Variety is the spice of life

 If i've to start this post as fast as how this series goes, then the first line would be the closing sentence!! Despite each episode running close to 45 mins, this is one of the fastest series i've binge watched ever!! The after effects of the series is more like aftermath of Deepavali. A day early, you would've had the rush of crackers bursting, fire and sound and lights and smoke and high on energy. The next day is more of a revelation with all those dusts and burnt papers flowing around the streets in waves, making you wonder are these the very things that were fun yesterday!! Like any racy book or movie or any ride in amusement park for that matter, the success of them all lies in not making the audience to think while the performance is on. When asked for the feedback, while still in the adrenaline rush, inevitably, every one will gush good about the same. But when they take a breath and start to recollect, they may wonder, what was all that fuss about!!This series is

I've mentioned about "Chai with Chitra" youtube interview show, conducted by Chitra lakshmanan, a few times in this space. During early days of Covid, i had started watching his interviews, which were predominantly with movie people, from yesteryears and some recent as well. The specialty of the show being, the openness with which people spoke and how he made them felt at ease. His memory power is something phenomenal and even when the guest struggles a bit to recollect the names he would immediately step in with that data. Probably the fact that the interviewer knows everything about what they were kind of disarmed the guests that they can't brow beat this guy or bluff to his face!! Almost all of those interviews will have a standard template - the guest will start with their intro and how they came into movies. Depending on their age, Chitra will ask them about their interactions with Sivaji/MGR, Rajini/Kamal, Vijay/Ajith and also about the famous directors at that

 It has been a really long while we saw a movie together as a family. Ever since Meiyazhagan got released in OTT, i've been asking my mom to watch it for it is based on her native places and she would enjoy hearing about them on screen. We finally managed to make her sit for the movie and she watched few portions of it. She was happy to hear about her native village being mentioned and the conductor listing out nearby places as well where the bus will stop made her mention few titbits about those places. There is a scene where Rajkiran (who plays uncle to Arvindswamy) hugs him and cries, wishing that he would visit them more often. It made us all realize how my mom's dad, used to hug us whenever we visited him and how he would cry to my mom, asking her to visit him soon the next time. He was over 80 at that time and was almost deaf. I remember playing with his hearing aid, not knowing how it works. His vision was also very blurry and he used to spend most of his day time, sitti

 I often think about the houses where we were staying when i was a kid, trying to remember my life as a school going kid. Somehow, like the characters from "Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind", i have either blanked out those memories clean, or considering that i am never a good observer nor great at remembering incidents or for my lack of any appetite for doing new things, might've not had any thing that stands out as memory. At least that was how i used to convince myself, whenever i hear people go ga-ga about their childhood memories. Being an introvert whose world existed only inside the square tiled pages of comics, didn't help either. But after watching "Meiyazhagan" movie. feels like there is hope for cases like me as well!!! Konjam..illa..rombavay too muchaana expectation to imagine me like Arvindsamy, looks la solaleenga..character in that movie wise. I am quite sure there are several characters like Karthi in the movie, who re-live and masticate

I always have an issue with people who, even though have been in Chennai for decades, never have good things to say about Chennai. They complain about pollution, crowd, noise, disrespecting culture or the lack of it, pace of life and the everything that is a daily way of life will have some and more points of criticism from them. Like any "blue blooded" kannadiga who will take offence at similar such things being mentioned about Bangalore and will retort with "who asked you to come here" i am tempted to throw the same dart for such comments. Recently there were two instances that made me look back at the origin of such comments and possibly made me relook at my own potential responses as well. Fact that each of those instances couldn't have been more diverse in nature is the reason behind this post! Build up panniyaaachha...now to the actual topic. There was a red alert weather situation recently and as per the norm, social media was swarming with several dozen

"Nee yenna periya Tata va Birla va" used to be a common quote to put someone in place if they are trying to show off and possibly that was the first time i had heard about that famous surname. So much so that there is even a tamil movie by the name "We are not Tata Birla". Yesterday was a sad day for India business world with passing away of Ratan Tata. A person who hardly had any haters (not sure about a mystery mistry though!!) and was wholesomely loved by anyone. Some how the mob mentality, i believe, has a big role to play in the life of public figures. I wonder how many would post such touchy feely posts after Mukesh Ambani or a Birla or even Godrej for that matter!! Not that they were bad people, but they are often painted or projected as the typical rich who bandy about their wealth and show off at every possible opportunity. Again. Nothing wrong and no comments against such acts. Pallu irukaravan pakoda saapdraan has long been my standing dictum for such pra