April 29, 2009

Insider trading

Recently one of the Anna's Brother confessed in a letter, that he got on to a tiger ride, which he couldnt let go...however despite the confessions/claims, his share benefit had been reaped fast...and he announced it fast, and all saw it fast on the TV, when the "rising sun" rose
AN INDEFINITE FAST, THAT STARTED AT THE BREAKFAST, AND ENDED SO FAST! DEFINITELY FAST...
No more combats, but will comb still... and agitated people say there is no SATYAM, aka, truth, in the fast.
"Idhayam inithathu, kanngal panithathu, vayaru pasithathu"
What to do? Such things do happen when you start "riding the tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten"
Wikipedia would define such above incidents as "insider trading"
By the way, this little wisdom, has no connection whatsoever with this or this or this ! And, of course, cynics may say all the above wisdom combined into reality, can qualify for this! Mind you, this is not reality, but only reality TV...heh heh heh

April 28, 2009

Om shanthi shanthi oh shanthi...

..the song in "Varanam 1000" has some extremely great lyrics. Wonder why music directors do not use an extremely talented and fresh idea-writing lyricist like Thamarai..bringing in a lady perspective to the songs.
Consider this line
"ennodu vaa veedu varaikkum
en veettai paar, ennai pidikkum"
(For the benefit of Tamil-challenged, here is the meaning - come with me to my home; meet people at my home, you will like me)
This is such an honest expression of a decent love, which we havent seen off late.
Then another Balakumaran-type-line in the same song:
"kadhal ennai ketkavaillai
kaettal athu kadhal illai"
A Khaleel-gibranic expression, with profound meaning, in a mere 2 lines.

Then the ghaana song "anjalai" (actually the music is so soulful and is a haunting Ghaana, Deva sir aaseervathamo? But thats another post), where she penned the pain of the lovelorn Surya, who lost her girlfriend to death, in these lines:
"velicham thanthava oruthi
avalai iruttila niruthi
jora payanathai kilappi
thaniya engay ponalo..."
(For the benefit of Tamil-challenged, here is the meaning - She gave the light, but kept herself in the dark; she started our journey and went somewhere alone)
Actually it is indeed surprising that neither the Tamil Film industry or the Tamil Cine Fans havent taken note of this extremely talented lyricist.
The lines that struck me on my face by this lyricist, Thamarai, were in "Kakka Kakka" - two songs with excellent usage of different words, rather than the cliched tamil lyricdom...
In the song "Oru ooril azhagay uruvai", the following lines:
"Viralgalai aatti aatti pesum bothilay
kaatrilum veenai undu endru thondrumay"
(For the benefit of Tamil-challenged, here is the meaning - when she talks she swings her fingers, seeing which it makes one to think that there is this musical instrument in the air)
While earlier songs, by other lyricists, had eulogised a women's beauty by way of her slender fingers being a veenai or the lady herself as a veenai waiting to be played by the Hero or such similar stuffs, here is a thought that presents a woman with all her grace and charm both in her mannerism and her poise, and how she is so MUSICAL...
And in the song "kalaba kadhala", she would have penned what exactly might go through a lady's mind...almost exactly emoting what a modern lady might anticipate on her first night.
First time, I started noticing Thamarai's lyrics, were in "Minnale" in the song "Vaseegara"...very simple lyrics that dreamily expresses how a simple girl mightwant to romance with her boyfriend.
And what a hai-ku she would have penned in "vaseegara"
"Adai mazhai varum, athil nanaivomay
Kulir kaaichalodu, sneham"
(For the benefit of Tamil-challenged, here is the meaning - when it rains, we will get drenched in it together! A friendship/love with cold and flu)
Next line is even a better haiku
"oru porvaikkul, iru thookam"
(For the benefit of Tamil-challenged, here is the meaning - Two sleeps in a single blanket!)
Thamarai, I salute you!
And my humblest salutations, for the lines that amazed me, enthralled me, enticed me, for those honest-in-the-face lyrics, that gel well with the honest love and affection that is the undercurrent of "Vaaranam Aayiram"
"Ennodu vaa veedu varaikkum
En veettai paar, yennai pidikkum"

Most versatile acting moments

I have written my favorite acting moments from the movies I have seen in my life so far. There is no ranking in these, not written in any particular order. The expressions are priceless.
1. Vaaranam Aayiram: Surya as a school student, he would be beaten up some students; in a few seconds close-up scene, Surya would show "fear in his eyes". Do you ask what is so special in showing fear? try searching for the same expression in the eyes of some actors in the past few years, you will be surprised, theirentire face would have emoted, but not just the eyes alone.
2. Thillana Mohanambal: Padmini showing "navarasam" in her face in split seconds in the song "Marainthirunthu paarkkum"
3. Guna: Kamal's classic "azhukku azhukku" scene, talking round and round in a room...usual genius-thanam of Kamal (Have you noticed, in any Kamal's film, despite the acting nuances, make-up brilliance etc, Kamal would still stand out as Kamal) would have got offloaded for a certain moment, and we get to see a mentally disturbed person.
4. Kill Bill-3: Uma Thurman trying to eat with the chopsticks, when the Japanese master ridicules her. Uma Thurman would have shown both hatredness and eagerness to learn, along with the determination, with ego. (I think it is Part-3)
5. Anjali: When Anjali's brother gets beaten up because he stood up for this little sister, Anjali, he'd come home with wounds...Anjali wouldslowly come near him, touch his wounds and when he cringes, she would weep...oh boy, I was moved to tears, and even to this date, I still get moved to tears, when I watch that scene, and the poignant pain in that little girl.
She is mentally challenged but not emotionally.
6. Punnagai Mannan: This scene involving the crying child, who will whine the moment Chaplin CHellappa stops his painful "thalai-keezha thongarathu" and so CC will perpetually hang while pleading to the child. Then Srividhya will come and give a tight slap to the boy. Chaplin Chellappa expression was pricelessly hilarious to give a hearty laugh

I might want to add a few more, but these are the ones that came to my mind immediately.
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PS: Since tagging seems to be a good idea to attract visitors, I am tagging some famous bloggers, who also happen to be known to me which helps me to guilt-trip them, if they dont react to these tags...
My dear wife, mommy blogger, Subhashree
My dear friends -
Chakra
Dubukku
Venkat
Like the "Samathuva Makkal Katchi" of Sarathkumar that gives the party posts who pass through their party office, I am tagging this lady, also a famous MommyBlogger, who happened to drop by:
Sheela
So beware before dropping by!!!! ;-)

April 13, 2009

Elections and Me...

First time I saw an election
Say Elections, and the first public election, I remember was that when Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India. Next election which is much more clearer is when V.P.Singh was made the Prime Minister. I have had my own associations with the public elections.
Election Jobs
When I was studying in Xth standard, during summer vacation, the elections were announced. And so also the summer jobs, connected with the elections. Voter slips used to be given to the respective ward voters, by all the election parties, with their party symbols posted. Along with my street friends, I got this "job" of writing the voter names on these slips. We all worked for the Congress (I) party. I dont even remember the candidate for the congress party. :-o
Election That affected me
Then, another election was when Rajiv Gandhi was violently murdered, which affected me as much, both emotionally and politically. Emotionally, because of the gruesome murder inflicted on a young leader. Politically, I saw realignments and the complete drubbing of DMK. Politically, it was also shocking for me to see Rajiv Gandhi's death was publicised unabashedly by JJ and AIADMK.
My First Election as a Voter
It was a good experience for me to vote for a first time in a public election. It was State Assembly Election. My constituency had candidates from key parties like Congress (in alignment with ADMK), DMK, MDMK, and communist as well. My father asked me to vote for the party that will win, and not waste my vote. I don't know what he meant, but I had the arrogance to think my vote will changeeverything and had the power to get that candiate to win, and I voted for that party. More to do with the outcome of the candidate in the next section. By the way, that was the first election with EVM, and I voted in the EVM
My Luck and Candidates
I have this uncanny luck. To whichever candidate I vote, despite being in a popular party and despite being the party supposedly being the front runner, the candidates have miserbaly failed. in fact, in my first election, the candidate to whom I voted for lost his deposit. But of all the party symbols on the EVM, this one was the cutest!!!
My Friendly Advice to candidates from South Chennai
Don't canvass for my vote, lest my luck (or the lack of it) will hit you...
Happy Elections