk and Yahoo have started offering call facilities, Skype dominates in this segment. What's the worst thing about Skype is, you can send messages to people without adding them. So, segmenting and targeting online couldn't get easier! If I want to target it at say, youth of the male gender, in so and so country, all I have to do is run a search in their search facility and millions of profiles pop up. I press the send button and it's done! Sure, the recipients might block me; but all it takes is to make another fake profile. My friends also report having got other 'neat' ads, like investment services, etc. So it's a marketing medium in the making.

This again raises the eternal debate of privacy over the internet. You are never hidden from a roving eye, and there are many waiting to put you in jeopardy. So how safe is Skype? Or any online site/chat messenger/or mail facility?

Technology, like anything in this world, can be put to uses, both good and bad. Look at it from one perspective, it seems like a marketing breakthrough. Look at it ethically, and it is not in the one bit amusing. 

It's very evident, isn't it. Even sex sells on the internet!

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Thought for the day: "Promiscuity is like never reading past the first page. Monogamy is like reading the same book over and over."

Last Class

I have rushed straight out of my last class. And I am a bunch of emotions bursting at its seams. I just can't describe what is going through my heart and head. I am overwhelmed... I could cry !

After all, since I was three, I have been sitting within four walls and been at the receiving end of knowledge bombarded from all quarters; most passing through my head, some passing through my brains.It's been like home for the past 21 years. Nested safely in the cocoon of a classroom, nature is now telling me, it's time to break out and fly. I am not quite ready!

Most people I know of would be celebrating their last day of education. I am not sure if I echo those sentiments. Sure, there have been boring lectures; and even more boring Professors. But with me, things have been a bit different. I never liked sitting in the back benches/rows, I paid attention in class and sleep has been rare (though I did master the art once I joined for MBA!). Of course, I have had my share of day dreaming and switching off in class. But I have been fairly alert and awake in class (except for some horrible Professors, because of whom I took to reading magazines). So mine is not the world of eating snacks, throwing paper balls, passing chits, doodling or scribbling in notebooks, sending SMS or dozing off, in the strictest sense. I don't know if that is supposed to be 'fun'. But it suits me fine (yeah, now tell me that I am weird!).

As I look back, it's been quite a journey. But what lies ahead is even more daunting, in some ways. I can't believe I will start working and earning. It's no more exams, studies and assignments. It will be responsibilities and accountability. It seems to be a fear of the uncertain and unknown. 

And in my case, destiny seems to be taking it's course. I did my graduation in Agriculture, did my MBA and now I am going to work for Infosys. That doesn't make sense to me either! But I have realised that things just happen sometimes and you go with the flow. I don't know what more is in store for me. Just hoping that things work out right. I will miss my life in my school and colleges. My world was once the hallowed portals of these institutions. I have learnt as much or more outside its classrooms, as much inside it. It's hard to say if I will or will not pursue higher studies. But it's goodbye to classrooms for now. 

I know that a much bigger class and lessons await me outside.

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Thought for the day: "The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows."  

~Sydney J. Harris

What's in a Word?

Gone are the days when people knew how to write complete, wholesome, punctuated sentences. They are just gone! Bam! Shakespeare will have to do more than squirm in his grave to overcome the anguish at seeing where Queen's English is going.

Before I start off with dishing out a piece of my mind here, let me make it clear that I am not taking the moral high ground here and decrying the lack of concern people have for the language. But well, I am quite a stickler for spellings, grammar and pronunciation (people who have been at the receiving end of boring lectures from me can testify!). And I write this purely out of personal concern. But if I do seem to go overboard with my accusations, blame it on my love for the language!

Saying that SMS revolutionized the world would be an understatement. Ask the English teachers, professors or lecturers. "U rite like dis in exam, u’ll get 0" screamed the headline of an article in the newspaper. Unable to decipher the answer scripts, Bangalore University (BU) authorities have decided to ban Textese or SMS lingo in exams! It is touted to be the first university to ban such language. As one Professor succinctly put it, “Students write ppt for both precipitation as well as power point presentation; est for estimate, estate and establishment. Now, how can teachers understand what the student intends to say?” 

The most quoted example of textese is the "essay" written by a 13-year old Scottish girl! Figure this out:

“My smmr hols wr CWOT. B4, we used 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr 3 kids FTF. ILNY, it’s a gr8 plc.”

What it means is: "My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend and their three screaming kids face to face. I love New York. It’s a great place.” 

So why has it become such a hit? 

The internet, for starters. Instant messaging (or IMs, as we know it) became a rage. People were introduced to the world of 'chatting'. My first taste of chat starts with my cousin introducing to me a chat messenger called ICQ (itself an acronym for I Seek You... get it?). Soon enough, typing complete words (or sentences) itself became passé. In the desire to communicate faster, and more "effectively" (ahem), people started kicking out letters, or shortening the words. A whole new code arose on the internet. Chat afficionados would probably get what "lol" or "lmao" means! 

But the real inducer was the arrival of the SMS. When mobile phones were introduced, a call was costlier than an SMS. This automatically  led to the flow of creative juices in people, who had to cost-effectively communicate to others within 160 characters! 

So what do you have? The birth of a whole new kind of language. One which might be intimidating or intriguing at first. But then, it's easy to get hooked. People who don't have the patience to type, or the money to waste joined the bandwagon. Today is, what I call, the world of Digital Shorthand.

And I must grant it; the creativity involved in Digital Shorthand is just phenomenal. Let me give you a sample of how creative it gets:

• Vowel-less English - What's common in 'ppl', 'txt', 'msg', 'brkfst' and 'plc'? The vowels are missing. It's amazing to see that words can still make sense when vowels are removed. And so, people have quickly adopted this kind of English. Any word can be trimmed of its flab by removing the vowels. 

• Alphanumeric Code - 'gr8', 'w8', '2nite', '2mrw', 'l8r', 'b4','db8'..... well, you get the drift. Condensing words couldn't get better.

• Puncturing Punctuations - 'Wasnt', 'doesnt', 'isnt', 'its'.....What's more, there are no more commas, full stops or capital letters after a full stop, in this language. I'd say that punctuations have become redundant in textese. Or rather, they have found newfound usage. Understand these?

                                           :-)     ;-)     :|    :D   :@   :B    :*    :S    

• Acronyms - This one takes the cake. Whole sentences have been compressed into crisp 3- or 4-letter words (not of the other kind), which can even express sentiments you can't show through SMS or chat. Take for instance 'lol' (laugh out loud), 'lmao' (laughing my ass off), 'g2g' (got to go), 'ttyl' (talk to you later), 'kit' (keep in touch) or 'tc' (take care). Then there's the dangerous 'sos'. You would think it's a harmless 'save our souls'; but it stands for 'someone over shoulder', which kids and teenagers conveniently use to warn their chat partner if their parent or family member is lurching near their PC!

• Speaking phonetically - Many people spell words by how it sounds. For instance, 'gud nite', 'bcoz', 'shud' etc. The ultimate of phonetic spellings is when single letters symbolise words in themselves; like 't' (tea), 'q' (queue), 'b' (be/bee), 'y' (why), 'u' (you), 'r' (are), 'c' (see), 'v' (we)... And then we have 'd' (for 'the') !

But the craziest version of this is when people spell "movie" as "muvee", or "was" as "wuz".

Oh c'mon! It has the same number of letters. What are you showing? That you are from another planet?

• Merge and Spell - This is not entirely out of the SMS/chat world. But words like 'gonna' (going to), 'wanna' (want to) and many more have evolved.

• Misspelling - This one doesn't make much sense. But it's still prevalent. What difference does it make if you spell 'cool' as 'kool', or 'uncle' as 'unkle'? You have just managed to forget what it was really like ! Sheesh! Or should we be blaming Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar for the 'K' syndrome?!

• The only excess use of characters in this lingo is for emphasis! For instance, when I say, "yyeeesssssss!!!!!!!!!"...... you get how emphatic I am !

Great creativity, but makes lesser sense. Before you laugh off my concern as pointless, it's maybe time to see what impact it has on people. At least you and I know how to actually spell words. There is a whole new generation learning to spell in SMS lingo, even before they learn to spell words correctly. What's worse, the reading habit is on the decline. Add both, and what you have is disaster looming large.

A study in UK indicates that teenagers are becoming unemployable because they have a vocabulary of just 800 words; whereas they should have developed a broad vocabulary of 40,000 words by the time they reach 16 ! The top 20 words used by teenagers, including 'yeah', 'no' and 'but', account for about a third of all words used. No laughing matter, this.

There is no harm in using this language, as long as you know that is not the right one always. Language does evolve to suit the speakers, and textese is an indication of the changing times we are in. And it's better to use this cryptic form in SMS or chat. Who has the patience or time to type punctuations and correct spellings?

But sadly, it is  increasingly manifesting in exams, speeches and job interviews. As it is, people cannot make out the difference between "to" and "too", "where" and "were", " its" and "it's".

The spillover of textese into normal and formal communication is where the problem lies. Formal communication will never be replaced with textese. Increasingly, we are becoming the  Auto-spell check generation. It's amusing to see how casually people rely on Microsoft Word to correct spelling, grammar and punctuation! 

Education systems worldwide are recognizing this trend. Many colleges and universities discourage using objective questions or multiple-answer questions. As the student does not have to write long answers, the use of written language is restricted. Encouraging reading is another option on the rise. The digital age has killed reading; or so, many claim. All I can hope is that this age does something to encourage it; e-readers like Kindle, etc. have hit the market. The impact remains to be seen. There are many in the West, who advocate cutting TV/Browsing time for the youth, so that conversations at home take place, encouraging people to communicate more and use English language as it is.

Let's face it; reading SMS lingo all the time can be really boring. Imagine text books, articles, and newspapers in textese. Sure, it will save reams of paper (what with words so condensed), but it's such a pain! So all I hope is that the English language survives the torment of technology. Let's give Shakespeare something to cheer about!

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Thought for the day: "Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands and goes to work. " ~Carl Sandburg, New York Times

All Izz Well?

No prizes for guessing what this is about. Nothing but the talk of the town (for reasons good, bad and ugly!) - Three Idiots!

Here's a movie which hit theatres on a Christmas day, and all hell broke loose! It was amazing to see the kind of rave reviews it got within a day of its release. People updating their status on Facebook and Orkut; tweets galore on how great and a 'must-watch' the movie is. 'Word of mouth' endorsement never had it this good. And with all the hype, rises expectations. So did mine. And that's where it fails.

I am not saying that 3 Idiots is bad; but it's 'not bad'. And as Raja Sen of Rediff.com rightly said about the movie, "when did 'not bad' become good"? I think it had to do with the low expectations from Bollywood movies. And so, it's not a case of the movie being great; people didn't have 'great expectations' to start with.

Now, to briefly put what is good about the movie. The movie does have its moments: the "balatkar - chamatkar" fiasco, ragging methods (which is known to many people, by the way), the Joy Lobo and his chopper incident (followed by his suicide), the 50s 'black and white' melodrama of Raju Rastogi's family and so on.

But, the problem with the movie is that it tries to marry madness to matter.

It tries not to be didactic about the Indian education system, which converts students into 'memorizing machines' and pressurizes students to learn by rote. To an extent the movie succeeds; but in parts. For instance, when Joy Lobo quits on life; or when Rancho teaches 'Virus' how to teach through inventing words such as 'Prerajulization' and 'Farhanitrate'. The movie caricatures the typical student through Chatur, who's an excellent example of conventional learning, where matter goes through his head, but not through his brains. His balatkar speech was just a hyperbole to drive home the fact. The makers also stick to the tried-and-tested formula of having a mantra (much like Jadoo ki Jhappi) in this film too: All Izz Well, which is a rage already.

At the same time, the movie strays to become a breezy entertainer, and thus a lot of comic elements and Bollywood-esque melodrama is thrown in for good measure!

Take for instance the caricature that 'Virus' is. It is quite alright to make him a typical khadoos principal. But the 7.5-minute power nap, the shaving that happens in between and his mannerisms are too much of an exagerration. Deforming that character to such unwarranted proportions made him a joke, more than anything.

The movie heavily relies on the email forwards or mobile jokes (case in point: the astronaut pen and the mix up of answer scripts). So much so that it left those who know them bored. It was even more unbelievable to see that some impostor could go through college masquerading as someone else, only to be conveniently dislodged once the degree certificate is attained! Another scene which is quite astonishing is how Raju is revived from his coma - by promising him to marry his sister off to Farhan for FREE! Not to forget the melodrama in the scene where Farhan appeals to his dad; and also Raju's job interview. It's amazing to realize that hamming is still a part and parcel of Hindi movies.

And the one that takes the cake is the delivery of the child by a Vacuum Cleaner (version 2.0)! The makers of the movie like to call that scene "the most emotional moment of the film". Sure, it did take my breath away. Not because of the delivery, but because it left me gasping in disbelief! And what's more; the child kicks back to life when they chant the mantra: "All Izz Well"! I had thought such fine aspects of movie-making was done and over with. But, well... the Hindi movies never fail to surprise me.

In short, the movie is a glimpse of not what it is, but what it could be. There was a lot of potential in developing an honest film - just as the Munnabhai series. But, the Bollywood masala was a tad too much and it spoiled the dish!

Going beyond the movie

The movie tried to send a message, and it has been totally lost in transit. The movie urges its viewers to have a re-look at the education system and how learning takes place. The fact is, all who I know came back from the movie saying that it was 'fun', a 'cool concept', 'must-watch' and so on. It remains just that - an entertainer.

Blaming the system alone is not fair. After a point of time, students are happily using the pretext of the system and justifying why they are not applying themselves while studying. I, for instance, can see that happening even in my own B-school. At post-graduation level, no one essentially tests your 'by-hearting' skills. We get to do case studies, situational analysis, learn frameworks and so on. But ultimately, my experience tells me that marks is all what matters to people, at large. I have seen people haggling for a mark or half, cheating, fighting, fretting and so on. People are quick to say it was 'out of syllabus' or 'it was not taught to us'. And it never ceases to amaze me how people can't shake off that mentality; even at the post-graduation level. Even when we are all educated and mature enough to know that the grades on your sheet is no indicator of your success in life: be it placements, professional or personal life.

Until the change happens from both the sides, learning will happen as it has happened always. Effort has to be be put in both by the system and the students that are a part of it. And using the education system as an excuse for not applying one's mind and REALLY trying to learn is just hogwash.

It reminds me of a classic definition which seems to suit this thought.

Lecture [lek-cher] noun, verb, -tured, -turing: An art of transmitting information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the student, without passing through the minds of either.

Until then, we can fool ourselves, like Aamir says, by keeping a hand on our hearts and saying:

"All Izz Well !!!"

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Thought for the day: "Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten." - B. F. Skinner

Wedding Woes

For those who have already assumed that my wedding has been fixed, and that I am going to plaster my blog with all the pre-wedding woes, the trousseau, the venue, the menu... hold that thought right there!

Those who know me well will know that I have managed to evade that pretty successfully till now. This is about the woes of not being wedded! Not that I am desperate to get hitched to the next thing that is male, and that my dreams comprise of only settling down in connubial bliss. But, I am sure 20 somethings (or, should I say 18 somethings) will agree that there comes a point in life when all you hear is about marriages being fixed, or you end up being asked, "So... when do you plan on marriage?" or variants along those lines. It amounts to nothing to many. You may wonder why I am making a fuss out of considerate people quizzing me about my plans to 'settle down' (ain't I settled otherwise?).

But believe me, such thoughts can get on your nerves, especially if you are toeing the 'golden age' of marriage or (God forbid) are well past it. A woman shouldn't be asked her age; to save you that embarrassment, let me declare that I am past 24, well onto being 25 years old next August. I don't know whether that's within the 'normal' range or beyond it (these lines were, after all, only our creations). But the fact is, it is a step to be taken. And I cannot hide from it (no, not only physically!!!).

And so, owing to social pressures (read: pestering people at various family functions), and our parents' concerns (read: after-effects of talking to the pestering people at various family functions), we (my sister and I) decided to give this thought some merit. As of date, the only step (in the right direction) we have taken is to create a profile for ourselves on a website (yes, the new-age marriage brokers: marriage portals!). Our parents went ahead and availed paid services. And to date, there has been no real action taking place. I can't, plainly speaking, take a fancy to screening profiles, staring at photos, reading the bio-data of a thousand men and then going into the intricacies of horoscope, the match, and so on.

In fact, at first I found it amusing, then irritating and now.... totally annoying to see messages in my inbox. And the fact that we are here in Mysore, and our parents are in Kerala do not help either. Thus, in effect, we have handed over the responsibility of searching out decent guys to Mom, who's often found peering at profiles at odd times in the day. She then sends us some profiles she finds interesting. We have a cursory (or rather perfunctory) glance, and we respond by sending an "interested" message if we also concur with her choice, which has been far and few (not my choice, silly! The number of profiles she sends!). And since a horoscope match is a must, and our horoscopes aren't the kinds for which matches are found easily, I think it is a long way ahead.

But there are some observations I have to make at this point of time. First of all, women these days seem over-qualified than their counterparts. This happens to be the trend these days. Women are mostly doing their post-graduation and most men aren't (well, generalizations have exceptions). Thus you find that when you are trying to make a match, this stands out. When I set out to do my post-graduation, I did hear comments from some people who said that doing my Masters would put me at some disadvantage in the 'marriage market'. I can see what they meant now! I don't think I have any problems marrying a guy who has done only his Bachelors; but wise people tell me that it might end up as points of arguments, post marriage. I would love to hear guys' views on this. Any comments?

Another VERY important trend is that men seem to be eager beavers when it comes to marriage! It is maybe the IT industry (or the plenty of employment opportunities) that makes men breadwinners early in their lives. The net result is that they want to get married by 25 and even less. Of course, if I had to talk of love marriages, it happens even faster! With the result that 24+ women seem slightly at a disadvantage; as men want younger life partners. Again my opinion; those willing to disagree are always welcome.

As of now, we have unofficially put it to some kind of halt for now. But it's a thought I can't escape. Wherever I look around, friends are getting married: from school, undergraduation... and even here, in my post-graduation college! Marriages are taking place left, right and centre; and of all kinds - love, arranged and so on. I open social networking sites to see my friends (and even my juniors!) change their relationship status to "committed", plaster pictures of their pre-engagement function, engagement, pre-wedding function, wedding, reception, honeymoon, post-honeymoon... well, you get the drift!

Couples raptured by their discovery of a new life together, posing away to glory in their gorgeous outfits, the million dollar smiles, the glowing faces, the hope for a bright tomorrow putting even the flashes of cameras to shame.... I no doubt wish all of them the best in their lives; but it increasingly worries me to see so many get married! It reminds me of my spinsterhood! Just yesterday, I got to know of three of my friends' engagement. And some of my married friends are proud moms already (or are expecting).

Jokes apart, I sometimes wonder about when mine will take place, and how it will be. Frankly, I find this whole groom hunting business a tad too tedious. And I should be the one proactive in finding a guy; it's not like my mom should be the one looking out. I do have some few friends to accompany me in this minority.

Well, as of now that's where I am - 24, single and happy (for God knows how long). This story aint over yet. Some day I hope to announce my plans of wedding on my blog. Till then, as they say, I am going to enjoy this party while it lasts!

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Thought for the day: " A man doesn't know what happiness is until he's married. By then, it's too late."

~ Frank Sinatra, 'The Joker is Wild'

Michael Jackson - The End of a Legend

Ok...now this seems way out of place in my blog! Michael Jackson? On MY blog?

"Why?", you ask?

The most important reason is that, since childhood, I have known that I share the same birthday with him (i.e. August 29th) and my memories of him start with that. I used to think, "Hey, I have a famous celebrity with whom I share my birthday!". I also used to think that, as I grow older, maybe I would end up being light-skinned as him too! (Now knowing why he turned lighter....I'd rather not!)

Most people remember him for many things -the "Jackson 5", his trademark howls which go like: "Ouuu", his changing nose (thanks to nose jobs), changing skin colour (No, not bleached! He apparently had Vitiligo) , the moonwalk, the pop music, child sexual abuse, the Neverland ranch, bouts of drug addiction, marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, holding his child aloft from a balcony (& stirring yet another controversy!) and much more. He was much unlike the typical Virgoan who shies from being in the limelight. He was literally the cynosure of all eyes; either for his music, or for his antics.

I haven't really followed his music, and I confess, I am fairly ignorant about his work. But I think he has made some of the most eye-catching and path-breaking videos, of his times. The fact that even I know of some of these songs is testimony to his reach & popularity! Now, for some of the videos I really like (of the really few I know):

* The funky "Black or White" video, with the morphing faces at the end! I thought that pretty cool then (and now too). I was also very happy, as a child back then, to see an Indian dancer in the video!

* The groovy "They don't care about us" video ! It can get anyone on their feet!

(I am referring to the Brazil video; not the prison version).

* The really touching "Heal the World" video. I used to later think, that the Colonial Cousins' video, "Krishna Nee Begane.." was inspired by this video, in its treatment; not that the message was entirely the same.

One man, many facets.... and literally, many faces even (if you will!). He had a generation of youth swooning and gyrating to his music. And we all cherish some memories of this man - good, bad or ugly. He made a space for himself; I'd rather say he made an industry on his own. This is no requiem for the man. I find myself fairly unequipped for that, given my knowledge about him or his music. There are far more die-hard fans. And this measly blog is a misfit even as a tribute. I don't claim it is, either. He's like a candle snuffed out before it could die its natural death. Some part of me feels sad about it. It was unexpected and seems tragic.

May his soul rest in peace. And rest assured, his songs live on.

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Thought for the day:

“Life lives, life dies. Life laughs, life cries.

Life gives up and life tries.

But life looks different through everyone's eyes.”

Silent Thoughts

Gauri was waiting for him to come. Where was he? He said he would be here by 4 pm.

What’s taking him so long?

Gauri was oblivious to all the fun and frolic around her. Her friends were having a ball at the farewell party. Their last get together. But her object of affection had not made his presence yet. ‘Abhilash would be here any minute’, she mused to herself. As she sat in a corner, far from the crowd, her mind strayed…

*******************

“Guys, buck up! Let’s have more energy!”

Gauri was worried about the Annual Day dance performance. She wanted it to be the best event of the day. Though an exemplary dancer herself, she was interested in choreographing rather than being in the limelight. The team was low on energy on the eve of the D-day, and worse, the co-ordination was non-existent.

She was so engrossed in getting the performance perfect, she did not realise time fly by. Before she knew it, it was past 7:30. "Oh no! Mom had asked me to be back by 6:30; now it’s past 7:30! I am dead meat!!!” she shrieked. Abhilash consoled her. “Don’t worry; I have my brother’s scooter with me. Come, I shall drop you right away”, he calmly offered. Gauri knew it for a fact that her mom’s blood would be boiling by now and she gave out a loud sigh in apprehension of the drumming she would receive. She mentally prepared herself to listen to her mom rant and rave; and decided that she would not react, come what may.

And so, together they set off.

The drive was calm and the cool evening breeze had a soothing effect on Gauri’s frayed nerves. Her home was at the outskirts of the town and as Abhilash took a detour, the concrete jungle gave way to verdant paddy fields.

Just when she thought the worst was over, it happened.

The scooter spluttered. It choked. And then it stopped. They were stranded in the middle of nowhere. Gauri could not believe it! “Today is the best day of my life!” she exclaimed as she gritted her teeth. Abhilash tried his best to bring the scooter back to life. But it refused to obey like a wanton boy. He tried to console Gauri, but it fell on deaf ears. She was busy fuming to even pay heed to his words. He decided to look for help, albeit it seemed certain that there was no soul nearby.

A few minutes went by; and then a few more. Gauri suddenly woke up to the fact that she was alone on a dark road with just a dead scooter for company. And suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed out loud. “Hey, it’s me! Relax!” Abhilash said. She was so consumed by fury, she yelled, “What the hell do you think you are doing? I was scared out of my wits!!! First, you desert me and go. Then you just scare the hell out of me…”

All he did was stand calmly and take her wrath. She suddenly felt sorry for him; after all, he was only trying to help. And here she was, insensitive to the helping hand he had extended.

“Do you think I would desert you?”

“I am sorry Abhi. I was getting late and then the scooter incident…I lost it then…”

“Your mom will understand if you tell her what happened, won’t she?” he interjected. And then, he drew her closer to him, to console her.

Was it the night?

The next thing she knew, she was in his arms. He looked at her face. By the moonlight, her face seemed to glow. She felt a kind of rush she had never felt before. She instinctively closed her eyes.

Will he…

Even before she could complete that thought, she felt his lips on hers. And they kissed. After what felt like an eternity, they parted. He hugged her tight. And she reciprocated. She slowly slid her arm on his. That’s when she felt his watch. She shook herself out of the reverie and was appalled when she checked the time by his digital watch – 8:30.

“My God! I have to go home!” she shrieked. They rushed to the scooter, confused as to what to do. He decided to try the scooter one last time. Much to his surprise, it kicked back to life. There were no two souls more surprised than them!

What was that all about?

As he dropped her off at the gate, he said, “Sorry, it was unintentional. It was a mistake. Please forget it… and forgive me.” He rode off. She walked in; confused.

That night was a long, sleepless one for Gauri. She kept thinking – why is he sorry about it? It did not feel wrong. Of course, the ‘moral police’ would beg to differ. But she felt it was a natural expression of love. Abhilash was her best friend. But she began to wonder – is there more to it? And it perplexed her even more. A thousand apprehensions tore her heart. The night was long gone when she finally dozed off.

The next day, she went to school with a million thoughts tormenting her. How would he react? Surprisingly, he seemed as if nothing had happened between them. The school’s Annual Day went without a hitch. All the while, she was astonished that Abhilash was refusing to acknowledge the previous night’s incident. Was she taking it all too seriously? Was there nothing to it? Was it just a passing moment?

She accepted his silence with dismay. She had hoped it would be the beginning of something. She felt like she was stuck in a no man’s land; somewhere between friendship and love. And she felt trapped by her thoughts, which constantly wandered back to the same point.

Did it not mean anything to him? Is it just me? Why is he running away from what happened?

Was it a moment of weakness or a moment of truth?

‘Life is a bunch of unanswered questions’, she dryly thought.

***************

He smiled at her, as he came in. She smiled back. Abhilash was finally here. Again, the sinking feeling of being caught in no man’s land crept into Gauri.

She consoled herself. Life is a bunch of unanswered questions.

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"Thought for the day: No one has ever loved anyone the way everyone wants to be loved."