Variety is the spice of life

I’ve a playlist of about 3000 songs and counting, which gets a daily addition, as and when I stumble on something interesting. Today, the app algorithm decided to treat me with IR hits. Dhalapathi movie (yesteryear Rajini hit) being the prominent of the lot. It may or may not been his best, but I’ve a special memory about this movie, for it was one of the very few movies that I saw in theater with my dad. He had got a pass for the 90th day celebration of that movie and we had balcony tickets. Since the theater owner was his close friend, I got free popcorn too J Just like Roja and Indian for Doordarshan, to slot them for Independence day or Republic day special runs, Pongal festival would always be associated with the songs from this movie. “Maargazhi thaan odi poachu bogi aachu” song was a longtime favorite of mine. I remember pestering my mom for that “thappu” molam instrument to play for bogi only to get it played on my backside by her with rhythmic beating. Kids from nearby stree...

There used to be a time, whenever I heard the term viral, would associate it with some infection. But nowadays the connotation has undergone a 3600 degree turn. People want to be viral and the more crowd you can attract, quicker are the bucks you get to earn. Latest to this list of viral “sense-less-ations” is one of the contestant from a tamil reality show. Recently his “army” created a tweet record, trending way above some of the critical events that were happening that day – like an actor’s audio launch and some less critical items like – global warming discussion. Did they do anything wrong? Technically and for all practical reasons – No. Everyone has a right to celebrate their idols and express their opinion. Basically, this freedom of expression (FoE) has become more of a foe than friend for general public. Everyone wants to express their opinion – like how I’ve been cribbing here – to the extent that, each believe for sure that their opinion is the best and more accurate repres...

Watching junior and how he reacts to situations is one of my favorite pastime. Would you believe if I tell that, I actually get to learn few things on mingling with people and how to respond to situations better by watching him!!? Yeah it’s a given that i will always be a work in progress and even kids born yesterday have better grasp at these things!!! Being in Chennai and dreading autos is akin to Mumbai and cribbing about its rail network. Whenever I had to book an auto, without using any app for the same, it is nothing short of a hell raising adventure. My BP will shoot up to stratosphere when they quote whatever amount that comes in their mind as fare, unfair would be an apt term for the rates they quote. At times I would retort with an equally rubbish amount to counter, only to irritate them back. If somehow the negotiation happens and I do take the ride, would be feeling pissed all through the trip, till I get down. Junior, who doesn’t have to bother about these yet, will be e...

Jo Nesbo has already become my “to read” author, whose books I watch out for, especially his Harry Hole series, with “Knife” being the latest installment. For anyone who wants to follow Nesbo/Harry Hole series, wouldn’t recommend this book. For the simple reason that, it has too much of history and the base assumption being, by now the reader should be familiar with the world and mind of Harry. And the other one being, its definitely not the best of the lot!! The novel starts with a gory beginning and steps right onto the murder in the most disgusting way possible. With victim being heroes wife, Rakel, it gets repeated and elaborated umpteen number of times in detail possible. Sad that Rakel would no longer be part of this series. Harry wakes up blood on his hands, pants and everywhere. Yet he is clear as a whistle that he has nothing to do with the murder, at least until 350 odd pages into the book!!! So much for a sharp detective! He thinks his villain from previous book is the perpe...

Me and junior were on a train to Madurai a while back and we were sharing the upper berth. He was watching his favorite toons on mobile, when the signal ran out. I took the phone from him and asked him to go to sleep. “Kutty..time to sleep. Paaru phone kooda thoongidichu” “one more video..pleaaasssssse” “No. Night aaidchu. Phone neria paathachu. Ippo go to sleep. Naaliku paakalam” He grudgingly snuggled next to me. After few minutes, we saw slight flashes of light from the side upper berth and every time it flashed, junior would get up and blink his eyes at the source. Seems, the person on the other berth was speaking on phone and after a while started watching videos over their phone. That lady was talking in such hush-hush tones that the entire compartment was sushing her. Junior, beyond a point, couldn’t control himself and asked “appa..enna mattum thoongu solra..antha aunty mattum phone paakra..avangalayum thoonga sollupa..night aaidchula”. I tried to control him and he repe...

I seriously believe, there is some mysticism about songs. How much ever deep and pronounced a prose may be, its effect could be life altering in some cases, they rarely trigger the kind of spontaneous reaction, associated with poetry/songs/music/lyrics. I couldn’t quite tag them as a single entity for each are interlinked. A poetry without any tune is good, but once it is set into a tune, it becomes immortal. It is not just the coinage of words and the instrumentation, the mindset when you listen plays a tremendous role in this process, of preserving the nostalgia and reigniting newer emotions as well. Stumbled on Uyire song from the movie and despite listening to it for several times, somehow the below lines landed on mind for the first time yesterday. கல்லொன்று தடைசெய்த போதும் புல்லொன்று புதுவேர்கள் போடும் நம் காதல் அது போல மீறும் The meaning being, //despite the stubbornness of the stone, the grass roots still persevere and proceed, like our love//. In just three lines, the ...

Intha teachers day kaga ellarum maanju maanju post podrathalaam paatha namakku ipdilaam solra mathiri oru incidentum illaiye nu thonum. But then I realized, teacher need not necessarily be always from schools!! Ithaan un takka na..well !! I’ve been such a filthily idiotic student who never even realized, was being taught by many teachers in my life and that it is an ongoing activity, as long as you are alive and doesn't stop with school!! I never realized my dad has taught me so many things, till I began blogging!! He always insists and repeats certain things and do certain things in a certain way that, without even realizing it has all been deeply ingrained in my psyche and soul that I’ve begun to think they are my own nature!! I don’t smoke or drink. Almost 80% of my friends do. The only reason why I could manage on my own, without even having any peer pressure, was because of my dad. Some of my friends who started as teetotalers and later became “social drinkers/smokers” succum...