At Long Last ... (Thankfully) Part II

Hmmm ... ready for the sequel of that last blog entry?? Actually I don't really feel so sure, now that I'm writing!! If there's one thing that I've learned over the last few years (and from my limited married experience), it is that 'anything that I say can and will be used in the court of "relationships" (and by implication, of marriage) ... so don't blame me if I feel I'm treading on thin ice, and so, sound rather defensive!


Yeah, I know I said I am really happy being busy setting up home with mon cherie amor, and that the all-new life I've been living since the last year is so much exciting, and that I've no qualms with the camera and laptop taking a back seat, and that chatting with online friends seems conveniently far fetched now ... and you know what, that IS true!


BUT (there's always a but somewhere - how I hate that fact of life!) that doesn't necessarily have to mean that I don't miss all that stuff! Yeah, life's changed - and definitely for the better, may I add - but in spite of all the new experiences and happiness, I sometimes do feel a yearning for all that I don't have time for now.


Actually, not a yearning really, its not that I miss it too much either. Just that sometimes, sometimes I remember the pleasure and solace I used to find in it. Maybe those were the times that I needed some solace, from the mundane life, from the monotony that it had become. And maybe today I don't need that kind of an 'escape' any more - life is far from monotonous now - which is why I generally feel comfortable in my present state.


Or do I??

It is oft said that one spends a fair amount of one's life in the past, in remembering what has already gone by. But that's not just it - to be more specific, in thinking (often subconsciously) of how life would have been like if ... maybe its an easy way out, you don't know what's in store for you in the future but you do know your past - and you know it like no one else ever will - so why not innovate, confabulate or just simply muse over the past instead of wasting your energy planning the unknown??


And often, life feels like a dream. After all, from where else have expressions like "I could have only dreamed about it" and "too good to be true" originated? Somewhere, deep deep inside, whether we'd accept it or not, each one of us believes that that life is unfair, and essentially a painful struggle; that we will not get what we want, not even what we deserve; and that whatever 'good' has happened so far was a freak - or in other words, a dream. The reality, as most of us know it, is an unfulfilled unsatisfied life that has given mainly dissatisfaction...


But where does that take us? For the pessimist - nowhere. No one can have a perfect life, period. For the optimist - everywhere. Coz there's always scope for a new beginning, coz even though no one can have a perfect life, one can still try for perfection, and give the effort more importance than the result.


And for the realist? The power to detach oneself from the past and the future and to enjoy only the present, no matter whether it is good or bad, coz the realist knows that nothing will last forever - neither the good times nor the bad - what will last are only the memories of how one conducted oneself through it all!!


As the old saying goes - life shouldn't be taken too seriously, after all, no one escapes alive anyway!!




PS: Sorry for the bad grammar in the pic - it ain't mine!! ;-)

At Long Last ... (Hopefully) Part I

Seems like aeons that I last posted here ... it was in June last year to be exact!! The reason for this long sabbatical? Well, quite a LOT has happened since that time, and life's been really hot 'n' happening too!

I got engaged in June end ... maybe that in itself is enough for a valid explanation!! No?? Ok, then came the fast & furious months of wedding planning & shopping, shuttling between Manipal & Goa (that's where my better-half comes from) - and most importantly, the long sweet talks and video chats with mon cherie amour, Gauri. Time flew, quite literally, and November end came in a flash - I was (finally) a happily married guy, the luckiest man alive!

Our first honeymoon (!) was in Mussoorie, a short one night-one day affair, but the amazing 5-star J P Residency Manor experience was one that we are unlikely to forget - ever! Next came the 'real' second honeymoon, this one a longer and more elaborate one, ten full days in the beautiful Thailand. Had the time of our lives, me & wifey, in Pattaya & Bangkok. Wish that time had never ended ... sighhh!!

Life had a makeover after that, and man, don't I love it!! We came back to Manipal by December end, man-and-wife, and the new and exciting time of setting up home began. Gone were the days of silent solitude, coming back each evening to a small soulless house, the laptop and camera as the only close friends ... gone were the days of searching for a purpose in life, of hoping to meet that someone 'special', of roaming around alone in search of a familiar face, or scouring the internet for a distant and equally lonely friend.

With my life's purpose found, and that too in a beautiful and vivacious girl like Gauri, each evening became a time to look forward to, the laptop and camera and internet took a backseat, the depressing old house was left and a new bright place became our home - and life became merrier, more meaningful, full of fun and laughter and joy! That there was so much more to life and so much to do and to plan for, was something that I could never have imagined. But what made it even more special and enjoyable was that I wasn't alone - now had someone to accompany me in all that! ...Love you wife!!

Time seems to have really flied after December, methinks. And in the meanwhile we've attended the marriages of our cousins (not to each-other!), my wife's joined my college as assistant professor like me, we've done endless shopping, rediscovered old places and discovered new ones - and even enjoyed our third honeymoon (!) at Coorg with just the monsoons for company ... We've gained so many new experiences (and quite a few kilos!!), established a meaningful relationship and are working ahead each day to develop better understanding.

Now tell me, who has the time for blogging man, if there's a live person out there just for you, ready to talk to you, and listen to you and to share your feelings with?? Aahhh ... I love my wife, and all credit to her to bring such a beautiful and much needed change in my life!! 

Of bouquets and brickbats – Part I

As an avid lover and student of photography, I am a member of a few online photography forums where like minded shutterbugs share their work, experiences, problems and critiques. A recent inflammatory development on one such forum forced me to come out of aestivation and try writing something worthwhile…

It so happened that an undoubtedly talented young photographer decided to become, lets say, very “expressive” of his feelings about the other members on this forum. And by expressive I mean not merely strong criticism of others’ work, but also questioning their credibility, skill and experience!! Even the senior people were not spared. This had me thinking … Why exactly do we criticize? What do we achieve by it? Is there a right or wrong way to do it? And finally, how far should we go and where do we draw the line? Is it justified to pronounce a judgment when all that is expected is an opinion??

According to a popular online dictionary, the literal meaning of “criticism” is the practice of analyzing, classifying, interpreting, or evaluating literary or other artistic works. Of course, my choice of definition OR the dictionary I consulted is open to criticism too!! ;-) But there’s another perspective to it, another definition to the word: the act or instance of making an unfavorable or severe judgment or comment. And I find this rather amusing - have people these days begun conforming more to the latter definition of the word rather than the former??

And if so, does it stem out of the fact that our modern society as a whole has become too vocal, prone to the shoot-first-think-later mindset and a devil-may-care attitude? Or is it that we use any and every chance we get to criticize as an opportunity to vent our personal frustration or repressed feelings? Have we, as a people, become less and less tolerant of others and more and more assertive of our own thinking?

In the true artistic sense, criticism should imply “constructive” criticism. Feel free to point out mistakes & shortcomings but the objective should be to help the person to improve his work and learn from his mistakes. And do it in a sensitive manner – due care needs to be taken not to dishearten or discourage a person from his work, the ultimate goal is to make the person improve his skills, not give up!
 

It always helps to keep in mind that no artist will ever intend to create something bad or substandard to begin with, the result of his efforts may or may not be pleasing to all, but the intentions are essentially good and honest. More importantly, every new creation is akin to one’s child – with a certain amount of emotional attachment and pride coming from creating it – so too harsh a critique is bound to hurt rather than help, and further, to be taken personally!

Often the more “senior” and experienced folk will take such criticisms in their stride, just a passing smile will be all that they deem necessary as a reaction, even if they really do feel bad about what has been said. The relatively “young” folk will usually be the ones to take up arms and launch a counter-attack, either to justify their motives (when they themselves have been criticized) or to defend their esteemed and less vociferous senior folk (even if the seniors themselves choose a mere smile to react to the implied/imagined insult). Which is good, since it usually spices up things somewhat & shakes up the relatively dormant members! ;-)

But the people who are prone to be hurt by a specially harsh critique are the beginners & novices, we all know how emotionally vulnerable an artist’s psyche can be, especially a budding one's. What they need is a helping hand, an honest friendly pointer to their mistakes and kind suggestions in mild language on how to avoid them. Not discouragement in any form.

As in all situations thrown up by life, it always helps to be polite and non-confrontational, both while criticizing someone and while accepting criticism … which, of course, is something that comes with time and experience. And last but not the least, before launching at a creation, it should help immensely if one takes a few moments to look at it from the perspective of the artist, take into consideration not merely his age and experience but also the intention behind his work, and not “how I would have done it”.

To end this first part with a popular quote: 

“You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one.” 

So true!! :-)
  

"The Gin Soaked Boy"

I've had what I thought was an amazing piece of poetry for a long time, but didn't really know who the author was till tonight ... put it on the net just out of curiosity & google did the trick!! Its a well known song by an Irish band, The Divine Comedy, that was first released in 1999.

The Gin Soaked Boy

I'm the darkness in the light

I'm the leftness in the right

I'm the rightness in the wrong

I'm the shortness in the long

I'm the goodness in the bad

I'm the saneness in the mad

I'm the sadness in the joy

I'm the gin in the gin-soaked boy

I'm the ghost in the machine

I'm the genius in the gene

I'm the beauty in the beast

I'm the sunset in the east

I'm the ruby in the dust

I'm the trust in the mistrust

I'm the Trojan horse in Troy

I'm the gin in the gin-soaked boy

I'm the tiger's empty cage

I'm the mystery's final page

I'm the stranger's lonely glance

I'm the hero's only chance

I'm the undiscovered land

I'm the single grain of sand

I'm the Christmas morning toy

I'm the gin in the gin-soaked boy

I'm the world you'll never see

I'm the slave you'll never free

I'm the truth you'll never know

I'm the place you'll never go

I'm the sound you'll never hear

I'm the course you'll never steer

I'm the will you'll not destroy

I'm the gin in the gin-soaked boy

I'm the half-truth in the lie

I'm the why not in the why

I'm the last roll of the die

I'm the old school in the tie

I'm the spirit in the sky

I'm the catcher in the rye

I'm the twinkle in her eye

I'm the Jeff Goldblum in "The Fly"

...Well who am I???

(Click here for the song)

I know, I know... this is a blog, I should write something personal - or at least original here, but I've liked this piece for a long time now ... thought I'd share it with folks who haven't read / heard it before!!

By the way, the line "the catcher in the rye" actually refers to a 1951 novel of the same name by author J. D. Salinger. The novel was supposed to have had a profound influence on the society in those times, and remains till date both a bestseller and a frequently challenged book. 

Hmmm ... some food for thought!!

2nd Failed New Year Resolution...

What more to say?? I've been getting up early quite regularly, even without a morning alarm (read: signs of old age have finally started showing!) but the will to go & hit the gym just isn't there! Today is the last day of the first month of 2010, and I don't even remember when I last paid a visit to my club-gym. I think it was just a single morning, a couple of weeks back, can't be sure!! :-(

Other resolutions to be broken this year
(or to at least TRY not to break them!):

• read at least one good book a month
(problem: don't get many here in Manipal)
• perfect my hand in the art of photography
(aahh... this one I really like!)
• travel & discover new places
(hmmm... need to check my appointment diary)
• work harder
(translated, make more money)
• learn something new in the work field
(its limitless!)
• write up a few papers for journals
(ok, lets be realistic here - just a single good one will do!)
• study more
(years of education slowly going down the drain folks...)
• make some new friends
(I need to. Period.)
• buy a car
(refer to point # 4)
• a honeymoon abroad (!!) 
(refer to point # 4 ... and the next!)
• get married (!!!)
(I need to. Period. heh heh heh)

Of course, not necessarily in that order of priority / time-line but I guess it does reflect - in ascending order - the amount of effort required & the level of difficulty involved in each task!! 
heh heh heh ;-) ...what the hell am I laughing at??

Wish me luck guys....

3 Idiots vs Dev D (vs Devdas) – An Unlikely Comparison??

  
Thought I’d start the new year with a BANG!! heh heh ;-)

Ok, at the surface, I know that a comparison between these movies will seem superfluous to most – even absurd!! No need to worry, I haven’t lost my marbles, at least not yet!! Just stay with me a minute, ok?? I do agree that these are two diametrically opposite movies based on totally different themes and revolve around an entirely unique set of characters… but there are quite a few distinct similarities too!! Let me explain…

The first similarity – for me at least – is that I loved both movies!! ;-) heh heh I mean, I really enjoyed them, I could identify with many of their characters and situations and that both movies made me think. Difficult to say that bout most Bollywood fare, huh? But that’s just my opinion; let me not dwell on THAT for long, especially when the larger majority of viewers actually felt let down, even repulsed by Dev D!

Next, look at the basic plots, or rather, their origins. 3 Idiots is based on the well known novel 5 Point someone, that though recent, drew quite a lot of public acclaim but had its share of critics too. Dev D on the other hand, was also based on a classic novel, but for most of the public it was a ‘remake’ of the classic movie Devdas. It doesn’t end here – like all novel-based movies, a comparison between 3 Idiots and the original novel was predictable; and like all remakes, Dev D was inevitably compared to Devdas!

It goes still further: as per the general presumption (at least in the minds of the intelligentsia) that a movie often doesn’t do justice to the original novel that it is based on, 3 Idiots had to overcome that obstacle and prove itself to be ‘different’ & out-of-the-box – and it did. Similarly, for a ‘remake’ like Dev D to go beyond the appeal of not only the older and unforgettable classic as far as movies go, was an even more challenging task – it needed to be even more ‘different’ to make its identity felt.

Coming to the more interesting aspects, unlikely similarities do exist in how that element of being dissimilar from the precedents was incorporated in each movie. Both movies did it by straying from the original story line but preserving most of the framework – innovative characters and situations were introduced, the stories themselves were modified in order to bring in some plausible elements that a modern man or woman could easily identify with. And no matter whether people liked the final products or not, I can safely say that both movies succeeded in that aspect at least – they could carve out their own distinct identities in spite of the well appreciated originals!

The way in which those innovations were incorporated in both movies was quite dissimilar, of course, but even then, the similarity was that the innovations were totally unforeseen and unique. Add to that beautiful and meaningful music scores (Dev D definitely scored over 3 Idiots here!) and exemplary acting by all the leading and supporting actors (interestingly, both movies revolved around three seminal characters!) and it is no surprise really that both movies are already being considered as landmarks in story-telling by fans & critics alike! Some would even venture to call them “modern” cult-classics in their own right, although I’d consider that a tad premature…

But what was it about these innovations that generated unprecedented appreciation for one movie and disapproval for another?? As of today, there isn’t much negative criticism about the 3 Idiots (poor Chetan Bhagat’s plight notwithstanding) and the reason is simple enough – it succeeded in giving a positive message in a positive & humorous manner and therefore appealed to the audience, the aam-janta left the theaters chanting 'Aal Izz Wellll'! And what about Dev D?? Well, it gave a positive message too, but for most of the audience, the message was largely obscured by the considerable madness behind the method, an 'Emosional Atyachar' that jarred the common man’s sensibilities. And therefore, it generated a predictable response – it was a commercial flop, albeit a success in terms of critical appeal.

Why did the same critics who liked 3 Idiots, praise Dev D too though?? They know the aam-janta’s preferences & sensibilities, then how could the pundits themselves be mistaken?? Or did they fall for that common trap – of misinterpreting ‘the different’ for ‘the interesting’?? Is Indian cinema becoming more & more prejudiced towards what goes away from the beaten track rather than that which is really virtuous & ‘likable’??

Dissecting 3 Idiots is relatively easy. It is no doubt a path breaking film in what it teaches us, but not in HOW it teaches us. Anyone who knew the basic plot (do what your heart tells you to do, even if it means going against the society) would have expected something similar to this movie – and nothing else. The director’s main problem probably wasn’t how to formulate the right message for the audience, but rather, how to dress up that message into something interesting and intriguing so that the audience, already aware that ‘aal wil b welll’ in the end, should stay glued to their seats throughout the movie. And yes, he did succeed – I agree whole heartedly that it IS a great movie, already one of my all time favorites!

Analyzing Dev D is not so easy. More so if you are someone who didn’t like it! As opposed to 3 Idiots, the director’s main dilemma wasn’t just to make it a novel & appealing experience for the audience that, in this case, was already well-versed with the plot and in addition, had loved the classic on which it had been based – an even bigger problem was how to add a positive message to the whole exercise.

After all, what did the old classic teach us, only that love has the power to destroy?? What satisfaction does one derive out of seeing a passionate relationship getting shattered, a defeated man denigrating himself to liquor & bad company, demolishing himself so easily, two beautiful and deserving ladies suffering to no end?? And the same aam-janta who appreciated all this, calls Dev D a hideous disaster?? ;-)

Yes, as compared to Devdas, Dev D was more graphic at times in what it meant to convey, but why it was unpalatable for many was because it came uncomfortably close to real life.

Accept that. How easily acceptable it was to see a Devdas go to a Chandramukhi just for the sake of 'only' sympathy & music – right? – and how revolting to see a modern Dev trying to forget some of his pain in the company of an obvious prostitute Chanda!!

We marveled at the love so purely and beautifully depicted in the old classic, but even as we term Dev D unnecessarily crude, we turn a blind eye to the voyeuristic media coverage of MMS scandals and ministerial romps that have become almost mundane. A defeated & depressed man taking to liquor in the original is ok, as long as he doesn’t act against the society and destroys ONLY himself, as did the modern one. The original elegant and submissive Paro who loses all her love for nothing is someone to sympathize with, but not the modern Paro who is more down to earth, is explicitly expressive and assertive, and even laughs on the face of a defeated man. It’s acceptable to see the original Devdas go to a brothel, but it becomes repulsive to see what the brothel really feels like. To see Chandramukhi as the beautiful seductress torn by the plight of Devdas is appealing, and but how a Chanda is made & what she has to go through, is too objectionable to depict!

A common question that is asked here is ‘it might be true, but what was the need to show it all’? I ask, why not show what is real?? What do we gain by turning a blind eye to the reality that is life??

In the end, it’s the message that is important, right?? What did Devdas tell you?? That it’s 'beautiful' to destroy yourself and everyone who cares for you for the single pathetic reason that you lost in love – and that’s it?? Some message!! But what does Dev D tell you?? Thankfully, there’s at least one thing that everyone did like about it. At the end of the movie, Dev learns his lesson. He finds true love ...and hope. And most importantly, Dev lives! The movie Dev D professed that no matter how badly life treats you, no matter what a failed relationship does to you, in fact, no matter how human you are, there is always a way to fight not only against the society but also against yourself, that you can always rise above the odds, change yourself for the better and above all, not to lose hope under any circumstances!

In short, it’s not important whether you win or lose in life, it’s the attitude with which you fight it that will make you victorious on your terms. Not so far from 3 Idiots, is it??
  
  
  

1st Failed New Year Resolution - to Blog Regularly!!

What to say?? I’ve been searching for a theme to write on for quite some time now – there’s been nothing after that solitary post in December, and half of January has passed by already! :-(

Not that I've just been too lazy to write or think actually! December turned out to be quite hectic in fact. I traveled lot - enjoyed a lot - and at the wee end, I had the good fortune of meeting a beautiful & delicate little princess for the first time, one of the most exquisite sights I've ever seen...

And that's the beautiful princess there ... my buddy Lamb's little bundle of joy!! Isn't she just beautiful??

Hmmm.... well, thats that!! For the past month, somehow a sensible, or preferably, a not so sensible topic has eluded me... but I hope it'll come soon!! Let me see if it comes in the former category or the latter!!

And before I forget, Happy New Year folks!! Wish one & all (me included!!) an intellectually challenging, hormonally satisfying, emotionally fulfilling and materialistically rewarding 2010... ;-)

May the force be with you all! heh heh

(Dis)satisfaction guaranteed???

If there’s one thing in life that you can be really sure of, its running after happiness and satisfaction eternally. How come these bare essentials of life, the things that truly matter, are also the most elusive??

I happened to have a long discussion with a certain friend this evening on a somewhat similar topic. Obviously, when two guys talk on these lines, one of them has to be in a rather disturbed state of mind – and it was him, thankfully, not me. That he later went ahead and made me aware of a hitherto unknown fact – he considers me one of his closest friends – is proof enough of it!! You see, guys have this thing about not indulging in emotional talk (maybe it makes us feel like sissies!!) and don't usually declare all that kinda stuff to each other. Unless boozed up of course, which we were not… siiiggghhhh!! :-(

Anyway, coming back to the point, my new-found best friend and I had a pretty long conversation on this delicate issue. As I went into silent mode, offering my (usually unneeded) opinions and advice only when I deemed it right, he poured out his tale of woes and frustrations. Nothing serious of course, considering that technically he’s an over-achiever, but then I realized that if a person like him can be so dissatisfied in life, what good can a less privileged person expect??

Agreed, we all have our problems, big and small; we all have our achievements too, big and small. And as time passes by, we can be sure that new ones – both problems and achievements – will keep showing up regularly. Then what makes us fail to realize that today’s problems will either be solved tomorrow or cease to be so important or just be forgotten? And that today’s achievements are bound to go through a similar fate too? Why do we all go through life with a mindset that happiness and satisfaction depend on the final result of a constant tug-of-war between our problems and achievements??

The problem of our times, I think, is that we expect too much out of our lives – but even though we aspire for a lot, we want it the easy way and without any sacrifice. In short, we are all driven subconsciously by a self-imposed carrot-&-stick policy (for once, not something that we can blame on our politicians!!), chasing an intangible future at the cost of a much more substantial present.

We fail to find happiness in our achievements, because we are already focusing hard on the next target. And we amplify our failures and problems, to the extent that they blind us from noticing the positives around us, sometimes even preventing us from accepting our mistakes and learning from them. What’s worse, we feel jealous of someone else’s success and happiness, regardless of how many hardships and sacrifices that the person may have gone through, just because we didn’t share a similar fate.

So what is the solution … if there is one??

Not aspire for anything in life, not to harbor any expectations and goals?? No, that would take the spark out of life, stop all growth, stop life itself. Besides, it’s easier said than done anyway!! Leave all problems as they are, wait for ‘destiny’ to take its course?? Not at all, we need to do whatever it takes to solve them, and by all means.

But more importantly, we need to ensure that life isn't reduced to a mere mechanical existence, one that is bogged down by chasing goals and solutions. And for that we need to realize that even though there will always be problems to tackle and goals to achieve, there will also be other co-existent and equally important things that should never be overlooked – like love and loved ones, the closest friends, the small but significant joys and pleasures that otherwise pass by unnoticed, even simple laughter out of day-to-day situations, which does a lot in making life a pleasant trip.

At the end of any bad day, just consider two things:  
What if it were worse? Is it really that important when considering the bigger picture? Coz if one could imagine a day in the future – say six months, a year, two years or even five years down the line – most of today’s problems and achievements alike will fail to seem as important. Even inconsequential in the long run. What will remain though is the realization that all that time lost in frustration, worry and agony could have been used instead to enjoy the better things that were present even then, and which we ignored…

As they say, happiness is a voyage – not a destination...

Enjoy life while it lasts, make the most of it ... coz even though no one can ever know when the end will come, the inevitable final destination is the same for everyone, right?!

Chetan Bhagat’s latest – 2 States

Frankly, I never really thought I’d write a review for any of this guy’s novels (even though I’ve liked each one of them) but reading 2 States made me change my mind. I guess the simplicity of his writing, the issues of mundane life that he usually touches upon, and the clean humor that is a hallmark of his style make most of his books a breeze to go through – there just doesn’t seem to be much to review… After all, none of his novels are spectacular thrillers, purely satirical or political works, or literally complex masterpieces!!

Well, till I read his latest, my personal favorite was his first book, 5 Point Someone. I was still a post-grad student when I read it, and I guess the way he depicted college life (though mine wasn’t as exciting by far!) did manage to strike a chord somewhere deep down. His next book, One Night @ Call Center, was a reasonably good read too, though I didn’t really identify with it. Besides, I’ve never really approved of the “call-center culture" anyway; and going by the experiences of a few friends who’ve been through it all, I don't think much of it. His 3 Mistakes of My Life reached a totally different level though, and in my opinion, he came of age writing it. The way he managed to entwine cricket, religion based politics and a love story without losing his flare for humor and satire is ample proof of it.

2 States, his latest work and a self-proclaimed autobiography, is a hilarious yet thought provoking take on the difficulties that arise in “arranging a love-marriage” between a couple belonging to different communities, and specifically, coming from different states (Punjab and Tamil Nadu). Logic states that this shouldn't really be a big issue in post modern India, especially with the kind of intermingling between people from all over the country (err... MNS, Shiv Sena, et al notwithstanding!!) and the increasingly professional lives that most “intelligentsia” lead. But just a little scratch beneath the surface reveals it all – we Indians are still far from reaching that truly cosmopolitan state of mind that is open to tolerance, change and compromise…

True to his earlier books, this one is loaded with wit & humor too, with plenty of comic situations, funny anecdotes and comic one-liners, as also the expected satirical jabs on the way the present Indian society thinks and works. One just can’t help but feel the agony and frustration of his protagonists as they go through the ups-&-downs of a seemingly thankless task that gaining acceptance from each other’s families proves to be. Spiced up with the problems created by endless cultural differences between north and south India and the usual professional hazards that typify today’s high paying yet demanding MNC culture – what you get is an engrossing yarn that twists and turns around the struggle of a deeply motivated couple trying to make sense of their ostensibly disastrous love life…

The humor begins from the acknowledgment page itself – with the author dedicating the book to his in-laws, don't wanna guess what his own parents would’ve thought at the omission!! And yes, the plot may seem a tad too corny at times, and occasionally some of the situations depicted do appear too extreme, but then the author proclaims that it’s his own true story right in the foreword, so there’s no other option left but to believe him. Anyway, one reads past those parts fast, enjoying them all the while too, coz he manages to always keep the reader guessing about what would happen next… another outstanding trait of any of his books, methinks!

To end the review, here’s one of his many witty one liners from the book, one that I have become particularly fond of:

“The world's most sensible person and the biggest idiot, both stay within us. And the worst part is, you can't even tell who is who!!”

heh heh heh … enjoy!!

The Manipal Rain...

It wouldn't be very wrong to synonymize Manipal with rain. 
The way I look at it, there are only two seasons in Manipal: monsoons & non-monsoons. The other seasons just seem to merge with these somehow, whenever given the chance, but if there’s one thing that you can be sure of, it is the rain.
It will come!!

As I sit here beside the lone window in my room listening to some beautiful music, I am witness to a steady shower accentuating the already darkening evening outside. I guess it was plain lucky that I got an east-facing room in this hostel, coz be it any day of the year, I can always see a plethora of greenery and some really quaint houses across the road from this window. And not to forget the really beautiful sunrises that I get to enjoy regularly...

This isn’t really a time for rain here – but we do get a lot of rain all through the year, even apart from the Monsoons. Of course, the Gods go overboard in these parts showering their love during the Monsoons and of course, many people here get flustered when it keeps raining and raining for days on end… but personally, I really love it!

Maybe it reminds me of home... I’ve seen it rain incessantly for weeks here too – something that can happen only in a hilly place. And that’s another reason why I like Manipal so much: the gently undulating hillside with a view of a vast valley on the eastern side definitely resembles my very own Doon valley! Of course, the breathtaking view of the expansive Arabian Sea on the western side is something that can't even be imagined back home... and it definitely adds to the appeal of this place a lot.

Well, coming back to the rain, monsoons really are an amazing experience here. First of all, the quantity. Monsoon lasts from roughly mid-May to mid-October, give or take a couple of weeks. And in the peak months of July-August, it rains cats and dogs and it rains for weeks together without a stop – often it’ll rain so heavily that the very expression raining “cats and dogs” might be safely replaced by “bears and lions”!!

Next, the quality. I’ve seen steady rain, waxing-&-waning rain, intermittent rain, and sudden unexpected heavy showers between stunningly sunny weather. I’ve seen the rain playing with the wind, coming in all sorts of directions – even horizontally – and I’ve been caught in rain coming seemingly from all directions simultaneously, making a joke of my heavy-duty umbrella. Fact is, if the monsoon rain wants to get you, it definitely will! No matter how hard you try to avoid it or protect yourself from it. What’s the point of fighting it then, I wonder??

Saying that rains are unpredictable in the “non-monsoon” times would just be an understatement. It can rain virtually any time, no matter what the season. A couple of sunny days – a hot week at the most – and sure enough heavy clouds will come running to make amends. Often these so called “off season” rains will be accompanied by light squalls, which make the weather even more beautiful and endearing. In fact, it is the non-monsoon season that gets uncomfortable because of the sweaty humid heat typical of coastal areas, and the occasional spells of rain provide substantial relief from that overbearing heat.

It never gets cold here either, no winter season here. Rather, the typical “cold” months of November through February are the ones when there’s relatively little rain and so it can get quite hot. But whenever it does rain, regardless of the time of the year, it does get a bit chilly. Ok, not so much for me I guess (I am still too north Indian to actually feel cold here), but you do tend to come down on the fan a couple of points, even switch it off at night. And usually it will be accompanied by a cozy mist, sometimes even a fog, making the atmosphere even more romantic!!

As a nature lover, one can't help but realize that the pristine beauty of this place is all because of the substantial amount of rain it receives. When I first came here, I was really amazed by the greenery that was evident as far as the eyes could see. Manipal is surrounded by vegetation of all kinds – coastal, agricultural and forest. One sees coconut trees nearly everywhere, beautiful paddy fields along the endless stretches of its rivers and backwaters, and then there are dense forests stretching endlessly along the Western Ghats and further east. As such this place is a traveler and photographer's delight, no matter what the season. Plus, the pollution free atmosphere and post-rain brilliant light and visibility are treats in themselves! Really a place one MUST visit sometime in life!!

As I finish this piece, it's become quite dark outside and the rain has picked up again. A deluge now… there go my plans of going for a walk outside & a quiet dinner!! But then, you never know... it’s Manipal!!

2012 : WE WERE WARNED

It was at exactly 12:50 that the call from my old friend Lambs broke my afternoon siesta.

Sundays in Manipal are a big problem for people like me who’ve nothing to do – and more precisely, no-one to do nothing with! So after the heavy early morning work-out at the gym and an even heavier breakfast to compensate for it (never could resist chhole-bhature!), I’d turned to the best form of time-pass ever discovered : sleep.

And it was at that time that Lambs called and asked me if I wanted to see “2012”.

Wassdat??

…my initial reaction as I rapidly re-oriented myself to time, place & person, still a bit groggy from the sleep. Then I remembered a vague reference to some new Hollywood flick by that name. Lambs informed me that he’d been ditched by a pregnant wife and a studious sis (he’d initially planned to see “Ajab Prem ki...” blah blah) and that he was still in the mood to see SOME movie, so would I come??

Now Lambs & I go back a long long time – more than 12 years, in fact – and of late he’s been extremely busy for his friends & family, so I wasn’t gonna let go of a chance to catch up with him so easily! Ok, be at your place in 5 minutes, I said, and we’ll go together. And there I was within 5 minutes, his wife asking me to have some “kadhi-chawal” before going (she’s great at cooking!) while Lambs urging me to skip it coz, according to his sis, the show was supposed to start at 1:15. I followed him out reluctantly, though not before promising Sonia that I’ll be back to finish my share in the evening.

Off we went in his car, it was a nice and sunny day for a drive, chatting about this & that. Lambs told me that 2012 was the latest of the genre of “natural disaster” movies, and this actually brought down my enthusiasm a couple of points, coz I really think we’ve had enough of those now. Besides, no one seems to be learning anything from them anyway; we are all bent upon destroying ourselves in one way or the other!! Still, I’d nothing better to do, and spending some time with an old friend seemed immensely better than just do nothing!

We reached Ashirvad, a theater on the Mangalore-Goa highway within 10 minutes, at 1:10 to be precise. And what we saw was the longest line that I’ve ever seen outside a movie hall in this side of the country, though nothing by our North Indian standards! This many people coming for an English movie on a Sunday afternoon?? Must be a really good one, I thought, not a bad decision after all!!

We searched for some familiar face in the line, someone who might save us the trouble, but I guess that wasn’t to be. In fact, it was surprising that there were hardly any people from Manipal here, mostly they were locals and (no offense meant) quite a few of them didn’t really look like the type who’d watch English movies! Well, so what? We wanted to see it, and that was all that mattered. Though it was a long line, the ticket window hadn’t yet opened and we figured that we’d easily get two tickets.

So we got in the line … and so the patient wait began.

The poster outside showed an expansive view of a huge city ripped apart by a giant fissure in the ground and its skyscrapers and roads falling in, with the grave warning “We Were Warned” at the top and the name "2012" at the bottom. Hmmm... impressive!! But gradually the nice and sunny day seemed to transform into a hot and sweaty one, there wasn’t much to say for a breeze, and standing in the sun became a bit irritating. At 1:30 the window had still not opened, and when we asked around, we got to know that it was a really long movie (2hrs-40min) so probably it might stretch by another 15 minutes. Why do they have to wait till the show’s over to start selling the tickets??

1:45. Just HOW long is that movie man?? And the window’s still closed!

There were two Bihari guys ahead of us – they literally are found everywhere – and it was refreshing to hear them speak Hindi of that side. Couldn’t distract us from the heat though... But thankfully, a Manipal couple joined us so we had something more to chat about. Lambs joked that maybe they keep the tickets in the bank and let them multiply till each show starts! Poor joke, but right then any distraction was welcome, so we all laughed. He urged us all to wait in the shade while he stood in line, but we stayed put with him, in spite of the sun.

Then I went around the place looking for something cool to drink at least, and it turned out that there were no shops around that place selling refreshments – the only one that did was inside the hall! Wow, they think of every-bloody-thing, don't they?!! I returned to my profusely perspiring buddy, asking whether we should go. No, he said; after patiently waiting for almost half an hour, now we have to see the movie. Bloody desperate to make the most of a rare free Sunday, I mused.

2:00. Suddenly the bell rang – music to us exasperated souls – and we heaved a sigh of relief. The show must have finished, we thought, but they should display the modified timings outside the theater at least!! No civic sense these days!! Hmmm... but something seemed wrong... even 5 minutes after the bell, no one seemed to be coming out!! I went to have a look across the theater gates – and what I saw literally astounded me: I could see people still sitting inside the hall and a lot of them outside too, taking refreshments!! Can’t be THAT long a movie, to have TWO breaks, can it??

With parched throats and falling hopes, we beckoned a movie-goer. Of course, it’s the interval, he said. And how much was still left?? Maybe an hour and fifteen minutes?? But the movie is good, he smiled!! We had all become disoriented by now, I guess, and checking and rechecking our watches, we finally found a guy who works there.

Show started sharp at 1:00, he says, and the next show is at 3:30!!

WTF?? Why couldn't they have bloody well displayed this fact, especially since it’s a departure from their usual routine?? Hell, half of the people waiting outside were probably fooled like us!! The guy at the gate gave us an UNapologetic shrug in the form of an explanation and left. Of course he had much better things to do than to listen to troubled souls like us. And of course we knew better than to wait in the burning sun for another 1.5 hrs just to see some weird fatalistic movie...

Incidentally, the name. “2012”. If you skip the zero, 2:12 was exactly the time when we got to know of our mistake! And “We were warned”. We really were warned that the show starts earlier than the usual 1:30 ... just off-center by a precious 15 minutes though. And finally, the plot. Natural disasters. After what we went through, we can’t call it anything less than a mini disaster of our own!!

Thankfully, Lambs didn’t ask me to come back to his place on our return – I went straight to my room instead – while he became the butt of jokes for the pregnant wife and the studious sis!! heh heh heh ;-)

Well, that’s it. As eventful as a Sunday can get in these parts!! 
(Hope you didn't start reading this thinking it would be a movie review!)

heh heh heh   ;-p

... one of those days!!

There are some bad days in life ... and then there are the really bad ones!!

So here I am, with nothing better to do at the end of a forgettable day than sit alone in front of my spastic laptop in the 15'x12' rat-hole of a hostel room that I'm forced to pay almost 5 grand a month for, than to ponder aimlessly on the day gone by while trying to write something worthwhile even though the mind is a total blank... and in general, to feel wretched!! Its been one of those days when there was nothing obviously wrong, but somehow everything felt that way - and I do mean EVERYTHING!! Went through the day trying to suppress the irresistible urge to wring the neck of any unfortunate soul who might have stepped on my toes, to shout at the slightest provocation, to be really mean to someone just for the hell of it... in short, to make everyone else's life miserable too!!

But I didn't do any of that - living and working in a "civilized" atmosphere has its drawbacks at times - which probably explains why I still feel as wretched as I was during the day, even more. Maybe venting all that bad energy, even if in a negative way, can help sometimes!! After all, being selfish at times can't really be that bad, can it?? Hell, half of the world keeps doing it day in and day out!! So why shouldn't I give it a try sometime?!

Well, I did warn everyone and anyone who cared to listen to keep a safe distance quite early in the day... guess people did listen to it after all, much to my eventual disappointment and this present "blank" state of mind!! Thought writing might help a bit, but its even more frustrating, now that I can't think of anything even remotely interesting... Hell, after the kinda entries that I've written so far here, what I was hoping for was a humorous piece for a change, not another round of letting off steam!! Guess that wasn't to be this time either...

Well, maybe some sleep would do me good. IF I can sleep, of course. After all, the day isn't over yet... lets see!!

Note: Kindly do not judge the author from the useless piece of shit that this piece has proved to be ... scroll down a bit to the previous entries and maybe your opinion will change!!

Note: If you do decide to judge - I don't give a shit, you #&@$!! heh heh heh (now at least that felt somewhat better!!)