Few movies have been made in Tamil cinema or for that matter in bollywood too that have seen such a tremendous response as Sivaji has. It has broken umpteen numbers of records even as it is still in the first week of its release.
In director Shankar, actor Rajnikanth is lucky to have got a man who is known to make movies that enthrall the audience visually. Boys, Gentleman, Anniyan and Mudhalvan had one thing in common – lavishly created sets to shoot songs and some good music that left the audience asking for more. Following the same trend, Sivaji sees the return of Shankar-Rehman duo and quite expectedly, the result is a visual delight.
It would take extreme courage for any producer to make a movie that is believed to be the most extravagant in Indian cinema’s history. But, if the hero is Rajnikanth and if his last release was 2 years back, it is no surprise at all.
Coming to the movie, it has got everything that an ardent Rajni fan expects of his icon. From a good dose of style to a larger than life image, the veteran actor proves once again that he can still attract crowds in his inimitable style.
The hero takes on the tax evaders and in the process, one gets to see some fight scenes that only the super star can do without appearing ridiculous. The first half could have done with some editing as the first song obviously drags. In the company of Vivek, Rajni manages to make the audience laugh and the jokes are not rehashed 0nes either. The standout ones are those in which the superstar experiments with fair and lovely to win over his lady love and those in which he imitates MGR. The make up artists have done their homework commendably well and all along their effort and work has not gone unnoticed.
The second half is more action packed and stylish. Special credit should be given to Shreya Saran who does her job neatly. Looking glamorous seems to be her only job and in low-waist saris and skimpy costumes, she does that. I am curious to know how she fares from now on as undoubtedly, this movie with the superstar would give her a wide visibility.
Apart from having all the ingredients of a blockbuster, the movie sends subtle hints of a political career for Rajni. The hero has a huge fall from riches to rags and the next day, he outwits the villain and laughs in his face. That can happen only in extremely imaginative cinema, but who cares for reality and possibilities anyway!! The movie is definitely a ‘paisa vasool’ mass entertainer that will keep the cash registers ringing for a long time.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
LeftSpeak
Political analyst Cho Ramaswamy once remarked in a television show: “If the Left has a future, India will have no future left.”
In India, the left parties comprising the CPI and the CPI (M) enjoy power with absolutely no accountability and sense of proportion. Wielding considerable political clout only in three states – West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, they get to have a say on almost everything the centre does and expect the centre to toe their line too. They don’t form part of the union cabinet and yet the UPA gives in every time they raise a hue and cry. The latest episode is their rejection of presidential hopefuls – Shivraj Patil and Karan Singh.
They comment on the entry of foreign firms in the retail sector, FDI caps and agricultural policies to be pursued and the Government like a good school boy listens.
Yet, North Bengal is literally one area in the country that competes for the top spot when it comes to hunger related deaths and malnutrition. The SEZ row in Nandigram doesn’t seem to head towards a quick solution either.
It would be better if the communists of this country respect the people’s mandate and confine themselves to wielding a proportional sense of power. It would definitely be in the larger interests of the society!!
In India, the left parties comprising the CPI and the CPI (M) enjoy power with absolutely no accountability and sense of proportion. Wielding considerable political clout only in three states – West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, they get to have a say on almost everything the centre does and expect the centre to toe their line too. They don’t form part of the union cabinet and yet the UPA gives in every time they raise a hue and cry. The latest episode is their rejection of presidential hopefuls – Shivraj Patil and Karan Singh.
They comment on the entry of foreign firms in the retail sector, FDI caps and agricultural policies to be pursued and the Government like a good school boy listens.
Yet, North Bengal is literally one area in the country that competes for the top spot when it comes to hunger related deaths and malnutrition. The SEZ row in Nandigram doesn’t seem to head towards a quick solution either.
It would be better if the communists of this country respect the people’s mandate and confine themselves to wielding a proportional sense of power. It would definitely be in the larger interests of the society!!
Is this Empowerment?
In the past few days, we have been constantly hearing about the nomination of Pratibha Patil to the post of president by the UPA-Left combine. Her are some comments that are being flashed across the news channels on her “elevation” and what it means to womenfolk of the country.
Pratibha Patil: “It shows that women are respected in this country.”
“I’ll not be a rubber-stamp president.”
Congress party spokesperson, Jayanti Natarajan: “The opposition should gracefully refrain from contesting against the UPA-Left nominee.”
Sonia Gandhi: “It is a historic moment for the country.”
Shobha De: “It is an insult to women.”
DMK Chief: “From here on, it is your rule.” (To a woman journalist)
Some questions that her candidature has thrown up:
Is her gender getting unfair attention?
Yes.
Were their more worthy candidates (Men and Women) for the post?
Yes.
Who is Pratibha Patil?
Born in Maharashtra, she made a mark in state politics by rising from humble beginnings. She has served as a minister in the state cabinet; has been deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and more importantly has maintained a low profile and has a clean, non-controversial public image. One thing that clearly went in her favor is her loyalty to the Nehru-Gandhi family.
This shrewd political move on the part of the congress largely due to the absence of consensus on other candidates has been turned into an attempt on the part of the Government towards empowering women. If it is really what it is being made out by the Government, the centre should have considered only the names of women from the beginning. Instead, it went about trying to build consensus on Shivraj Patil, Karan Singh and Shinde and only when these attempts failed, it found the Rajasthan Governor to be the perfect choice acceptable to all parties. The flipside is that she is being judged even before she has occupied the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
By choosing a political person who has been a lawyer and who has been an efficient administrator, it has opted for the right person. But in the process, many other names that enjoy greater stature and who have been in the public eye for greater lengths of time have lost out. The reason put forward is that, one cannot try and please everybody.
Women hold critical decision—making positions in the Indian political scene with Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati being prime examples. Yet, there are no strong women ministers in the center and in UP. And ironically, the Government expects the people to be fooled by this elevation of the Rajasthan governor to a nominal post!!! One only expects our womenfolk to see through all this and decide for themselves.
Pratibha Patil: “It shows that women are respected in this country.”
“I’ll not be a rubber-stamp president.”
Congress party spokesperson, Jayanti Natarajan: “The opposition should gracefully refrain from contesting against the UPA-Left nominee.”
Sonia Gandhi: “It is a historic moment for the country.”
Shobha De: “It is an insult to women.”
DMK Chief: “From here on, it is your rule.” (To a woman journalist)
Some questions that her candidature has thrown up:
Is her gender getting unfair attention?
Yes.
Were their more worthy candidates (Men and Women) for the post?
Yes.
Who is Pratibha Patil?
Born in Maharashtra, she made a mark in state politics by rising from humble beginnings. She has served as a minister in the state cabinet; has been deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and more importantly has maintained a low profile and has a clean, non-controversial public image. One thing that clearly went in her favor is her loyalty to the Nehru-Gandhi family.
This shrewd political move on the part of the congress largely due to the absence of consensus on other candidates has been turned into an attempt on the part of the Government towards empowering women. If it is really what it is being made out by the Government, the centre should have considered only the names of women from the beginning. Instead, it went about trying to build consensus on Shivraj Patil, Karan Singh and Shinde and only when these attempts failed, it found the Rajasthan Governor to be the perfect choice acceptable to all parties. The flipside is that she is being judged even before she has occupied the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
By choosing a political person who has been a lawyer and who has been an efficient administrator, it has opted for the right person. But in the process, many other names that enjoy greater stature and who have been in the public eye for greater lengths of time have lost out. The reason put forward is that, one cannot try and please everybody.
Women hold critical decision—making positions in the Indian political scene with Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati being prime examples. Yet, there are no strong women ministers in the center and in UP. And ironically, the Government expects the people to be fooled by this elevation of the Rajasthan governor to a nominal post!!! One only expects our womenfolk to see through all this and decide for themselves.
Monday, June 4, 2007
In the city's trains
Chennai city has its share of attractions like all major cities do. The electric train and the marina beach would be at the very top when one tries to compare the city with any other Indian city.
This post is totally devoted to my experiences traveling in the city’s suburban trains. Traveling by these trains always leaves one with a myriad of experiences if one has the eye to look around and observe people. The sheer number of vendors trying to sell their wares at any point of the day is mindblowing. Each person has his/her own way of wooing a potential customer.
I have just tried to capture a single day’s experience here.
It was a hot Sunday but by Chennai standards, a relatively bearable one. I boarded the EMU at Mambalam that day. Ranganathan Street is a paradise for the city’s shoppers and inevitably always crowded. People got into the train with their shopping bags full. I was surprised to see a gentleman getting in carrying a cycle. It was a small bicycle he had just brought for his little son who was all smiles.
I got myself a seat luckily and looked around at my co-passengers. Sitting across from me on the opposite side was a young lady and a boy, apparently her friend. She was tall, had thick eyebrows and long hair. Simple and beautiful looking, she attracted quite a few approving glances. Her hair kept blowing in her face and her hands were making almost involuntary movements to keep it in place. She was looking a little tired and soon her eyelids drooped.
The bicycle meanwhile was touched, caressed and commented on by some curious passengers. Everybody seemed to have an opinion all of a sudden. A few were appreciative of its color, a few were critical of its cost, some commented that the tires wouldn’t last long... all this was going on while the boy was happy and smiling to himself on his father’s buy.
A little child of around 2-3 years was trying to touch the cycle and his toothless smile was directed at the boy. Soon enough, he was trying to sit on it with the boy’s help and his face glowed with pride when he was comfortably seated.
As stations sped past, the child was placed in the lap of the small boy while his parents carefully made sure that he wouldn’t fall. All these simple and common place incidents were occasionally spoilt by the glaring ring tones from somebody’s cell phone. But, they nevertheless provided me with much needed amusement and lifted my spirits after a long hot day spent in the midst of a mad shopping crowd.
Many people spend a good amount of time commuting in these trains and for them these little incidents serve as pleasant diversions. For these alone, I have always preferred the trains over buses. One has to just look around and be rest assured that one’s short journey is full of amusing experiences!!
This post is totally devoted to my experiences traveling in the city’s suburban trains. Traveling by these trains always leaves one with a myriad of experiences if one has the eye to look around and observe people. The sheer number of vendors trying to sell their wares at any point of the day is mindblowing. Each person has his/her own way of wooing a potential customer.
I have just tried to capture a single day’s experience here.
It was a hot Sunday but by Chennai standards, a relatively bearable one. I boarded the EMU at Mambalam that day. Ranganathan Street is a paradise for the city’s shoppers and inevitably always crowded. People got into the train with their shopping bags full. I was surprised to see a gentleman getting in carrying a cycle. It was a small bicycle he had just brought for his little son who was all smiles.
I got myself a seat luckily and looked around at my co-passengers. Sitting across from me on the opposite side was a young lady and a boy, apparently her friend. She was tall, had thick eyebrows and long hair. Simple and beautiful looking, she attracted quite a few approving glances. Her hair kept blowing in her face and her hands were making almost involuntary movements to keep it in place. She was looking a little tired and soon her eyelids drooped.
The bicycle meanwhile was touched, caressed and commented on by some curious passengers. Everybody seemed to have an opinion all of a sudden. A few were appreciative of its color, a few were critical of its cost, some commented that the tires wouldn’t last long... all this was going on while the boy was happy and smiling to himself on his father’s buy.
A little child of around 2-3 years was trying to touch the cycle and his toothless smile was directed at the boy. Soon enough, he was trying to sit on it with the boy’s help and his face glowed with pride when he was comfortably seated.
As stations sped past, the child was placed in the lap of the small boy while his parents carefully made sure that he wouldn’t fall. All these simple and common place incidents were occasionally spoilt by the glaring ring tones from somebody’s cell phone. But, they nevertheless provided me with much needed amusement and lifted my spirits after a long hot day spent in the midst of a mad shopping crowd.
Many people spend a good amount of time commuting in these trains and for them these little incidents serve as pleasant diversions. For these alone, I have always preferred the trains over buses. One has to just look around and be rest assured that one’s short journey is full of amusing experiences!!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Movies should be made like this...
I don’t know Telugu. On a friend’s recommendation and thanks to subtitles, I decided to see Bommarillu. After 2 hrs and 45 minutes, I felt very happy that I had seen it. All my myths about Telugu movies were completely shattered.
The film is a romantic entertainer in every sense of the word. The lead pair, Siddharth and Genelia fit the bill perfectly as young lovers. Prakashraj as the father of the hero tries to guide his son in every step that he takes with the good intention of making his son happy. When the hero wants to be free from his father’s influence, it proves to be extremely difficult.
Genelia as the girl who talks non-stop and does things as she wishes could not have given a more convincing performance. The hero is drawn to this vivacious and freedom loving young girl and how he manages to secure his father’s approval for the marriage forms the remaining story.
The music by Devi Sri Prasad is very good on the ears and the lyrics have been given good attention. The costumes on the lead pair look good and both of them carry their roles off with utmost ease. I was laughing through most of the second half and not because one actor was trying to belittle another but because of the manner in which the heroine was trying to impress the hero’s father.
The movie tries to appeal to the parents of this generation of youth to give importance to their sons’ and daughters’ wishes instead of forcing their likes. In an indirect manner, it also gets across the point that one shouldn’t expect one’s partner to change according to his/her wishes.
When movies are made to target specific audiences and skin show seems to have become common, this one appeals to all age groups with a limited dose of everything thrown in to impress any interested movie-goer.
As I write this, I am planning to see this one again...
Movies should be made like this...
The film is a romantic entertainer in every sense of the word. The lead pair, Siddharth and Genelia fit the bill perfectly as young lovers. Prakashraj as the father of the hero tries to guide his son in every step that he takes with the good intention of making his son happy. When the hero wants to be free from his father’s influence, it proves to be extremely difficult.
Genelia as the girl who talks non-stop and does things as she wishes could not have given a more convincing performance. The hero is drawn to this vivacious and freedom loving young girl and how he manages to secure his father’s approval for the marriage forms the remaining story.
The music by Devi Sri Prasad is very good on the ears and the lyrics have been given good attention. The costumes on the lead pair look good and both of them carry their roles off with utmost ease. I was laughing through most of the second half and not because one actor was trying to belittle another but because of the manner in which the heroine was trying to impress the hero’s father.
The movie tries to appeal to the parents of this generation of youth to give importance to their sons’ and daughters’ wishes instead of forcing their likes. In an indirect manner, it also gets across the point that one shouldn’t expect one’s partner to change according to his/her wishes.
When movies are made to target specific audiences and skin show seems to have become common, this one appeals to all age groups with a limited dose of everything thrown in to impress any interested movie-goer.
As I write this, I am planning to see this one again...
Movies should be made like this...
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Tour memoirs - Final part
The trip from the hotel to the Jallianwala Bagh memorial was for a good part by horse carts. The poor animals were made to draw carts loaded with 10 of us. Many Kodak moments were captured during the ride and it would simply stay forever in many of our memories. At the memorial, the cumulative energy was palpably on the lower side probably because many of us knew that General Dyer had brutally opened fire on an innocent gathering at that very place. The Amar Jyothi and the well where people had jumped to escape humiliation truly stirred patriotism in our hearts. Mani captured every description on Anand’s mobile with an interest I envied.
Our next visit was to the golden temple and words would simply be unable to convey the beauty of the structure or the calmness/serenity of mind one felt at the place. We tied orange cloths to cover our hair before we stepped in. The structure was so beautiful even in the foggy morning that it seemed to draw all eyes towards it and every one of us made sure that we did not miss looking at it from all possible angles.
From an elderly Sikh gentleman, we learnt that people of all faiths flock to the temple and that their holy book has something valuable for everybody. When we were about to exit, Prashanth shot a video of Meera and a little child. The child’s parents were all smiles and VP as always did a good work...
As we walked back to the carts, we could observe the hustle and bustle of the small city and we really felt part of the diverse Indian society like never before. The young girls were dressed in traditional Punjabi fashion and made the beating of our hearts a little quicker. The ride back was eventful with some good haggling for the amount to be paid for the horse carts.
In the evening, we went to the Wagah border to be part of the flag march that takes place with much pomp and show. Flags, CDS claiming to have the march and numerous other ‘patriotic’ souvenirs priced exorbitantly were sold by young men almost feverishly before the gates opened and we were let in to have a closer look. Boys and girls were meticulously separated at his point.
Across the border, we could catch sight of our Pakistani friends and jawans. The crowd there was not much except for some school children. Emotions ran high and soon shouts were matched by louder shouts and claps by louder claps. Prathiba, Thendral, Kamakshi and JD did us proud by carrying the Indian tricolor. Later, we requested the Jawans to pose for a few photos. Some of them relented while a few didn’t seem to care. We left with the feeling of having been part of a big event.
The night ride to Manali was taxing on all of us. After the supper, we were struggling to get some sleep. VP entertained us and to a large extent, made the night ride possible with a good number of songs from his repertoire. The beauty of his voice coupled with the fresh air and our driver’s passion for a ‘steady’ ride got us through.
In the morning, we stopped for breakfast at a breathtaking place. It was actually a school and everywhere we could see monkeys and small hills. Deepti/the little angel got talking freely that morning. She reeled off anecdotes about her class teachers (actually said, she doesn’t like the face of her maths teacher) and friends (said, she hates a boy who always copies from her during the exams and then tries to act innocent).
The bus resumed and it appeared as if we would keep traveling. We passed a long tunnel and it was a funny feeling to have darkness surround us all of a sudden. The condition of the road progressively worsened as we got closer to Manali. Finally, we reached the hotel by 12’o’ clock and after a good and hearty lunch got some sleep. The view from the hotel – of snow capped mountains and fading sunlight – was of nature at her peak.
In the evening, we went for a walk and it was really chilly. We rented a metal rod that provided some respite from the cold. That night, we made Vichu’s birthday a truly memorable one by literally making his face ‘sweeter’ J
The next day we started after breakfast for snow point. Rohtang pass was closed during that time of the year due to extremely low temperatures and snowfall. We rented fur coats and boots for Rs. 100 and it took us quite a good amount of time before everyone was happy with the size of the coats and boots they got.
With a long stick to support ourselves in the snow, we arrived at snow point. Everywhere we could see ice and the place was straight out of some movie where a hero and his love might sing a romantic duet. We had fun throwing snow balls at each other and some boys even went to the extent of posing bare-chested in that ridiculously low temperature.
I, Muthu and Saranya climbed higher and higher leaving others and stopped just when we decided, we won’t be able to climb any further. Soon enough Vasu and BK joined us and we took snaps of each other.
Then it was time for the yaks to join in the fun. They were patient when we took turns sitting on top of them and a mini photo session was in progress. On coming down, we went to a little shop nearby and had piping hot noodles. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped to visit the Hadimba temple famous for its appearance in a small role in the film ‘Roja’. Small rabbits in the temple premises bowled us over with their cute looks and soon everybody was having one in their hands and smiling into the cameras.
That night would go down in the entire journey as the most memorable one. We had ‘campfire’ in the hotel and it was so cold that many of us were wearing more than 3 layers of clothing and the unavoidable gloves. While it was ‘antakshri’ that started the proceedings, it was Ayyappa who in his inimitable manner got everybody’s attention glued when he started to pick out people among us who had grown close to each other in the course of college life and asked them about the incidents that had brought about such an intimacy.
I remember many interesting responses and this account would be meaningless if I fail to recount some of them.
Raj & Ambi: Attendance blues
Prathiba and nithya: Hostel woes
Thendral and Indu: Joint study
Meera and Usha: Hosur and same cutoff!!
The next day, we visited a Tibetan temple nearby. It was a beautiful one close to the main thoroughfare of Manali with a large statue of Buddha and the prayer bells which are a familiar sight in all Buddhist shrines.
It was then time to drag our luggage down to the bus and bid Manali goodbye. The bus started its journey down slope and we stopped at a roadside temple soon after. I once again observed the subtle differences in the manner in which my friends paid their obeisance and offered prayers. It is one thing that happens always to me at temples – observing people around me praying and their expressions when they try to surrender themselves to the supreme power towering above us all.
That ride to Delhi was the worst experience for me in the whole tour. I was sweating and feeling cold alternately and the sudden increase in the speed of our bus didn’t help matters either. I hardly slept during the whole of that ride and I guess, I was the only person who felt an immense relief when we reached Delhi in the early hours of the morning.
We were let free that day to roam Delhi on our own and I started early by taking a walk in the area surrounding the hotel and brought almost all the English dailies that the closest newspaper vendor had...
I joined Mani, Vasu, Avinash and VP and we boarded the metro to get to Red Fort. The metro stations were amazingly clean and it gave us a sense of being part of some hi-tech movie when the doors opened automatically and people got out. Announcements were made in Hindi and English to help the passengers know which station was approaching. Warnings were made to make sure we stay well clear of doors. When we steeped out on to the road leading to the red Fort, the contrast was sharp. It seemed as if we had gone back in time when Old Delhi met our eyes with its relative poverty and the rickshaw-wallahs struggled to keep alongside CNG buses in the busy traffic.
I did not much admire the Red Fort but liked the immense greenery inside. It was a large park like area for the Delhiites to relax whenever they wished. We spent quite a lot of time needlessly at the fort and it was already close to sunset time when we headed for the Samadhis of the congress leaders. That again was more of a park for young couples to get together after work and over weekends to have long chats.
The ride to the market area by a rickshaw certainly brought out the glaring inequalities prevailing in our society. In the morning, I was marveling at the clean and efficient metro system and in the evening, I was sitting in a rickshaw and a puny old man was pulling it with all his might. How some people resort to such back breaking work to earn their daily wages while a few spend freely without any qualms remains to me a mystery!!
The market did not meet our expectations and soon we were back on the metro to Karol Bagh area. There, again we headed towards the market. We spent a looong time there forgetting our supper and ended up getting very tired. We haggled like it was a profession and in the end, I don’t think we made a bad bargain. A lot of handbags (of course, all for our mothers, sisters, girl-cousins J ), travel bags, winter clothes and shoes were added to our luggage.
Early morning, the next day, it was time for us to bid goodbye to Delhi. We caught the morning fast passenger to Agra and that ride in itself gave us precious time to relax and play games.
At Agra, we had our lunch before leaving for the fort. The fort’s history was given to us by a rather ‘typical’ guide in a rather ‘typical’ fashion which interested us little. We were more interested in where the king was imprisoned and the queen had her bath... The view from the fort of the Mahal was impressive though not very much clear.
The road to the Taj Mahal was out of bounds for polluting vehicles. Camels and battery operated cars were the modes of transport apart from a few rickshaws.
The Taj in itself was to sound cliché grand and I was truly marveled by the structure’s effect on the people around me. We had some unforgettable photos taken inside with Vasu and Avi trying some remarkable air stunts. It was good to walk round and round the Mahal and we really didn’t care about the time... We did some really good speculation on the genuineness of the structure and it threw up more questions than we had expected in the beginning...
Back outside, we did some sweet shoppingJ. With a lot of memories to cherish, we boarded the Grand Trunk express back to Chennai. The return journey was not without its share of events with an army man getting nasty after drinking and a ‘thank you all’ speech by Babu and Ayyaparaj.
Going on long tours with friends gives the experience of getting closer to them in many ways and this one will remain the most pleasurable and memorable.
Our next visit was to the golden temple and words would simply be unable to convey the beauty of the structure or the calmness/serenity of mind one felt at the place. We tied orange cloths to cover our hair before we stepped in. The structure was so beautiful even in the foggy morning that it seemed to draw all eyes towards it and every one of us made sure that we did not miss looking at it from all possible angles.
From an elderly Sikh gentleman, we learnt that people of all faiths flock to the temple and that their holy book has something valuable for everybody. When we were about to exit, Prashanth shot a video of Meera and a little child. The child’s parents were all smiles and VP as always did a good work...
As we walked back to the carts, we could observe the hustle and bustle of the small city and we really felt part of the diverse Indian society like never before. The young girls were dressed in traditional Punjabi fashion and made the beating of our hearts a little quicker. The ride back was eventful with some good haggling for the amount to be paid for the horse carts.
In the evening, we went to the Wagah border to be part of the flag march that takes place with much pomp and show. Flags, CDS claiming to have the march and numerous other ‘patriotic’ souvenirs priced exorbitantly were sold by young men almost feverishly before the gates opened and we were let in to have a closer look. Boys and girls were meticulously separated at his point.
Across the border, we could catch sight of our Pakistani friends and jawans. The crowd there was not much except for some school children. Emotions ran high and soon shouts were matched by louder shouts and claps by louder claps. Prathiba, Thendral, Kamakshi and JD did us proud by carrying the Indian tricolor. Later, we requested the Jawans to pose for a few photos. Some of them relented while a few didn’t seem to care. We left with the feeling of having been part of a big event.
The night ride to Manali was taxing on all of us. After the supper, we were struggling to get some sleep. VP entertained us and to a large extent, made the night ride possible with a good number of songs from his repertoire. The beauty of his voice coupled with the fresh air and our driver’s passion for a ‘steady’ ride got us through.
In the morning, we stopped for breakfast at a breathtaking place. It was actually a school and everywhere we could see monkeys and small hills. Deepti/the little angel got talking freely that morning. She reeled off anecdotes about her class teachers (actually said, she doesn’t like the face of her maths teacher) and friends (said, she hates a boy who always copies from her during the exams and then tries to act innocent).
The bus resumed and it appeared as if we would keep traveling. We passed a long tunnel and it was a funny feeling to have darkness surround us all of a sudden. The condition of the road progressively worsened as we got closer to Manali. Finally, we reached the hotel by 12’o’ clock and after a good and hearty lunch got some sleep. The view from the hotel – of snow capped mountains and fading sunlight – was of nature at her peak.
In the evening, we went for a walk and it was really chilly. We rented a metal rod that provided some respite from the cold. That night, we made Vichu’s birthday a truly memorable one by literally making his face ‘sweeter’ J
The next day we started after breakfast for snow point. Rohtang pass was closed during that time of the year due to extremely low temperatures and snowfall. We rented fur coats and boots for Rs. 100 and it took us quite a good amount of time before everyone was happy with the size of the coats and boots they got.
With a long stick to support ourselves in the snow, we arrived at snow point. Everywhere we could see ice and the place was straight out of some movie where a hero and his love might sing a romantic duet. We had fun throwing snow balls at each other and some boys even went to the extent of posing bare-chested in that ridiculously low temperature.
I, Muthu and Saranya climbed higher and higher leaving others and stopped just when we decided, we won’t be able to climb any further. Soon enough Vasu and BK joined us and we took snaps of each other.
Then it was time for the yaks to join in the fun. They were patient when we took turns sitting on top of them and a mini photo session was in progress. On coming down, we went to a little shop nearby and had piping hot noodles. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped to visit the Hadimba temple famous for its appearance in a small role in the film ‘Roja’. Small rabbits in the temple premises bowled us over with their cute looks and soon everybody was having one in their hands and smiling into the cameras.
That night would go down in the entire journey as the most memorable one. We had ‘campfire’ in the hotel and it was so cold that many of us were wearing more than 3 layers of clothing and the unavoidable gloves. While it was ‘antakshri’ that started the proceedings, it was Ayyappa who in his inimitable manner got everybody’s attention glued when he started to pick out people among us who had grown close to each other in the course of college life and asked them about the incidents that had brought about such an intimacy.
I remember many interesting responses and this account would be meaningless if I fail to recount some of them.
Raj & Ambi: Attendance blues
Prathiba and nithya: Hostel woes
Thendral and Indu: Joint study
Meera and Usha: Hosur and same cutoff!!
The next day, we visited a Tibetan temple nearby. It was a beautiful one close to the main thoroughfare of Manali with a large statue of Buddha and the prayer bells which are a familiar sight in all Buddhist shrines.
It was then time to drag our luggage down to the bus and bid Manali goodbye. The bus started its journey down slope and we stopped at a roadside temple soon after. I once again observed the subtle differences in the manner in which my friends paid their obeisance and offered prayers. It is one thing that happens always to me at temples – observing people around me praying and their expressions when they try to surrender themselves to the supreme power towering above us all.
That ride to Delhi was the worst experience for me in the whole tour. I was sweating and feeling cold alternately and the sudden increase in the speed of our bus didn’t help matters either. I hardly slept during the whole of that ride and I guess, I was the only person who felt an immense relief when we reached Delhi in the early hours of the morning.
We were let free that day to roam Delhi on our own and I started early by taking a walk in the area surrounding the hotel and brought almost all the English dailies that the closest newspaper vendor had...
I joined Mani, Vasu, Avinash and VP and we boarded the metro to get to Red Fort. The metro stations were amazingly clean and it gave us a sense of being part of some hi-tech movie when the doors opened automatically and people got out. Announcements were made in Hindi and English to help the passengers know which station was approaching. Warnings were made to make sure we stay well clear of doors. When we steeped out on to the road leading to the red Fort, the contrast was sharp. It seemed as if we had gone back in time when Old Delhi met our eyes with its relative poverty and the rickshaw-wallahs struggled to keep alongside CNG buses in the busy traffic.
I did not much admire the Red Fort but liked the immense greenery inside. It was a large park like area for the Delhiites to relax whenever they wished. We spent quite a lot of time needlessly at the fort and it was already close to sunset time when we headed for the Samadhis of the congress leaders. That again was more of a park for young couples to get together after work and over weekends to have long chats.
The ride to the market area by a rickshaw certainly brought out the glaring inequalities prevailing in our society. In the morning, I was marveling at the clean and efficient metro system and in the evening, I was sitting in a rickshaw and a puny old man was pulling it with all his might. How some people resort to such back breaking work to earn their daily wages while a few spend freely without any qualms remains to me a mystery!!
The market did not meet our expectations and soon we were back on the metro to Karol Bagh area. There, again we headed towards the market. We spent a looong time there forgetting our supper and ended up getting very tired. We haggled like it was a profession and in the end, I don’t think we made a bad bargain. A lot of handbags (of course, all for our mothers, sisters, girl-cousins J ), travel bags, winter clothes and shoes were added to our luggage.
Early morning, the next day, it was time for us to bid goodbye to Delhi. We caught the morning fast passenger to Agra and that ride in itself gave us precious time to relax and play games.
At Agra, we had our lunch before leaving for the fort. The fort’s history was given to us by a rather ‘typical’ guide in a rather ‘typical’ fashion which interested us little. We were more interested in where the king was imprisoned and the queen had her bath... The view from the fort of the Mahal was impressive though not very much clear.
The road to the Taj Mahal was out of bounds for polluting vehicles. Camels and battery operated cars were the modes of transport apart from a few rickshaws.
The Taj in itself was to sound cliché grand and I was truly marveled by the structure’s effect on the people around me. We had some unforgettable photos taken inside with Vasu and Avi trying some remarkable air stunts. It was good to walk round and round the Mahal and we really didn’t care about the time... We did some really good speculation on the genuineness of the structure and it threw up more questions than we had expected in the beginning...
Back outside, we did some sweet shoppingJ. With a lot of memories to cherish, we boarded the Grand Trunk express back to Chennai. The return journey was not without its share of events with an army man getting nasty after drinking and a ‘thank you all’ speech by Babu and Ayyaparaj.
Going on long tours with friends gives the experience of getting closer to them in many ways and this one will remain the most pleasurable and memorable.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Online Identities
Online identities
Why are people more expressive when they are chatting online?
Why are blogs and chatting rooms so popular among the young and the old alike?
Why is telephone getting relegated to the background?
Such questions are very common in today’s world where people look to the internet for information. Gone are the good old days when a person had to rush to a library and search among a pile of thick books to get what he needed. Friendship, bonding, information, shopping, banking and what not- everything is available just a mouse click away.
But as the aphorism goes: "every coin has two sides". We are increasingly living in a world where messaging is fast replacing the spoken word and e-mails have already made letter writing an obsolete art. But the crucial question here is whether anything can replace a good long conversation face to face over a cup of tea or coffee. The lure of the internet lies simply in the fact that a person need not reveal his identity but at the same time he can make himself heard.
Not surprisingly this façade gives the ideal reticent youth more freedom in terms of expression.
The danger ultimately lies in the perception of reality. There have been numerous cases of online flirters being moody and even girls turning out to be jobless middle-aged men. That apart, there have also been cases that have ended in marriages and long lasting friendships. So eventually the correct perception of reality rests with the person himself.
He may take his new found freedom calmly and use it to the benefit of the society or he may turn violent and over confident. At this stage comes the question of education. With virtually no means to check what a child is up to while surfing, the responsibility lies with the child himself. It is up to him not to misuse the trust of his parents. At the same time on a more subtle level, the parents should be able to rightly influence the child and create an atmosphere wherein the child can share his feelings freely with them.
"Why do even the best of people seem to be something back, something secret from the others? Why not just put into words whatever you have in your heart, if you know you mean it? Yet everyone tries to look more forbidding than he really is, as though afraid it would be an insult to his feelings if they were displayed too soon." - Dostoevsky in his famous story ‘White Nights’.
The above questions don’t appear to hold true when one looks at the numerous blogs and online forums at least from the outset. Right from how a person got up late to how he ended up tired, he can share every feeling of his in an online forum without having to feel embarrassed about questioning or puzzled looks. He can at will express his feelings for/against the ruling Government and make his views known on a wide range of public and social issues which he would have normally avoided otherwise.
Along with this freedom comes a price and this is self deception and obsession. Many people end up deceiving themselves and getting too obsessed with their online selves. A perfect moron may claim himself to be intelligent and a terrorist may claim to be of service to the society.
Another issue that deserves special mention is that of online friendship. Many people with amazing alacrity make online friends but shy away from a chance to meet them at the slightest provocation. Why? Is it because they want to deceive themselves? In cases where they actually meet many end up disappointed. So they feel that it would be better if they continue to correspond online. That is the prime reason why the friendship online refuses to move beyond a certain personal level. When one party tries to get too personal, the other party begins to have doubts and second thoughts about the claims made by the former.
The two parties thus agree to carry along playing the same game with both of them knowing all too well that this friendship will never reach a more intimate level.
All said, it is eventually the maturity of the person himself which will decide whether these trends will be to his advantage or not. .
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