Ramblings of a vagrant mind

Kodachrome - A good watch on Netflix

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 16:47:00 +0000

Kodachrome on Netflix is a good watch for people who love raw emotions and drama. That was for the TL;DR folks 😊

It is easy for you to miss Kodachrome on Netflix. As Netflix algorithms understand your interests, this could easily vanish in the heap of drama and road trip movies.

The movie story-line isn’t anything spectacular. An estranged adult son gives company to his father who has few months left on this planet on a road trip to get a job done. I am sure it sounds familiar. What makes Kodachrome watchable are the performances and gradual thawing of characters. I hope Netflix starts pulling this out as a wildcard for its viewers.

Now the story. Benjamin Ryder(Ben) enacted by Ed Harris is a world-renowned photographer. Ben is diagnosed with liver cancer and has a few days left. His son Matt (Jason Sudeikis) has not spoken to his father in decades. He is divorced, works as an executive at a music label company struggling to sustain his career. Elizabeth Olson who plays Zoeey – Ben’s nurse – meets Matt and let him know about his father’s condition. Zoeey also lets him know about Ben’s wish of driving with Matt to Kansas city to develop his last rolls of Kodachrome films. Dwayne's lab in Kansas, is the last one that exists to develop the films. The digital world is taking over. And the store will close in a week.

A reluctant Matt, takes his father and Zoey on the road trip. Rest in terms of the storyline is predictable. Of course, they make it in time with a fair share of drama (absolutely not exaggerated like you would have seen elsewhere). Conversations and silences that fill up the trip give the audience more details into the characters. They are aptly supported by some good music and lyrics. You know either Ben will fall for Zoey or Zoey for Ben. Road movie, right?

Ed Harris gives a brilliant performance, a headstrong father who wanted his son to love him but did not want to admit it right away. Ben, Matt and Zoey peel the layers off their characters as the story progresses. Ben, though days away from his death, pulls out a story from his early days to create some tension at his brother’s place. Matt who is staring at a final straw of hope to revive his career knowingly gives it up after winning the opportunity. Zoey perfects the act of a sincere ‘common-friend’ who aims to patch the two.

The film’s story was inspired by a 2010 New YorkTimes article by A.G. Sulzberger. It is about the last days of Dwayne’s Photo Kansas. Dwayne's lab was the last lab in the world to process Kodachrome. Kodachrome was considered the best in color film for analog cameras.

As someone who took first pictures with an analog camera, I can still recollect the experience of trying to get that perfect frame before the shutter sounds. There was also this joy of collecting the prints from the lab. Each picture told a story. In the digitized world, we click as much as we can, selecting (that too rarely) the right pic and discarding the rest.

Kodachrome is shot in 35mm Kodak camera. It is ironic that a digital medium like Netflix is taking it to a wider audience.

Be like Monica

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 05 May 2019 16:25:00 +0000

Lucifer - Malayalam Movie - Review

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 14:16:00 +0000

By Source, Fair use

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58423955

We got ‘lucified’ last weekend.

Well, for the anti-socials(pun intended) amongst you Lucifer is the much awaited directorial debut of Prithviraj, a leading actor in Malayalam movie landscape. The movie stars Mohanlal one of the most successful stars the language has ever produced.

The story without spoilers – PKR, the much-loved chief minister is dead. Political circles are abuzz with discussions and speculations on who the successor will be. Leaders and people with access to money (of course illegally) join hands to oust Stephen Nedumpally – ex-chief minister’s protégé through devious means. Stephen comes back, and lesser evil prevails. (Stephen likens politics to fight between evil and evil and NOT evil and good)

Prithviraj has made a good start as a director. Murali Gopy’s story is not spectacular. However as one of the characters say , Politics is alike a masala movie. Murali’s story has all those ingredients, at the right proportions – good politician and bad politician (taking the liberty to extrapolate what the hero says this could be bad politician and worse politician), good police, bad police, mafia, drugs, weapons, fights, power-plays, money influenced media, harassment, item numbers and the like. There is an ensemble of characters – many familiar faces. All of them did a good job. Of course, there is no need to say that Lalettan (As Mohanlal is fondly known to Keralites) did a great job. He had a very restrained acting, listening more than speaking. Most of the times he spoke, the script has made sure he delivered punch lines, beautifully incorporating references to his earlier movies dating back to Irupatam Nootandu. I felt Tovino’s character could have been given more breadth and depth. Manju Warrier did a good job as always but did not have many instances to rise above the ordinary. The action sequences, especially the last one was slick. The script also accommodates at least in couple of instances references to women taking up tasks that is hitherto a man’s bastion. So full marks for support to female empowerment.

The movie is made for Mohanlal fans and rightfully so. You will like Lucifer if you liked Mohanlal in Pulimurugan, Spadikam, Narasimham and the like. You may not see here, what the actor did in Vellanakalude Naadu, TP Balagopalan MA and may be to some extent recently in Mundirivallikal thalirkkumbol. But I think that’s fine. We should not be expecting something widely different as Mohanlal as an actor has grown much beyond practically any character he would essay on stage. My guess is that the audience will continue to find more of the first kind in future, not may be because of Mohanlal’s choice, but more because of the roles written for him.

Lucifer is a mass entertainer for the Mohanlal fan in you.

PS: Was there a little bit of opening left at the end by the director to come back with a sequel? Let’s wait and see.

The Girl with the Q tattoo

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 03:31:00 +0000

It was a typical Friday. I love travelling in the bus, especially on Fridays. The fashion quotient of the city goes up a few notches on this day which almost celebrates the day as a weekend and the public bus samples the fashion sense of the city.

I found myself sitting behind this girl. The hair is disheveled. Her top needed some physical interventions in between to prevent it from slipping down her shoulders. The doors opened as if to allow the dust on the roads to get in and enjoy the bus ride. That is when I noticed the tattoo in thick black ink slightly below the nape of her neck. Q. The creative mind in me quickly started appreciating the design of her dress that had the right cuts to just expose the tattoo, as my analytical mind became more creative. Q. Why? What ?

The most immediate answer - her name starts with Q? Naah..I ruled that out. How on earth that too in India, you have a name that starts with that letter? Something she likes ? Someone she is a fan of ? Quentin Tarantino? Queen the singer? Or Queen as we all know - the king and the Queen ? Do I find a hearts sign below? No. She doesn't look like a Tarantino or Queen fan. Biases creeping into me? Any mythical character? Google helped me finding Quetzalcoatl - the feathered serpant , an Egyptian character . My brain was maniacally trying to find connections, answers. I felt like having a coffee

The concoction of thoughts were interrupted by the conductor calling out - J P Morgan. The bus stop. My wandering mind came back to present and asked me to alight from the bus. As I mechanically stepped out, I saw her walking a few yards infront of me moving into the same tech park I work in.

Quintiles ? The big board in front of me listed it as a company in the campus.

Paulo Coelho at work? “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

An employee tattooing the organization's name. Is that ever possible?

Tension was palpitating. Should I ask Ms.Q ? Or leave it one of those mysteries that will remain unsolved ?

I stepped up my pace. A gush of air blew hard against me. Is that an R that I saw below the Q? Would I find more letters below? I think I let out a chuckle.

I missed that turn. What happened next ?

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 28 May 2017 12:34:00 +0000

FACT High School

‘Oops, we missed that turn.’

‘So, now what?’ He asked me; concerned.

I quickly came to the present. Mind cleared. On any day, I would have navigated the route between my parents’ place and my in-laws’ place in an auto-mode. But, missed it today !

‘We have two options. Take the next U turn get back to our original turn, or take a turn into the Township. Cut through the area, take the next exit and get back on track. The first one leaves us behind by 5 mins and the next one by say 10 mins.’

‘Okay….’

‘Let’s go with the latter.’ I interrupted him. ‘I will show you my school.’ I hoped to make amends with my son for missing the turn.

Nursery School and the Stage

‘Is Good?’ I tried to imitate the voice of the hero of the latest American TV series I am hooked onto recently.

‘Is Good.’ We laughed.

‘Look, this is the stop from where I got into the bus during my college days.’ He sneaked a look through the window.

We turned right. Into FACT Township, Udyogamandal.

I drove the car though the roads, not in the best of their conditions. There was no one on the roads. A township which buzzed with activity till around one decade back wore a worn-out look.

The Gulmohar trees were resplendent. The trees, creepers, shrubs - all green and trespassed many a path. For someone who grew up in the township for the first two decades on life, they sang beautifully in a melancholic strain.

‘This was my nursery – preschool’. We stopped the car. The building still looked inhabited, but tired. The stage – the first stage where I spoke – was in a bad condition.

‘Remember – my photo speaking on a children’s day. That was taken here.’

‘Oh yes, the B&W one.‘

‘Yes, that’s the one.’

We had a mulberry tree in the corner. I stretched my neck out of the car. No; the tree was not there.

This was the library. I remembered Marquez. I remembered the librarian. Not sure where he was now. I saw myself amongst the book shelves looking for the Latin American Authors. I remember the story of my first virtual rivalry, Virtual rivalry in the time of NO internet (that story some other time J )

We meandered in the car through the lanes.

Udyogamandal theatre. The only cinema at the township. The house of entertainment during those days. Now dilapidated. I saw myself standing the ticket queue.

I had to show my school. We went past the primary school. The building looked haunted. While driving through the road beyond the boundary wall, I saw one tree majestically standing above the height of the school roof. I wished that was the sapling we planted on Oct 2^nd while in 5^th standard.

Ground

The temples that neighboured the school were in a different condition. They looked richer. The Gods have definitely flourished.

We went to FACT High School. Memories rushed in as we bent under the chain that held the two gates together. A great part of many kids in FACT Township was spent on the ground that spread vast infront of the school - playing, participating in school activities. The flag post which proudly held the weight of the flag during Republic and Independence days, the basketball courts, the 400m track all came alive. Suddenly my friends and me were seen playing. Innumerable cricket pitches crisscrossing the ground. Bricks standing as goal posts. Branches of trees as wickets.

X-33/45. I spent my early years here

While my son was getting trigger hungry on the camera, I had long left the phone in the pocket. I wanted to stay in the moment, rather those moments in the past. With mixed feelings, I came out of the school boundary.
(More pictures here)

The sun was getting hotter. Aadi stretched himself.

We got into the car and slowly started moving.

‘This is the house where I lived as a kid.'

Aadi looked at it curiously. ‘I stayed here for my first 17 years. He looked at that house in amazement. You see that tree – the one with firangi paani flowers – I have told you about it – how I used to scare your kunjacha ?

He laughed.

We did the mandatory ritual. The Selfie.

While we meandered out of township into the main road, we passed through FACT Sports Association Hall, Udyogamandal School, C Flats, B Flats, Pump House, Fact House, my friends, their parents, their houses. It looked at like the historical town of Hampi, once prosperous, but the remnants standing now to tell stories of the glorious past.

And then that junction appeared. I stopped the car. It looked different compared to how it looked years back. ‘Aadi take a picture. This is where I had met with the motorbike accident.’ He knew the incident.

FSA Badminton Court

I looked at my left palm. The remains of that day were still visible. Another relic.

The car continued to be in the present. I slipped back in to the past. The subconscious mind ensured the car stayed safe on the road.

It was like pressing the F5 button on the laptop. A wrong turn and so many memories. Every scene was tucked in somewhere deep. Covered by deposits of today. They came rushing in sepia tinted frames. The frames were alive with moving people, their voices, the heaviness of the air, its smell. Now another layer got added, the memory of interacting with those memories with my son. I thanked myself for missing that turn.

The missed turn was the right turn to take.(More pictures here)

The Boy from Pataliputra by Rahul Mitra – A Review

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 21 May 2017 04:14:00 +0000

_____________________________________________

Full Disclosure: The author provided me this copy (Thanks Rahul). I know Rahul for some years now.

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Pataliputra is a familiar name for people – at least in my generation and earlier – well of course, if you attended your History classes dutifully. So, when you read the title ‘The Boy from Pataliputra’ you have a few usual suspects that come to your mind. But as you speed through the pages, you find out that you are in for a surprise. I find this has given the book and story a different perspective.

The Boy from Pataliputra written by Rahul Mitra and published by FingerPrint fictionalizes the history set in the context of Alexander’s invasion of India circa 330 BC.

Ajeet and Aditya, brothers are at the historical city of Pataliputra, capital city of Magadh at the start of the story. Ajeet is a security officer, and Aditya a carefree boy. A political conspiracy changes their life and Aditya had to flee with the help of some of his brother’s friends to city of Takshashila. The story moves to the new place talking about the transformation of Aditya to a young adult from a boy. Several more characters move into the life of Aditya and into the political environment of India and Takshashila. While Aditya gets trained in khadga and trade, makes new friends, the Macedonians enter India after the Persian success. King Ambi allies with the rampant marauder - Alexander. A revolt at the University of Takhshila ensues. You hear slogans for ‘Akhand Bharat’. Rebellions follow. Aditya who for some time is caught between two worlds, decides his stance.

Rahul has done quite a bit of research to understand the historical background, intersperse it with fiction. I liked some of the sword fight scenes the details of which helps the reader visualize. The modern-day reader who likes a narrative that moves fast with twists and new turns coming up at regular intervals than the literary prowess will appreciate the flow of this book. His notes at the end are very descriptive. This helps even a historically-unaware reader also get into the time-period. I am not sure when Rahul wrote this novel. However, an observer of India politics and its actors can draw some parallel between the events and characters in the book to modern day happenings. Was that coincidental J or does that talk about the perennial nature of some of them? Did you notice the mention of university I mentioned, some jingoistic slogans?

I clearly smell sequels. Some characters could have been developed further more. Hope the author develops them in his next books. I would love to see the easy narrative to continue and the plot to get more tense. To suit our fast lives, I would also look forward to a shorter book, and a few illustrations could be used to break the monotony of the text.

People should read this to appreciate a new author who did justice to his theme by putting in much research and presented them with a fast-moving thriller.

Buy 'The Boy from Pataliputra'

Food. Memories. Hangover.

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 04:50:00 +0000

It was around 8:30 am on Sunday 18^th March. I was just entering my house after the regular badminton with friends and the mobile started ringing. It was my friend Pradeep on the other side. ‘Congratulations, I saw it, your article in the Open Page. I had a doubt if it were you but your email id and Aadi’s name – they confirmed.’ I did not think that the submission I had sent a week back to The Hindu would get published soon as Food and Memories. I thanked my friend for wishing me.

Thirty minutes further into the day, the link was shared widely. Among close friends and family groups and on my Facebook. My wife helped amplify the content. Our son Aadi who usually stays away from newspapers read it and said he too wanted the link, since his name was printed. His claim to fame by sharing with his friends. I also confirmed that the article came in the Kochi edition and my parents could read it.

What did the non-vegetarians say?

Responses started pouring in quickly from different parts of the world. Many people could relate to the fish preparation I wrote about in Food and Memories. Nostalgic Mallus from beyond the seas wished they could eat it right then. One of them had one raw mango and some fish in her refrigerator and urged her to go for it.

‘Sanjay, when can I have fish curry with mango next?’ a question in the group from the apartment I live in. ‘When all the signs align – women’s day, wife not at home, mango in the refrigerator – the phenomenon will repeat’. I acted pricey. ‘Oh! That is bad. ’I could see her face dropping.

‘I have always made it with tamarind. I never thought it could be made with mango’, said my colleague in office when she saw me. ‘So when will you share the recipe?’, asked another one.

‘You…You cook?’ asked another colleague sitting couple of seats away in office. I looked at her with a slight grin clearly communicating the answer. ‘Where are the photos?’, she followed up. It was clear I had some way to go before I gained her trust.

I knew people especially from the part of the world I was born and brought up will relate and reminisce the fish preparation I mentioned. So, it was not a surprise. Fish loving folks from other parts of India also started writing in to my Gmail. ‘Sanjay, even I like my aunt’s fish curry. You brought those memories back. Thank you.’ wrote someone from Odisha.

What did the vegetarians say?

I never expected them to say anything.

‘Even though I don’t eat fish, I loved your piece. I could relate it very much. Thank you for writing and sharing.’ Emailed one of them.

One university student wrote, ‘Even my vegetarian friends told me that it made their mouth water …. I hereby want to let you know that your article has gained an overwhelming support from my classmates.’

Awesome! Isn’t it great to run a campaign targeting teenagers and you capture senior citizens too. I was proud of myself.

The Marketing angle

Being a marketing professional staying true to every rupee I earn, I was always keen to probe the marketing angle. When I wrote, it I did not have any goal in mind. Even when I shared it I did not have. But when people started liking and commenting I thought – why shouldn’t I try to see this from a marketing angle. There are around 180 likes for the article I shared on my FB. Unfortunately, The Hindu did not give me any statistics. Hence my explorations were muted. The interesting fact was that around 25 likes were from people who were not my friends. That is a cool 12%. The marketer in me was elated. There is chance of me increasing my market size by 12%. Not bad!

As a smart content marketer, I ensured I shared a call to action (CTA) with every reply in mail. Not just one, I had secondary CTAs too. ‘Thanks for taking time to read and write back. You can see my writings at my blog or you can follow me here.’

As a diligent marketer, trying to leverage an already successful piece of content, I sent an email to the online provider who delivered the fish home. As there was no other means available I wrote to them thanking them for the fish to customercare@.... No replies! ‘No smart fellows there, if it were me, I would have created a beautiful testimonial and reached out to the audience with a fantastic offer.

I cried out – ‘Can someone teach them marketing?’

The Hangover

Writing has been a lonely process for me. It has been many times painfully cathartic. However, when readers go through your written word and come back to with their feedback – likes, shares, phone calls, emails … the boundaries of loneliness wither away. The readers help me reach that terrain.

Once I start getting these feedback, it is not just any more about the 753 words I wrote.

A keen reader took time to write to me ‘Sanjay, I know what I am going to write does not have anything to do with fish.’ He went on to talk at length about how he started his cooking journey long time back when his parents were away from home.’ I could feel a sense of pride in his voice of having conquered cooking.

Stories like these make the experience long after the story got printed in the newspaper. And the memories of these experiences linger.

I am extremely happy that couple of simple anecdotes soured by the harmless mango helped me gain that experience and its memories along with the readers. Of course, I took my time to reply to every email and comment. And my thanks go out to all those who liked it – the unknown and the known.

Many thanks to my grand moms who are surely watching the fun from above.

Food and Memories

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 16:16:00 +0000

My article in The Hindu , Open Page dated March 19.2017

In the end, it looked like a conspiracy — Women’s Day, a raw mango in the refrigerator, half a kilogram of freshly arrived sardines, wife not available to cook, my day ending early with no calls with colleagues from Trumpland.
Read here the full article

Game Over

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 12:13:00 +0000

'Does that mean everything is over?' She asked.

'Yes, could be. It depends.'

She waited for him to say more.

'Well, you know chess, right? ‘Harsh did not wait for her answer. She has beaten him almost every time they played together.
'What happens after the game is over? The pawns and the king go back to their original positions. They need to start all over again.'
She had that quizzical look on her face. Harsh has seen it many times. He knew that she understood what he was trying to say.

But he knew she will ask some question now.

'That means we start all over again, rather try to play this again, or act whatever.' A smirk on her face.
'No', This time he was categorical. Did his voice rise a bit more than usual?

'Once the game is over, we will re-arrange the pieces and start all over again, but not with the same partner. I think that makes sense. You play a lot with the same person, you know what she will do, you know how you will react. You may not want that same song played over and over again.'

'You think we played so frequently that there is nothing more to find out about our moves. Nice alibi.' 'You see this lamp. The wick lights up the place when the lamp has oil. A point in time comes when either the lamp is running out of oil or the wick is burning out. Then the light is not that bright. Many times it is smoke not light. If you love light, you will not wait for it to continue in that state. You gently push the wick down into the oil and kill the light. You don't want the smoke to ruin the gentle light that pervaded till then. You want to live in the memories of light.’

She went inside the bedroom. He could hear water being splashed. She came back looking refreshed.

'The spare keys are on the table.'

Harsh briefly looked at her and then away towards the lamp.

'I have taken the Black Knight from the chess board. I always keep something to remember the games I played.' She paused for a moment and said. 'And won.’

He heard the front door closing.

_______________________

Originally posted on my Instagram here

Dangal Movie - A review

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 08:54:00 +0000

Source:ndtv

It is rare that I sit down the very next day after watching a movie to write its review. But Dangal directed by Nitesh Tiwari deserves it.

Many people already have started drawing parallels of Dangal to Chak De and even Lagaan; sports being a common factor. In my assessment Dangal has to stay above both of them. It is much less jingoistic than Chak De and more meticulously made against a social context than Lagaan.

Dangal does not have a surprising story line, especially since Geeta and Babita Phogat’s success story is documented. So how does Dangal provide you with a great experience for around 150 minutes in the cinema? With no typical Bollywood item numbers or semi-clad heroines?

It has to be about the story; how it is told. Dangal is storytelling at its best while staying very authentic and unexaggerated.

Mahavir Singh Phogat played by Aamir Khan is an ex-National Champion is wrestling (dangal) from Haryana, a state passionate about wrestling and at the same time has one of the worst gender ratio in the country. Like many sportstars even today, Mahavir had to take up a regular job and kill his sporting ambitions for lack of support and money. But, unlike many others he wanted to get India the elusive Gold in wrestling through his son. Fate has it say otherwise. He is blessed with four daughters instead. Mahavir then trains his two daughters. They make it big and live the dream of Mahavir and an entire nation.

A Central Premise

The beauty of this story is that the Indian audiences (the cultural Indians) will find a central theme they can relate to. ‘म्हारी छोरी छोरो से कम है क्या?’ (Are our girls inferior to our boys?), Follow your dreams as the case may be, the Indian quest for Gold…

Characters

Characters should evolve through the duration of the story. We see a physically tough Mahavir in the first scene. Then we see him getting tougher mentally moving in as a coach more than a father. His daughters – Gita and Babita are reluctant girls initiated into wrestling by their adamant father. Later they change into girls who passionately follow ‘their’ dreams.

Antagonist(s)

The antagonist presents the hero the challenges. Who is the antagonist? or the antagonists? In this movie the antagonists change as we go further in the story. It is initially the society – the male dominated one. Sometime during the movie, the lead characters play antagonists to each other, then the Sports Academy coach takes over. As the hero gets ‘reformed’ (i.e understands that he does not need a boy to realize his dream) the antagonists also change.

Story Arcs

Arcs move us through the changes in the story. Dangal has several beautiful arcs that forms one beautiful big arc. This is why I loved Dangal the most. The change was not one big change that happened slowly. It was all those multiple small but significant changes that make Dangal’s big change. The big change of getting India a Gold in Wrestling. The small changes are many – Mahavir Singh who realizes that he need not have a son to get to his dream, his wife who gets accustomed to the fact that it’s okay for her girls to look like boys, the girls who realize that their dad means good for them, Gita who thinks her dad’s techniques are outdated and then realizing that it was wrong and many more. The beauty of the story is that the narrative smoothly moves the audience through these arcs. Don’t get me wrong, there are antagonists at play. But the narrative does not get you confused with sub-plots and unnecessary detours. Eg. There is romance interests for the characters that would have meandered the narrative.

Conflicts

The arcs are embedded with conflicts. Conflicts of the mind more than the conflicts of the physique that you will expect in wrestling. A sports champion who needs to give up his love and settle in a job, a father who is caught between being a coach rather than a father, a wife who does not understand her husband’s ways but agrees, an athlete who needed to manage conflicting suggestions of his father and coach and many more.

Once you got the story right you need the actors to play their roles well and communicate the story well to the audience. Needless to say, Aamir Khan essays his role to perfection. Mahavir Singh Phogot is a man of few words but his emotions speak a million words. The girls – Gita and Babita are played by Fatima Sana Sheikh, Sanya Malhotra, Zaira Wasim, Suhani Bhatnagar (who play the younger and the older girls) all of them do a fantastic job. Shikha Tanwar is the house wife and mother who easily slips into her role.

The biggest surprise for me in Dangal was the narrator. Usually we see one of lead characters or a third person narrating. We hear the story through the voice of the nephew of Mahavir Singh who makes his presence felt with the role he plays in Phogat sisters’ victory. Unlike the typical Bollywood movie where songs pause the movie, the songs in Dangal are part of narration. They move the story forward. The dialogues are written and delivered with precision. Many lines are repeated later in the movie to help close the loop in your mind. Some scenes which you had felt were abruptly ended were brought back with big impact. All these made me feel the 150 minutes were well spent.

Dangal is a much watch. For every Indian. Even if you don’t play sports. Even if you are not a father or a mother. It makes you come out with the determination to follow your dreams. It tells you there is NO harm in dreaming for the Gold, than just a medal or an assured Silver as our jingoistic media shout after Indian qualify for finals at the world level.

The father Phogat in many ways represent India who does not need any diktat to stand up during national anthem, but is patriotic at heart. An India who is more tuned now to approve the girl power and is ready to support her make it big and see many of dreams come true.

Letter to my younger self - Thoughts on Children's day

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 13:35:00 +0000

I have been fascinated by Letter to your younger self. Though we all say there should be NO regrets it is sometimes good to delve deeper and see what could have been done better. Not much for you, but for the learning you can give to others. The new act is not to learn from your mistakes, but learn from others mistakes. So these notes could be a good learning to others, the younger ones. So here I am writing to my 11-year self. Why 11 years? Adolescent, just before your teens and more than that my son is 11. And probably nicely timed along with Children’s day. I found some management lessons also in it, yes at 11 years like I have been writing :)

Dear eleven-year-old Sanjay,

Let me tell you first – being borne to parents who are teachers, especially when you go to the same school as they teach, is not that bad. Yes, I am sure you are feeling their prying eyes and your movements getting reported live, but let me tell you it is not bad. I will not tell you why. You think and find out.

It is Ok to lose

I know you hate to lose. Be it at exams or at games. Most people do hate to lose. Even after they have grown up as adults.
But it is okay to lose. No one in the world has won every time. Thomas Edison. Michael Jordan. Remember what Jordan said I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
So what can you do when you lose ? First go to the winner, look into her eyes and congratulate her. Your eyes should tell that you mean it. For that your heart should feel so. You cannot do this by thinking ‘how can I lose to her?’
Then forget about it for the time being. Once you have recovered and ready to move on, rewind the activities in your head. First see what all did you do right? In football you would have run faster, passed well. Then think about what did your opponent do well? Did they have a plan in place? Like they always found their striker at the top of the box. Did they have a better goal keeper?
In exams, look at your answer sheets. What did you do right? you finished on time. You had a good handwriting. Where did you lose marks? If not clear ask your teacher, your parents.
So remember
1.      It is okay to lose.
2.      Look at your winner in her eyes. Say Congratulations from your heart.
3.      Rewind – What did you do well? What could have been better?
4.      Let it pass.

Read. Read. Read
I know you read well. Read more. More the better you become when you grow up. When I say better – you become a better human.
What should you read?

Read the complete note here.

Pulimurugan - A movie for the Mohanlal fan - Review

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 08:11:00 +0000

I thought a few times. I am not a big Mohanlal fan. So should I write a review on ‘Pulimurugan’ the latest Malayalam blockbuster from the great actor Mohanlal ?

So why am I here writing the same ?

In these times of prime time social media activism, it has become rather mandatory to have a point of view on almost everything. So I thought I should have too :) Anyway that was not the reason.

My last review in the blog was about Murakami’s – Kafka on the Shore. On this blog and several other pieces in this blog I have openly confessed my love towards myths and fairy tales. I am very comfortable with with fish coming down from the sky and men talking to cats.

Pulimurugan directed by Vysakh is a movie made for Mohanlal fans.

The story is very linear. Mohanlal’s character – Pulimurugan - is a lorry driver who stays with his family and friends in a small hamlet bordering forest. What does Pulimurugan mean ? Puli – Tiger (There is an interesting discussion if its tiger or leapord) and Murugan – Lord Subramanya who has Vel (similar to spear) as his weapon. Pulimurugan hunts tigers that stray into the hamlet of Puliyoor with his Vel. Let's be clear - Hunts tigers those stray.

The story has some sub-stories. But they move predictably - a bad policeman who has a liking for our hero's wife, a vamp who has liking for our hero, a villain who falls on to the wrong side of our hero are the prominent ones. Lal as Pulimurugan’s uncle is his friend and guide. The beautiful Bengali actor Kamalini Mukherjee is Pulimurugan’s wife. She acted well as a grumpy but loving wife. As usual Lal made his presence spectacular.

Mohanlal is a complete actor. I will not put this as one of his best appearances but the veteran actor had done well not only on his regular scenes but also during action sequences. It was wonderful to see this consummate actor taking some risk of doing a hero in this action oriented role. A good amount of credit should go to the fight director Peter Hein.Thanks to him we see some slick action with some never seen weapons.

You don’t go to Pulimurugan to see Mohanlal like in Kireedom or Bharatham. Pulimurugan is not Sethu Madhavan, Gopi but more Aadu Thoma of Spadikam. You tend to appreciate the versatility of this actor if you don't get caught up in the those above mentioned characters Mohanlal has essayed in completely different avatars.

When you excel and reach the pinnacle in your respective fields and become a celebrity you reach mythical proportions. I believe the same has happened to actors like Rajnikanth, Kamal, Mohanlal, Mammotty etc. They become god-like. The fans are ready to believe they take on even the supernatural forces. In this world, where it is difficult to draw boundaries between myth and reality these legends act their best and entertain the mortals. Pulimurugan belongs to that genre.

Pulimurugan is a good one time watch for the fans of this great actor.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami - A review

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 09 Oct 2016 12:55:00 +0000

PC:http://cargocollective.com/lisito/Kafka-on-the-Shore

Is ‘Kafka on the Shore’ by Haruki Murakami for you ?

Are you comfortable with a story that has…

Sardines falling from the sky?
Humans with half shadows
Humans talking to cats
Non-living things assuming mythical powers

If your answered yes for at least more than one of the above or your jaw dropped, eyes widened, pick up this book as your next read.

But I picked this book up for some other reasons.

Murakami was suggested to me be couple of friends who more or less knew my preferences. ‘Kafka on the Shore’ looked like a good book to start. Why? The title looked intellectual. It is obviously cerebral to read Kafka or something related to Kafka.

So what is ‘Kafka on the Shore’ about ? It is the story of a 15 year old boy who calls himself Kafka Tamura. Kafka was not in good terms with his father, an architect. He leaves his house and reaches a small town called Takamatsu. There he becomes assistant to Oshima at a local library. He also meets the owner of the library Mrs Saeki. But this forms only one strand of the book. The other strand starts somewhere around the second world war. The narration starts as an investigative file recording about the appearance of a UFO and some students losing consciousness while on a picnic with their teacher. Later in the story we find that all the students recovered except for one named Nakata whose story strands get intertwined with Kafka and his story.

Nakata a man in his fifties is a simpleton who cannot understand complex happenings of the world. He cannot read or write. However he can talk to cats. Nakata also heads to Takamatsu as if pulled by fate. He is joined by a very lively Hoshino. Both stories run parallel with the readers making some connections. I guess that is what engages the discerning reader.

Kafka on the shore is metaphorical, mystical, metaphysical, philosophical and magical. So it is not a surprise that people either hate it or love it. Readers who always check the reality elements in movies and books will hate it. Lovers of fairytales who don’t mind compromising the reality check for the seductive prose will be fans of this book.

As a first time reader of Murakami, I felt the pace was tad slow at the beginning of this book, especially where the story revolves around Nakata and his cat friends. But it picks pace rather frenetically and the reader is led by a gripping glorious story. What is Hoshino’s role ? Will Nakata get to what he is looking for ? Is Sakura Kafka’s sister? Who was Johnnie Walker ? Will the Oedipus-like prophesy come true ? Who killed Kafka’s father ? these and many more questions haunt you as a reader even after you have turned the last page. It may sound ironical, but as a reader I find an author who generates questions and forces the reader to think of possibilities completes the book and the story.

Reading ‘Kafka on the Shore’ by Haruki Murakami brought back some old questions which I had been trying to answer. Are books read just for entertainment? Are movies watched just for entertainment? Is there a need for the author to close all the loops or is it ok that he keeps some of them open and leave it for the reader interpretation?

These questions are still not answered, at least to my satisfaction even after Murakami’s book. If you love fairy tales, don’t mind flirting the boundaries between myth and reality, please read Kafka on the Shore.

“That’s how stories happen — with a turning point, an unexpected twist. There’s only one kind of happiness, but misfortune comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s like Tolstoy said. Happiness is an allegory, unhappiness a story.”
― Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

5 reasons why you should go to Goa during off season?

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 06:14:00 +0000

My affair with rain had furthered from Drenched Lush Green Memories to An Incestuous Affair. This time the chosen location was Goa.

Though I have visited Goa on the west coast of India, known for its Sun and Sand few times, it was my longstanding ambition to visit during Monsoons - the rainy season. The wish germinated after reading Alexander Frater's Chasing the Monsoon.

Understandably Monsoon is the lean period in Goa. We (our friend's family and my family) recently did a trip to Goa, end of August. I found many things that work in favour of tourists during this time.

We stayed near Benaulim beach. Travelled in a car to cover Palolem, Agonda, Galjibaga beaches. Galjibaga is a turtle nesting site.

1. Travel to and from Goa is cheap - Though our initial plan was to drive up from Bangalore, we had to change the plan a week before our trip. So we set ourselves to book the flights. It worked out well. Anyone with average intelligence knows how crazy the fares can be during the season.

2. Stay is cheap - Same logic as above applies to your stay too. If you are lucky you could get a3-starraccommodationn around Rs1500 a night.

3. Beaches are all for yourself - We hopped from beach to beach and in a good number of beaches it was Sand.Coast Guards. Us. Isn't it what you go to Goa for ?

4. You get much better service at restaurants - As the beaches were empty, we found several restaurants also empty. We got the best of services and also some carefully prepared food for us.

5. Less traffic on roads - We took the road to travel in Goa driving around. It was easy to travel since it was off-season and there were not many vehicles. This meant we were on the beaches for long than the road.

Doesn't it look appealing to visit Goa during the off-season? Typically the off season is May - Sept.

What could be some drawbacks ?
1. If you are looking for crowd, this is NOT the time
2. Some restaurants may be closed as it is offseason
3. Rains. You should love her. Beaches could spot the red flag and you need respect that and avoid venturing much into the sea.

So if you that kind who seek Sun, Sand and Spirits away from the crowd August - September could be a good time. And it will be wiser to avoid North Goa to make your experience more immersive.

Friends. Now. Then. Best friend thoughts on Friendship day

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 07 Aug 2016 14:05:00 +0000

PC: http://quotesgram.com

Yes, I agree. There is no reason for me to wait for a Friendship day to write this piece. The immediate trigger was this beautiful piece from Ric Dragon.

Who was your first friend?

I looked back, years, decades. Was it my Amma*? who knew exactly what I needed when I cried as a baby before I learned to speak? Or was it my kindergarten classmate who gave me her water bottle when I forgot mine at home? Or my friend who squeezed himself to the corner to give me some space to sit next to him?

Did you change friends while growing up?

Yes I did. The girl who gave me water changed schools and moved away from the city. At play, my friend was the one who gave me his bat and asked me to bat before him. In those times people who had the cricket bat were like Kings. They got the opportunity to choose friends. I understood the value of neighbours and why I should be friends with them. Then of course you had your classmates. There were some long distance relationships. Letters – written on inlands or papers slipped into envelopes, put into the red omnipresent boxes.

During adolescence you also start acquaintances. The boy two blocks away who invariably lands up on your opposing team during the cricket matches. You smile at him at the start of the match, but how you look at him at the end is completely dependent on the result of that day. Fortunately tomorrow was always a new day. During teenage and early adulthood (many say at any point in time) some acquaintances grow into friends. This is the time when you start applying probability, permutations and combinations beyond the maths classroom. You have your chances with your friend’s sister to grow the acquaintance into a friend. We also start prefixes in front of the word – friend. Girl/Boyfriend, Pen Friend and Best friend. Your best friend is the one who does not mind sitting out to give you a chance to play, who waits for you at the turn of the street to join you towards school, who even may risk his reputation to pass that message to your that friend’s sister who I talked about earlier!

At this phase some non-living things also become your friends. In some cases, your Best friend.

Dear Diary

Today was a bad day. Niharika did not smile at me. Is she angry ?

________

Dear Diary

Today I came late to home. Acha** scolded me. I feel sad.

_________

You also develop your share of enemies. The guy who beat you in the race, who always scores when you are the goal keeper, the guy who sings well and hence has a large fan base that includes Niharika. Fortunately the enemy list are temporary and rotating.

How did technology affect your friendship?

Some of us old timers may remember the IRC (Internet Relay Chats), Y! Messagers and the like. When your friends moved cities you moved cities, technology came to help – both voice and data relayed through Internet. Emails and Chats often oozed juice of friendship. Some of your yesteryears’ friendship withered some new blossomed, across latitudes in some cases.

PC:m.lovethispic.com

And then came the spring of Facebook friends. Science saysone cannot have friendship with more than 150 people, but we have more than 500 friends. First we used to wish birthdays to friends by going to their houses. Later we called them up to wish. Now it is just a post on Facebook or a message on Whatsapp. We hid behind the walls of Facebook and LinkedIN, but still had that vicarious feeling of friendship.

But who is your best friend?

Now, I have my fair share of friends. Friends at office, friends from last job, friends from apartment I live, friends who come out with me to play, friends who discuss books with me, friends from my school and so on.

Does it need to be one person ? Do I need to be 100% transparent to one individual ? Can I share parts of my life and its matters with separate friends rather than one friend? In that way I have friends who collectively become my best friend but there is no single best friend ?

What is your experience? So what make someone your best friend ?

_____________________________________________

*Amma - Mother

**Achan - Father

Sleeping on Jupiter by Anuradha Roy - A Review

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 13:54:00 +0000

'When his teacher had told their class it (Jupiter) had sixteen moons he wanted to ask her if this meant that there was a full moon on Jupiter every night. Or were there crescent moons and half moons and round moons all at once in that other sky?'

I picked up (do we still say that in the times of Kindle download J )Sleeping on Jupiter by Anuradha Roy because it was long listed for this year’s Booker prize.

I was happy that my investment of time and money were worth reading the first few chapters. Neatly written with some suspense that could help make the book a page turner and a literary fiction both. But I was sadly mistaken.

The story revolves around a young girl Nomi and her visit to the temple town Jarmuli in India. The other main characters are - Vidya, Latika and Gauri – old women who come together to have one last outing together. There are some other people who make up Jarmuli - Badal, who is exploited his uncle; Raghu who is exploited by everyone; Jugnu, Suraj and the like. There are also a few from Nomi’s past.

Nomi has come to India from Norway. However, she was in India till 12 years of age. Her childhood had been traumatic with her father getting killed before her eyes, he mother leaving her and her life in Guruji’s ashram.

Anuradha maintained a great prose that turns lyrical at various points for most part of the novel. She uses words to great effect – often trying to contrast situations – sun and moon, sand and sea, light and dark creating imageries in the readers’ mind. I also felt a consistent undertone of female sexuality in the book. Even the cover reminds you of the vagina though one can claim it is a tumultuous sea!

Where did I feel the book does not rise up? Some characters were not created well into the story. Some connections between the characters looked hyperbolic.

My other concern is probably because I am an Indian staying in India. I had written about this some years back. The West loves books that they think 'smells' India. If it were snake charmers and mahouts romanticized by earlier writers like Rushdie, it is corrupt politicians and tainted Swamijis by Adigas. Booker loves these narratives. I know we have our fair share of Swamijis who do vice in the name of God and people who do anything in the name of money. But we have our share of Swamijis who do good, people with big hearts. Unfortunately, the former gets depicted often in literature.The other side of India is often exaggerated beyond the hyperbole by Bollywood films. We need a fine balance that goes beyond non-fiction.

Anuradha Roy’s Sleeping on Jupiter is an average book. Lover of poetry and prose will like it in patches. I felt I labored through some parts.

The Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino - A review

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 07:50:00 +0000

It is not normal for me to stray around the racks that carry authors I have never tried – be it in physical bookstores or the online kindle stores. Especially in fiction, I stay with the those who have entertained me earlier. Then why did I buy and read – Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino ? Murakami has been on my reading list for some time, and for some reason , I would think the reasons are good, I enjoy reading books from non-English authors. Combined with a super sale at amazon.in, Salvation of a Saint ended up in my Kindle. Good reviews about ‘The devotion of Suspect X’ by the same author also influenced me.

I was happy I took that risk.

Salvation of a Saint is a thriller around a murder. It is not the typical ‘whodunit’. It is a ‘howdunit’ book. In the first two chapters you know who died, how did he die and who could have done it. Yoshitaka, a business man died in his upmarket Tokyo home. Coffee was spilled near his dead body and cops find out arsenic laced coffee beans. His mistress Hiromi, found him dead. Yoshitaka’s wife the beautiful Ayane was out of station. Yoshitaka was on the verge of separating from Ayane thought their marriage seemingly looked happy for the outsider.

Detective Kusanagi is commissioned to figure out whodunit. He is assisted by Ustumi. In between the investigation they are also joined by the Yukawa – a physics professor and Kusanagi’s friend.

Keigo does some deft plotting through the chapters. Through his detectives he smartly takes the readers go into the past and present of his main characters. Rather than just concentrating on the act of murder he uses the narrative to develop his characters, their idiosyncrasies, their weaknesses and strengths. As a reader you move along with the author along the twists and turns. The story is gripping to the very end. Somewhere during my reading, I developed much sympathy for the killer and did not want the case to be proved :)

My slight concern with the book is that finally I was left with the thought who solved this – Was it Kusanagi, Utsumi or Yukawa ? I would have loved to see a lead detective like you know who ;)

But that should not stop you from picking this up. It is a page turner, without having sex and violence!

The Salvation of a Saint also helped me move beyond my comfort zone created by familiar authors. Hope I will pen down more reviews of others in these pages soon.

6.5 things must-knows and tips before you visit Andamans

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 17:40:00 +0000

When light seeps in through the window curtains in the morning, you check the mobile and find the time is only five. It is time for you believe that you are vacationing in Andamans. You suddenly try to visualize map of India and the position of Andamans & Nicobar Islands. The geographer in you or your small son, helps you understand why it felt like 7o’clock when the time was only 5:30am.

We – three families - that included three kids went to Andamans in October. It was a planned trip with tickets booked as early as in July. It was one of the most beautiful trips for almost all of us, the kids living like fishes for most time and us enjoying the sun, sand and waters.

So here I am, sharing a few important tips that help you plan your way to Andaman and enjoy your time there.

It is not cheap over there and Carry cash– Not sure if I was biased earlier, I always thought it is going to be cheaper than many places like Goa, Pondicherry etc. But it is not. Partly because many islands depend on tourists like you and me. Flight tickets are costlier than may be your trip to Kuala Lumpur or Dubai on a good day. You don’t have any concept of street food in most places especially when you move out of Port Blair to the other islands like Havelock or Neil. Hence you are dependent on the resort food, which adds to your budget. So carry more money and that too in cash. Many places don’t accept credit cards and you may even find it difficult to find an ATM nearby.

2. Plan early – Very important. Flights can get busy and more than that the ferries that take you to different islands will get booked. We had a five day trip which was just nice. Day 1- Fly to Port Blair, Day 2 – Ferry to Havelock and stay, Day 3 – Stay at Havelock, Day 4 – Ferry to Neil , and Ferry back Port Blair by night, Day 5 – Fly back. Book your Ferry tickets in advance. Prefer the private ferries like Makruzz and try to avoid the government ferries which are not tidy. Makruz itself is a wonderful experience. I strongly advise you to work with a tour operator though we can do all these by ourselves (you can find them on travel portals). It may be a bit costly, but they know some nuances, which the first time traveller does not. We had a good experience with Andaman Island travels (P) Ltd. (contact@andamanislands.in)

Also plan so that you don’t have any important act on the day immediately after your arrival back to your home city. Why? Sometimes ferries can get tricky and they cancel some trips. That may leave you stranded (well almost) and you will need to catch the next day ferry. We were lucky, but heard a story about a batch of tourists who had to stay over in at Neil overnight.

3.       Don’t miss Scuba and Snorkeling – This is what you go to Andamans. The water is clear and hence perfect for diving. I don’t know swimming and I was skeptical, but I just had to cross that initial threshold of apprehension and here I am back safe and sound having gone through one of the best experience in my life to date

Ok if you are still not convinced make sure you walk away from the shore into the waters, especially at the Bharatpur beach in Neil island. One can easily walk at least 150-200 metres before water hits your hip. Yes for an adult who measures 6ft.

Radhanagar beach at Havelock is one of the tidiest and longest beaches you will ever come across.

4.       Start your day early, you need to end by 4pm – As I mentioned above day starts early, so get up grab your breakfast and move out. By 4ish in the evening darkness sets in. In addition to that many beaches close by 3:30pm.

5.       Reach the Port Blair airport early on return – The crowd could be tricky. Also I could not get data connectivity at the airport which meant I had to take the help of the airport Jetairwarys personnel to get the ticket printouts for which I paid Rs50 each.

Also, please carry the receipts of stuff you carry – especially the shells, conchs etc. There could be checking at the airport.

6.       Food – Our stay was good at Havelock, but food could have been better. However you don’t have many options. You need to necessarily hop into a resort to have food when you are away from Port Blair. We went to a resort named Wild Orchid and the food was awesome. So do some research.

6.5 Drinks – My advice – Carry your booze. There are not too many outlets even though it is a union territory, and even if you find one, you may not find your brand.

There are many more islands in addition to Havelock, Neil and Port Blair islands. However from my initial research you need to stay longer to explore those. Some of the trips could be tiring for the kids too. For starters Port Blair – Havelock – Neil – Port Blair is a good option. You can get around with Hindi. Tamil and Bengali are the other spoken languages.

Andamans is an experience though we explored only a small area. I am sure to go back there to spend time…with time.

Hope you too make it there.

Corporate lessons from my 10 year old son (4) - Making effective decisions

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 10:20:00 +0000

'Child is the father of the man' , Wordsworth would have told this in another context but I find my 10 year son teaching me many important corporate lessons. Very simple, straight forward but we adults make a mess of it.

I have been writing a series on this. 4 parts are up. They are available on Linkedin, which I thought is a better platform for the writings.

Here are the links. Welcome your views.

Corporate lessons from my 10 year old son(4) - 3 steps to effective decisions
Corporate lessons from my 10 year old son(3) - Ah ! The lady driver...
Corporate lessons from my 10 year old son(2) - Keep your message simple and relevant
Corporate lessons from my 10 year old son(1) - Giving feedback

On Teacher's day - Meeting my First Standard teacher

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 08:38:00 +0000

I feel so guilty that I waited for the Teacher’s day to write this note. I am a strong critic of ‘xxx day’ (xxx can be replaced by Teacher’s/Friends’/Father’s and so on). However in the mad rush towards nothing in life, I have now increasingly reconciled to the fact that these days do some good to us; at least me. It was so heartening to see my ten year old son calling his grandparents (both once teachers) and his last year class teacher to wish them for the day!

I have been fortunate to have teachers as my parents. Some of my friends claim it is an extra stress but I never felt so. My son does not have that luxury, so I know what he misses..

Today, I am writing about my First standard class teacher – Mrs. Pinto. I had the opportunity to meet her at her home a few months back. Around ninety years of age, the biggest surprise was she remembered me notwithstanding the fact that she taught me more than three decades back. My year in class1 and her final year in employment had coincided.

In those days, I am not sure if it is now, we used to have teachers from the Anglo-Indian community teaching us. In most cases the subject was English. English as a language of commercial use was much mainstream at that time. Looking back, I feel fortunate that I had teachers like Mrs.Pinto shaping my English at a very early stage. She did not teach me English through Malayalam (my mother tongue)!

During my visit to Mrs Pinto, she distinctly recalled one incident. She said she still remembered the farewell speech I gave during her last day in office. She had always wanted to meet the little boy who gave that speech. I faintly remember giving a speech, when I was all of six, but I definitely don’t remember what I told. I am also sure my father would have made me learn the narrative and present in a way it still lingered in her mind. It was really amazing to know my teacher in first standard recalled the incident. Thank you Mrs. Pinto ! It was such a warm recollection.

Teachers need not always come from the school. In the current times, they could be your managers, your peers, friends, parents, books , even your son ! I have written about my son teaching me several nuances. We need to be open for learning. Learning by listening and learning by doing, not just by reading.

On this teacher’s days I spent some time thinking about the influence many of them had and have been making in my life. I thank them in my mind.

Do spare some moments for your teachers. Many of them were walking along with you without your knowledge and made you who you are. Let’s remember them at least today.

Did you meet any of your teachers after long time ? Do you have similar experiences?

In the company of gentlemen - Father's day 2015

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 09:31:00 +0000

I feel guilty that I stop to pen these down only on Father’s days.

The alibi could be that I live with my son and constantly converses with my father. So every day is a Father’s day. Also to my credit, if you include this piece, I have written 3times in the last 4 Father’s days. Not bad, right?

Now I feel less guilty. You may read on :)

The two men in my life still amaze me. One with his maturity and wisdom, which I now concede, I may never be able to surpass and the other with the practical lessons imparted almost on a weekly basis. I need to be just a sponge to absorb all the learnings.

My father as I have mentioned elsewhere was a stickler of values. In addition to integrity, trustworthiness he was also insistent that I respect others’ time. The interesting fact is that he may not have ever told me that in as many words. But his actions, and the type of engagements that he introduced me to made me get this into my blood. I may not be as good as he is, but I still strive to achieve that. I spread my circle of influence to help get this habit into others. Unfortunately I don’t see many people around valuing other’s time and in many cases their own time.

The person I have influenced most in this case is my son. It is difficult to get these into a ten year old who is into myriad stuff, but somewhere I think I have been able to inculcate this in him. Repeating myself several times and providing him evidence based arguments have been working thus far. (I confess that I have not been very successful with my wife, but she is definitely much better on this aspect now vis-à-vis years back). As a father I have also ensured to provide him the environment where these values are followed consistently. I myself act and not tell. I take him to his coaching classes, bus-stops on time. It is very important for kids not to have multiple messages coming on the same theme. So far, so good.

Another tool that my father used to impart values was through stories. Being in India, we did not need to go far to find them. Our epics are abundant with them. I remember hearing from him apart from Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bible and others, the stories of great Shakespearean plays.

I continue the tradition at our home with my son. And usually this happens while he gets into his bed to sleep. Till a few years back, he used to tell me the ‘moral of the story’, when I missed that part. I had to be creative to bring in modern characters like Spiderman, Superman and his friends, him and me replacing our good old Panchatantra characters to make the stories more relatable. It has definitely enhanced my story telling skills too. I am now confident that I can start impromptu, ‘Once upon a time…’ and still make a story. Story telling becoming an integral part of corporate and social lives I hope this will help me in addition to keeping my engagement levels with my son.

Some of you would have also read my writings on the ten year old and the corporate lessons he shares with me.

I feel myself to be fortunate to be with these fantastic gentlemen around. I look forward to many more days sharing our great relationships.

*****

You may also want to read

Father's day thoughts – 2012

Father's day thoughts - 2013

Corporate lessons from a 10 year old

Kodungalloor Bharani Festival - Who defines what is profane ? (1)

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 05:06:00 +0000

The sun was seething in anger. Vermillion, yellow and red colors ruled. The air smelt of dust and tasted of sweat.

It was my second visit to the Kodungalloor temple during the ‘Aswathy’ day in the Malayalam calendar month of ‘Meenam’. This time I felt that the energy levels of the people had gone up.

The temple is situated in the town of Kodungallor (Muziris as known through history) in Thrissur district. The practice of Theripattu (song of expletives) draws people to this temple in droves. My interest was no different. However, my attempt is to understand why and how profanity became a part of this ritual.

Everything here is frenetic, boisterous and many a times violent. The usually calm act of offering prayers to the gods turns into - the hurling of packets of cardamom powder, vermillion, turmeric among other offerings - into the closed temple complex. You also see hens flying around, cruelly thrown in a similar manner. The oracles (velichapadu) are closely associated with the rituals on the auspicious day.

Kavutheendal (Kavu-Temple, Theendal-The act of touching)

The festival begins with throngs of women and men dressed in vermillion costumes, covered with gold-colored necklaces, waist belts and anklets, armed with swords that end in a sickle, arriving enmasse at the temple premises. They, along with their supporters flood all the roads towards the temple.

They start dancing to the tune of songs and the drums causing the bells that adorn the sword and waist belt to sway and jingle. You can see the foreheads of some of the oracles oozing blood and vermillion, owing to the fact that at the throes of devotion they hit the swords against their forehead. The noise picks up in decibels when more and more people start flooding the area and throw their offerings into the temple since the main door is closed. Devotees are also seen bathed in turmeric.

Towards the second half of the day more men who belong to various nadus (regions) and castes arrive as teams. Most of them come with a bare torso and only a knee length white cloth tied around their waists. They possess the ‘rights’ over raised platforms (tharas) built around the temple. The teams come running with sticks in hands to defend their ‘pieces of land,’ violently shooing away people who have been sitting there. They usually carry team flags. Once they claim their piece of land they start dancing. The dancing picks up pace and rigour and some of them start hitting themselves with the sticks. I saw elders trying to stop their younger counterparts from inflicting serious injury.

One Krishnaparunthu (brahmini kite) is seen to be circling over the temple as the sun moves west. This is the time for the king to signal the palakya velan to do the kavutheendal (touch the temple). A frenzied act follows with palakya velan leading the oracles and others, ramming their sticks and swords against the temple, throwing their offerings inside. Devi stothrams (songs in praise of goddess) and theripattu (song of expletives) are also sung. Post the kavutheendal the temple is closed for seven days for cleansing.

Bharanipattu (theripattu)

Temples are considered to be very sacred places. So why do we have such a strange ritual? The theripattu sung during this festival are expletives of the crudest form. Some of them go to the extent of describing the male and the female sexual organs and sex acts in very lewd forms.

Lately there has been a lot of protest against this specific way of singing. I also understand that their singing is prohibited outside the temple premises. However, there are opinions that believe the protest and call for prohibition is a largely high–caste hindu dominated attempt to define what is religious and what is profane.

Before we take sides, it is worthwhile for us to know the myths and facts (?)behind the ritual. In the next few pieces I will write about the history entangled with myths about the temple, deity and the interpretations of whys of theripattu.

What can a common man look for at Kochi Muziris Biennale 2014?

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 17:49:00 +0000

The shores of the sea at Fort Kochi provided the ideal setting for Kochi – Muziris Biennale 2014, the second edition hosted by Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) under the curatorship of Jitish Kallat. The exhibition which stays open for 108 days (till 23^rd March, 2015) aims to celebrate contemporary art forms from around the world.

Some disclaimers are in line before you read further. The author is a Kochiite, but not a connoisseur in art. Hence my aim will be to observe this event from the perspective of a common man. Why? Because the first edition of Biennale had its share of controversy - Did it make sense to the layman?

The curatorial note in the short guide available at the exhibition talks about the overlapping of two historical episodes in Kerala during 14^th – 17^th centuries. The first one being the marine chapter with seamen, soldiers, navigators etc, the second one being that of the Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics making steady advances in Trigonometry and Calculus. Hence, if you start looking at the installations through the glasses worn by Jitin Kallat, you may stumble upon metaphors, allusions and images pointing towards that point.

But, I did not read this guide before I stepped in to the Biennale grounds. Therefore the below text will not be affected by those tinted lens.

When we move beyond the commercial buildings into the narrow by lanes of older Kochi ie Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, we witness a concoction of several cultures. They speak about the cosmopolitan heritage of the city and its culturally and commercially rich predecessor, port of Muziris. Kochi being a port city much active even before the times of British India has its fair share of Dutch and Portuguese influence. The town is still reveling in the hangover of their colonial European past. This along with the Jewish connection still beckons many Europeans to its lanes.

For me, Kochi especially its shores are all about sound, light, water and sand (earth). The Biennale, aptly themed ‘Whorled explorations’ is a beautifully crafted and curated interplay of these elements.

So, what may captivate the common man at Biennale?

Art is not just some paintings. Anything and everything could be the medium

Contemporary art has moved beyond canvasses and oil paintings. It uses a variety of matter and non-matter to convey the obvious and the abstract. Bamboos, Charcoal, Light, Sound, Thick black cords, Beads, Bricks…you name it and you may find an installation there. There were videos, photos, paintings, sculptures, light formations and many others.

How could I have imagined an art piece made of blood sample slides hitherto used only in the labs?

Art is not always about tradition and its visual representations

As a pre-millennial most of the local art forms which I am exposed to, include painting in oil that depict mythology or history. As a Keralite, I am much aware of the scornful eyes of reviewers when some artists try to deviate from the beaten paths.

Kochi Muziris Biennale dispels this myth. It provokes a smile when you see Karl Marx and Angels as saints. You are wowed by the illusions created by water, sound that makes you redefine what has been known to you as reality. You find art in numbers. It was heartening to see use of latest technology and gadgets as mediums to take the message of the artist to the wider audience.

Art cannot be confined to the four walls of exhibition halls and museums

As a school student, excursions frequently took me to some museum or the other. As an adult I am used to searching for the museums at the new places I land. ‘Art pieces’ are placed invariably at a distance diligently framed or barricaded at a safe distance.

‘Whorled explorations’ helps the common man explore beyond the regular abodes of art. It was refreshing to find elegant art on moss filled walls.

Art is not exclusive property of the older generations

With technological advances shrinking the world, the talented and the creative younger generation is finding easier access to get their works noticed. Experience is no more the pre-requisite for anyone to gain access to the artistic hallways. Millennial art pieces are much at display. I could even spot one from a post 1990 born artist. It is interesting to note that the artist desired to preserve objects and concepts facing extinction from his early life.

Organizers have been doing a fantastic job with the management of facilities. However, I felt the event had not been marketed well. I am surprised since Kerala, God’s Own Country is known for its hugely successful marketing campaigns. Kochi Biennale 2014 did not leverage any of the social real estate on the web (Facebook, Twitter, Website etc), at least not to the best of its capacity. Reaching out to wider audiences beyond Kochi could have given it the economic boost it apparently needed.

A simple mobile app would have done wonders in helping build engagement among art lovers. As I read elsewhere money is a concern, but the above activities do not require much of it. These are especially important since people like me might plan to visit again sometime before this year’s edition winds up. Hopefully KBF takes note.

I strongly believe that Keralites and more so Kochiites will be proud to wear Kochi Muziris Biennale as a badge of honour. It has definitely helped sketch and project to the world, Kochi’s cultural contours and its nitty-gritties.

On the way back home, I kept wondering how light, sound and water when apportioned and curated in different quantities can provide you with joyful moments that you will relish, again and again... Here’s the shout out to Biennale – It’s my Biennale.

Interstellar by Christopher Nolan - A Review

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 20:13:00 +0000

Whether you loved or hated Physics during your school years doesn’t matter. You are going to love ‘Interstellar’ by Christopher Nolan. For the lovers, the movie will widen horizons and for the rest the movie will be a crash course on how knowledge and application of physics can save humanity.

Interstellar is yet another movie by Nolan where manipulation of time gives us a great story. The story starts somewhere in the future when the world is afflicted by dangerous dust storms and a very pernicious blight is wiping away the crops. This makes it difficult to put food on the table.

Cooper (Coops) played by Matthew McConaughey is an ex-NASA pilot, engineer and a farmer once he quit NASA. He stays with his ten-year-old ghost-seeing daughter, his elder son and their grandfather. Coops is persuaded by Dr Brand, the in-charge at NASA to take on the mission to save the world. (It looks like there is always some room for Michael Caine in Nolan’s movies). The movie fast forwards and you see Coops piloting the mission with Brand’s daughter Amelia (Ann Hathaway looks cute in a short haircut) couple of scientists and robots. The mission is to travel through a worm hole, discovered 48 years ago near Saturn. Through this worm hole the spacecraft will explore a different galaxy for habitable planets. Coops mission with Endurance is a part of the bigger Lazarus mission where Brand had sent few scientists with the same objective.

We see some breathtaking visuals, hear discussions on physics, space-time, relativity, gravity, black holes while our Endurance charts its way onwards, bringing with it hope to humanity. Han Zimmer’s music sets up the perfect background. This is where the movie got interesting for me. As I write this review, and even at the break during the movie, I was constantly googling several terms and taking off to several hyperlinks. A science enthusiast will love the trip. The discussions on relativity, time-dilation, time-warp et al excite curiosity on the enormous possibilities and also humbles us with the fact that our knowledge about the universe is only a speck.

However, the real twist in the movie happens when Nolan philosophizes time, love and space. Each character in the movie seems to have taken on one or more of these terms. Towards the end when we get the hang of the world beyond the three dimensions, we are made to think that ‘love is an artifact of higher dimension’ (well, whatever that means). If you have to summarize Interstellar philosophically, it is about the ‘human survival instinct.’ There are several direct references and allusions towards it. Dr Brand often quotes Dylan Thomas ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’

There is something for the Indian viewers this time in this Nolan movie. During the initial scenes Coops and family chase down an India Airforce Drone. Does that point towards India gaining some military muscle in the future ?

I always recommend movies which give us an experience that is beyond the 120 minutes or so spent watching it. Nolan has always provided that. Through Interstellar, Nolan showcases human imagination and he continues to push the frontiers of reality.

Waiting by Ha Jin

noreply@blogger.com (vagabondmind) — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 07:15:00 +0000

One day, while at the library I suddenly realized a pattern to my reading. It has been rare that I pick up a book from unfamiliar authors. With time at premium, maybe it is my ‘risk-averse’ reading habit that manifested into this behavior.

I wanted to buck the trend.

I decided to pick an author who I have never read, and better still, never even heard about. That’s how I ended up reading Waiting by Ha Jin.

Though the move to pick up the book was completely random, I quickly realized that Xuefei who writes with the pen name Ha Jin has won a few awards for this book.

I had written earlier in these columns that China has been an area of interest of me; reading a Chinese author in English aligned to this interest.

Waiting revolves around an army doctor Lin Kong, his wife Shuyu and his girlfriend Manna Wu.

The opening sentence of the novel ''Every summer Lin Kong returned to Goose Village to divorce his wife, Shuyu,'' makes the reader curious enough to read further. Lin had to marry Shuyu as per the wishes of his ageing parents, but he did not ‘love’ her. He loved Manna who was a nurse at the army hospital and wanted to marry her. To make this happen he had to divorce his wife and his visits to his hometown are strictly devoted to get this purpose actioned. But, years have passed and it has not happened.

The story spans across two decades and is set against the background of China under Cultural Revolution and the transition out of it. The book, at its best is a failed ‘crash course’ in getting the reader understand China. I felt it did not offer any deep insights into life during those times. The narrative is tuned to a western audience who are interested in knowing the China behind the great wall. As a reader who has an overall idea of China, I was disappointed that it did not go deeper.

Human longing is the underlying emotion in Waiting. Everyone seems to be waiting for something or someone. The writing style is simple. The plot overall is engaging. Yet I felt that the prose stretched unnecessarily many a times. As I mentioned earlier the novel started well, but a few pages down, you can accurately predict the outcome of Lin’s visits to his hometown, which kills the curiosity quotient.

I appreciate Ha Jin for not falling into the same trap as many foreign based Indian authors writing on India. Many paint a different and rather dark picture of their home country which is preferred by the western audience.

All in all, I would say Waiting is overrated.