Variety is the spice of life

Usually junior never settles for anything less than “100” stories before going to sleep. After narrating three, I would find myself asleep in no time. Works much better than reading or watching drama series!! Once I put it back on him to narrate me a story in return. What followed was a mishmash of every story he had ever seen. “Adhu..Narasimmar..raatchasa..leg la vachunduthaa” (His latest “crush” is watching mythological cartoons and Dasavatar had been running it seems with Narasimha avatar in particular. I was slightly worried about the ending part of the story and tried to prompt him differently) “ratchas thoppai la kich kich pannithaa” “Illa..keeri vitruthu” “huh” “appo anga ganapathay mooshak mela vanthuchu” (Narasimha avatharathula engada ganapathi vanthaar nu yosikarapo) “ganapathi laddu saaptuchaa..aprum..rakshas kitta…chooo..po sollithu” “oh..aprum ennachu” “meow odi poiduthu..paatha..“chinni Krishna flute vaasichithu” “Krishnava??!!” “Aaama..koooooo nu vaasichuth...

A pakka Hollywoodish movie. For those who crib that our guys slow up the movie with songs and dance this movie would be the answer. A very bold attempt to say the least. No unnecessary scenes – be it humour or romance or sentiment. With a running time of under 2 hours, it felt like a slightly extended short film. But credit to the director for ensuring that, the impact, would’ve been created by a short film, has been maintained and ensured. The movie starts with probably, the most violent beginning ever witnessed in tamil or Indian cinema I would say. Makes one wonder, whether the UA rating was justified. May be they went by the logic(!!) that, you simply don’t rate a movie on one scene alone, even if it involves a beheading, with the head being kicked around like a football and burning the rest of the body. But considering that, as the movie progresses, it could all be diabolically symbolic, could’ve been the reason(?) for a more accommodative rating. It is a dark movie to say the l...

As the day broke, for a change, without any alarm or anyone beating/shouting, I woke up on my own!!! Yes. It was nothing short of a medical miracle that me getting up on my own, even after so many years of having gone through the. When your nervousness crosses an invisible threshold, body clock starts ticking in explosive sound that, you can’t keep your eyes close, even if try to shut them tight. I was fidgety to say the least and went on autopilot mode to get the morning chores completed. It was Junior’s first day of school re-opening. I was getting tensed as if I myself was the one, who was starting his school life, again!! Junior, though, was at his sprightly best and was all laughing and playing. He was extra chirpy and got ready in no time. All the way from home, I was holding tight on to the auto, with my wife mentioning something to junior, repeatedly, about which I couldn’t quite figure, for I was mentally elsewhere. We both took him inside, to his class room and he waved us ...

“Gala gala gala vena siri Andraada kavalaiyai kadaasi eri Pasiyai maranthaan saappaatu raaman Pakkathil irunthaan thenali raaman Pasiyai maranthaan saappaatu raaman Pakkathile thenali raaman Crazy..Crazy” My earliest memory of “Crazy” connect was this title song for one of the Madhu cheenu series, from Doordarshan. The tune was very catchy and “Gold Spot” cool drinks had something similar I guess. Wasn’t sure whether we had TV at home then, but never got to see the programme. Our neighbours, used to keep their TV volume very high and I was the Ekalavyan, who heard just the title song for those awesome laughathons. It was a weekly series I guess and the day after, in school, friends would be discussing, laughing out loud about the wisecracks from the previous day. I would be nodding off, laughing along with them, without even knowing the context. More like Joey from the Encyclopedia episode in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Many of my friends, regularly visited Narada gana sabha, where his t...

I have often wondered, how people can idolize someone and show such blind faith. The fandom and the craziness with which they defend their heroes and literally worship them, I’ve often felt bad for not being able to enjoy such unbridled passion and love. I have always been nitpicking and choosy, going only by the performances and not on the individual. May be that is why I can never actually have a “favorite” actor/singer/musician whom I can blindly follow. If at all I’ve to break my norms and choose someone, it would be Sujatha, whose books I would ready any day any time, without bothering on a review. The next would be Crazy Mohan. I always felt, the person whom one idolizes, should be acceptable without controversy and should be relatable for general public. Of course, that is the baseline with which every hero worship begins. But without even realizing, Crazy Mohan had been such a great influence on my thoughts and words. I unabashedly and shamelessly try to imitate and copy his wo...