The Hunger Games - Part 2 - A Hobbling final act!

LOTR. Harry Potter. The Bourne Series. Twilight and now The Hunger Games. One more book series is successfully laid to rest after raking in millions from the revolutionary franchise!

"Welcome to the 76th Hunger Games" whispered Gale into Katniss's ears and the entire theatre erupted into volcanic chants and rooted for Katniss to win for one last time against a very redoubtable and commanding opponent in this concluding quartet - President Snow himself. However, there was a twist. Though the twist was as predictable as a hero emerging triumphant over the villain in the climax of every wood industry, the way in which the narration had slowly meandered its way to the final scene was nothing short of the usual formulaic film. As was the problem with Harry Potter and Twilight series when the producers and directors decided to rip apart the concluding part into two just for the sake of milking in the extra cash, The Mockingjay Part 2 too suffered a very similar fate. The movie was at times being dragged to the extent that even a snapping rubber band would stretch itself beyond its limited breaking point! The movie had a solid run time of close to 150 minutes including the intermission. With a crisper editing and a racier screenplay, The Mockingjay would have ensured that it satiated the hunger of the audience who have been assiduously following the series since 2012. Th film heavily relies on the quiver-carrying J-Lo who failed to impress in the most vital scene - her pep talk to invigorate the people to launch an all out attack on Snow was more demotivating than otherwise. 

Undoubtedly the movie had it own good moments like the Underground chase where the Mutts attack the squad.  Although a deep sense of foreboding engulfed the tensed pods sequences, the escape could have been orchestrated into an exciting edge of the seat thriller rather than as the tepid lull as showcased in the movie. The final confrontation between Snow and Katniss was indeed a revelation for not only to Katniss but also to the devious Snow himself to know the actual mastermind behind his splendid downfall. Eventually, Snow was buried in the snow by the angry mob who had thronged to the Capitol in multitudes to witness his execution. What should have been a glorious firework of a finish got ended rather as a shall-I-burst-thinking kind of cracker. 

Epilogue:

Those who are tear-eyed after the movie's end that they cannot see J-Lo as Katniss again on the big screen, fret not. There is a rumor that Lionsgate has planned to release prequels and sequels to this money generating akshayapatra!

Epilogue 1:
The review on Mockingjay Part 2 will seem very tangential and not have touched the depth of the bottom. Unfortunately, the review can be only as good as the movie is!  

Spectre - A soulless spirit!

Imagine a slimmer and fitter Ajith sporting silky suits who has a troubled past which comes to haunt him in the form of his devious and devilish brother. You pepper in two ravishing looking girls with deleted kiss scenes and action sequences in swashbuckling locales. And oh yes! No songs in the movie - intro, romance or sad. Voila! What we have is a typical Kollywood movie with a stylish touch to it. Does it ring a bell somewhere? Yes. Ajith had almost reprised James Bondesque role even in Billa 1. Spectre, if it had been directed by an Indian Director, would have been the perfect platform to announce officially that he is the most apt person to play as James Bond at least in India! 

I am not going to let the cat out of the bag by revealing Spectre's story. Kindly watch the movie and find it out for yourself. If your decision is to watch it in IMAX, then it is well and good as the IMAX actually spared the Bond franchise's blushes. Yes. The IMAX format got finally screened in Chennai. The experience was worth the surprising and out-of-the ordinary cost but not for the latest Bond movie! The review is as follows minus the story!

When you have a list of options to be checked against the imperatives for an 007 picture, almost all the boxes get ticked. A Suave and Sophisticated Hero. Bad Villain. Sexy Girls. The Theme song. The all-famous punch dialogue. Speedy cars. Pounding action sequences. Wry One-liners. So, why did I say the film lacked life and boring? Simple. One of the most important check boxes remained unchecked till the very end. STORY. To put it in a nutshell, Spectre is more Kollywood-esque than Hollywood as far as the story is concerned excepting the indisputable fact that Spectre's budget would be many many manifold times than an average Tamil film.

Even the full potential of actors like Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Andrew Scott, and Monica Bellucci weren't completely utilized especially the services of Christoph Waltz who has so gracefully, menacingly and delightfully had given stellar performances in The Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained. The moment it was known that C.Waltz was playing Number 1, anticipations were sky high and only to become downfall by the end. It was not that he had performed badly. He had done enough justice to the role in the limited screen frame and time frame he had been allotted in the movie. His screen presence could have been more in the film to showcase the entire range of arsenal which C. Waltz possesses. Unfortunately, that was not the case with the weak story.  

In the end, when Bond says "Time flies" and the watch-bomb bursts, I realized that the time was actually going very slow in reality. Now, it's up to the new and unknown Bond to deliver an exceptional performance in the next Bond outing to make it a truly memorable and unforgettable one with his signature "Bond...James Bond" dialogue!

Chennai's Water Woes - Part 2

So, the million dollar question. Does the Chennai citizens feel even a modicum of safety in this harsh and bitter weather ? The answer is a simple , straightforward  thundering and lightning no. This is extremely evident from the fact that 2 people were electrocuted in KK Nagar when the electric line snapped out and touched the waters when the unfortunate incident occurred. Though the city faced severe power outages when heavy winds and rains lashed and torn into the very heart of the city , it is still basic common sense that the power supply should have been discontinued until the weather was at least all fine and dandy. Even on Sunday, a husband and wife were electrocuted on the spot in Velachery when the electric cable fractured and fell on them causing the government to suspend 4 people.

This is just the beginning. Stagnant water is the ideal place for mosquitoes to increase their population and spread deadly diseases like Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya. As the sewers have beautifully mixed in enormous proportions with the rain water, it would be only uncommon if the hospitals aren't frequented by people suffering from cholera, diarrhoea and food poisoning. This situation would be highly relevant to those who reside alongside the Adyar river when the hydrogen oxide from Chembarabakkam lake was released thus causing the polluted and stinking Adyar river overflow to venture boldly and freely into the neighbouring vicinity. The government is stepping up on the gas by having free medicines distributed to all the people through their emergency health camps set up in the hospitals. But, this is like licking the wounds and making it better when the wound could have been avoided in the first place. The rainy weather showed not just the gross mismanagement of the government to handle a severe crisis but also their colossal inability to make the best use of the technologies available to have mitigated the extent of the damages caused by the floods. In short, the government missed out on their management!

Every cloud has a silver lining. The 4 major reservoirs in Chennai - Chembarabakkam, Poondi, Red Hills and Cholavaram - are almost filled up to their brims. This ensures that Chennai, where a bucket of water can cost Rs10 due to the acute water shortages experienced in the scorching Summer months, can heave a sigh of big relief and be all smiles as even today, our esteemed Chief Minister Jayalalitha has said that 850 million liters of water can be given to the city from its previous 537 million liters per day. 

However, the big 72 font size question remains - Does the battle wounded city is prepared to combat another low pressure when it strikes her again? As far as the Met Department news is concerned , there is one more low pressure that has been formed and may bring heavy rainfall to the city. Chennai has already submerged like the Titanic and is very slowly swimming back to the surface to be alive. Considering and seeing fully the lack of proactive preparedness and effective planning by the Government,  Chennai would be another Atlantis when the next massive cloudburst happens unless expedient steps are taken urgently to address the city's drainage issues thus guarding this favorite and fabulous city from the savage weather thus sustaining her till eternity

                                                                  X----concluded----X

Chennai's Water Woes - Part 1

“Water, water, everywhere,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink.”

― Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

This quote aptly and perfectly summarises the plight and flight of Chennai-ites in the last 15 days. 

There were buses submerged in water under a bridge to go with the boats being used to ferry out people to safety. The sewer mixed with the waterlogging on the roads made the matters even worse. So, what is the point of having so much water surrounding your islandish house/flats and being confined in your own house like a prisoner without electricity, bitten by mosquitoes and unable to venture out to the nearby shops for buying a basic necessity as milk and water if the waters on the roads couldn't have been used effectively?     

What began as a simple low pressure eventually culminated into receiving a vicious 23.5.cm rainfall on one fine extraordinary Sunday - the highest rainfall for a single day since 2005. As a result of the heavy rains that has left the city in a badly battered state, schools and colleges were closed for more than a week across the state and they are still closed even tomorrow (28/11/2015). Early haly yearly holidays for children without studying hard and writing their half yearly exams ! Ramanan is now being revered as the new Rain God - as far as school children and college goers are concerned! The impact of the depression was such that many offices were also closed, of course! with compensation, due to the potential risk to life besides the property that the damaging floods had caused to several parts of the city. Apart from certain areas in and around Mount Road, the rest of the city borne the severe brunt of the rains resulting in extensive and immense waterlogging and flooding thus throwing the city into complete chaos and disrepair.

It was just not only raining cats and dogs or coming down in bucket loads but also raining buffaloes, cows, goats and other domesticated animals along with coming down in jumbo tank loads! Such was the steady intensity and ferocity of the precipitation that it had brought the complete city to a silent standstill. The only sound that was breaking the pin drop silence was the mighty force of the whooshing wind and the pitter patter of the heavy showers due to the incessant cloudburst activity. The unflagging wet weather was really uncommon for a water-starved place like Chennai considering the dubious moniker she has earned for herself because of the scorching and sweltering summers - Hot, Hotter and Hottest. 

With the majority of the rains that the city receives is due to the Northeast monsoon which accounts for 60% of her annual rains during this season, it was extremely surprising to see that Chennai was thoroughly unprepared for the event. Though Chennai is merely 7m above sea level, the natural strategic location of this beautiful landform cannot be considered as one of the chief causes for flooding. It goes beyond that. In fact, this disaster is purely man-made and the sooner we accept the reality the better it will be as it can ensure such situations do not occur in future again.

So, what is it that we have done that has completely thrown this busy city out of gear in such an unabated fashion? It is due to 3 reasons - geography, incompetent, ineffective and inadequate water drainage and finally, the massive urbanization that has been taking place in the city. Geography is something that is God given and naturally formed for centuries. We cannot do much about it. But, drainages and encroachments are directly connected with the city planners and the government. Every action could have been taken with prudent and proper plans to avert this catastrophe of this magnitude. It has come to light that the Pallikaranai marsh, a natural flood control barrier, has dwindled to one-tenth of its original size due to excessive construction activities with the meteoric rise of the IT industry along the OMR stretch. There were 150 water bodies in the city which is significantly reduced to only 27 now. The meaning is loud and clear to everyone. We have been building on these water bodies thus encroaching  them to the level that drains could not be connected to an outlet. The result - internal flooding due to the artificial barriers that have been erected and thus serving as an massive obstruction to the natural flow of the water. Speaking of drains, though 10000 crores have been spent to build the storm water drains in the last 5 years, it seems that the urban planners have failed to take into account the hydrological aspect which is an indispensable and inevitable part for a city layout. Drains are as important as the roads when it comes to a city. It is very evident from the indisputable evidence that even the Harappan civilization had excellent drainage system in place to the likes of which has not been seen in a city like Chennai. It is really sad to see that the government still maintains their stance they cannot do anything beyond rescue and relief when instant proactive measures for short-term and long-term are the need of the hour.

Nature's fury is unpredictable and unstoppable but it can be drastically mitigated to a great extent. What has happened has happened. It is time to look to the future immediately so that the biggest industrial and commercial center in South India can at least ameliorate the lives of millions of residents who have been inhabiting this deeply culture-rich place for ages yet still has the tolerance to accept and accommodate millions of new comers, thus giving them a chance - an opportunity - to earn and grow in the lives. It is now up to the concerned authorities to ensure that the city also grows and develops  in a proper and sustained manner to match this accelerated economic hustle and bustle so that people can lead a safe, secure and prosperous life.

                                                                            X-----to be concluded----X

Rasavid Buffet - A True Value for Money Deal!

It was a toss between Ibis and Rasavid and the latter won the tussle hands down for their claimed sheer spread and cost. Our team of 13 colleagues. despite all odds, confronted the rains heads on and reached the place on an extremely wet and flooded Friday for our team lunch. Though I had already PAID a visit to the Rasavid (opposite to Aravind theatre) several times, this was the first time I was stepping into Rasavid Buffet. Just like the entree offered by Rasavid, there were 7 veg and 6 non-veg members in the group. Needless to say, there were 7 Veg and 6 Non-veg, to be exact, followed the soup. The welcome mint drink was initially served as soon as we had comfortably settled down in our seats. From then onwards, it was a tough fight between the stomach and the food!

The ambience was simple, neat and clean with the service being just above par quality. The starters were brought in as per our preferences. Being a vegetarian, I found the variety of appetizers were adequate and tasty. The main course was satisfactory with Noodles, Biriyani, Dal, 2 side dishes for Naan and our Staple foods - Rice, Rasam, Curd Rice and fryums. But, the desserts were really good especially the mouth-watering and hot Gulab Jamuns with the varieties of ice-creams and cakes. Overall, the food lived up to the name "Rasavid" though it could have been better! The bottomline is that you simply cannot find a quality buffet at such a competitive and affordable price in OMR.  A killer buffet @ Rs.450 for Veg and Rs.550 for Non-Veg minus the taxes. The smorgasbord was worth every rupee spent.

A special mention to Priyadharshini who was not only friendly but also very helpful and cooperative when it came to reserving and arranging the seats to make it one of our memorable team lunches.   

A word of caution - As the name suggests, there is no a la carte available in this restaurant. So, enjoy the unlimited buffet to your heart's content! 

Sigree Global Grill – An extremely delectable and rich experience!

It was more than 6 years ago since I met one of my best friends from my Engineering days. I met him one last time in our verdant campus before he left for his native Tirunelveli. He completed his Masters in Dehradun while I was doing mine in Coimbatore. Though both of us were in the two extreme parts of the country, we still maintained and sustained our friendship through various means - FB, Mails and Calls. I felt the telecom operator would have raked in a fortune because of us during this period! So, when he arrived in Chennai, I was more than excited to him in person after all this while. We decided to meet up in Sigree Global Grill as it was very close my friend's place. Barring the sudden downpour on a pleasant Saturday morning, I braved my way towards Thuraipakkam with my friend. I have heard quite a lot from my friends about this place. Obviously, positive else we wouldn't have chosen this place for our get together. But, there was a kick that was going in at the back of my mind as I knew that this place was always swarming with people and that a reservation is more than a mandate to gain access to this place during the weekends. Fortunately, we were more than well in time before the crowd began to trickle in by throngs!

After occupying our seats comfortably, we were welcomed in with a welcome drink! Then, the servers brought in the barbecues after enquiring our preferences - veg and non-veg. A couple of their working party ensured that the veg delicacies were correctly served to me and non-veg to my friend. I was particularly impressed with the tandoori pineapple. When my friend and I were chewing the cud as well as chewing the food, the starters were steaming in one by one. It took us more than an hour to finish our entree. We were casually engaged and lost ourselves in a trip down the memory lane and at the same time, we were slowly and thoroughly enjoying every last piece of the food - Sweet Potatoes, Paneer and Mushroom Grill, Bread platter and Mineral Water! After having a taste of all the appetizers, we decided that the time was ripe to move on to the main course.

As I was gently strolling towards the main course arena, the Pasta & Pizza counter grabbed my attention as even the most popular and famous Barbecue Nation did not have one! After the initial reconnaissance of all the veg main courses and the dessert spread, I was up for the challenge to have a taste of all the items that were included in our prices excluding the taxes! I do not remember the exact names that were labelled on the steaming vessels but there was Naan, Parsley rice, Tomato veggies, Dal, Salads, Fryums, Paneer Butter Masala, Biriyani and Curd Rice. Like how we used to have pickles, I filled out my entire plate with such a quantity covering all the items. Finally, our main course ended up with the veg spaghetti carefully chosen by my friend. My stomach was literally and metaphorically bursting at the intestines!

Just like the innings break during IPL matches, we were completely reeling under the heavy lunch minus the desserts. We took some selfies to kill the time and also to break down the food in the stomach! It took us more than 15 minutes to even stand up from our seats and proceed towards the mouth-watering dessert section. Gulab Jamuns, Kheer, Ice creams with toppings, Tiramisu, Mousses and Cakes. When all was said and done, it was time for us to bid adieu to each other and also to Sigree Grill after paying our bills. The Sigree squad gave us a warm and polite farewell with the soft and gentle music playing in the background

Epilogue:

The food was indeed worthy of a King & Queen though the prices were on a higher side. If it had been a tad less by Rs. 100 for both veg and non-veg, then I am really sure that the reservations in Sigree would be completely booked in advance for the month.

A Bittersweet Diwali

Dum Dum Dum. Neither the atom bomb nor the hydrogen bomb had caused the loud and penetrative permeative sound on the eve of Diwali. Rather the reverberations were due to the thunderous crash made by the God of Thunder himself! Yes. Chennai, which had been stereotyped for so long as "Hot, Hotter and Hottest", ensured that those people chewed and digested their words through her lashy rains that were widely prevalent across the city since Saturday. It has been very long since Chennai had experienced such a heavy rain of this magnitude. Almost all the roads were completely flooded and cut off thus causing the city to come to a stand still. Surely, the tourists from Venice wouldn't have felt then that they were in a distant place far away from home! But, Varuna God did not show any sign of mercy and persisted with his relentlessness. Power was cut for more than 12 hours in many parts of the city as a result of the strong winds. Schools, colleges and even corporates were given a day off considering the potential threat and perceived risk of the incessant rains. Amidst a damp situation, around 3pm in the afternoon on Monday, the Lord of Rain decided that enough is enough and put the brakes on his super power so that the Chennaites need not have to wait until next year to celebrate Diwali with their family and friends. The festival kicked off, though in a very subdued manner, and the people slowly started to venture out of their homes after 2 days of imprisonment! The city was alive and kicking with rains still looming extremely dangerously on the horizon. Lord Varuna was still having the city in check. The people prayed and hoped that it was not a check mate!  

The happy festive proceeding began in full flow to match the city's floods that the dum dum dum noise was now due to the crackers. Time changes everything in a matter of hours! The sedated yet steady increase in sound and colorful lights culminated into a lively but moisty D-Day. However, the day which used to be punctuated with lots of 'damal dumeel' was rather politely interrupted with the occasional shots on this particular Diwali. The usually over crowded retail outlets were having a gloomy and sad facade on the radiant occasion. The rains were the prime accused for the cracker sales to have nose dived so sharply when compared to the previous years. This was very much evident from the fact that RSPM levels in Triplicane recorded a mere 90 microgram/cubic metre in comparison with 297 microgram/cubic metre from last year. Likewise, T.Nagar and Nungambakkam logged in 131 and 126 microgram/cubic metre this year from 180 microgram/cubic metre in 2014.

Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) are particulate matters with diameters less than or equal to 10 micrometres. As per the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) data, the RSPM levels have significantly plummeted by a mammoth 45.6% from 192.6 in 2014 to 105.6 in 2015. Though, it was still higher than the permissible levels of 100 microgram/cubic centre for a safe dwelling, this was still a positive step in the right direction for the levels of air pollution in the city to lessen during the Diwali time.

Despite all the data pointing out to the fact that the air pollution had considerably dropped, there were no such indications for noise pollution. Besant Nagar, well-known for its calm and peaceful residential surrounding, was the loudest with 83dB up by 10dB from last year. However, the average noise pollution in the city had gone down from 80.4dB in 2014 to 80.2dB in 2015. The facts look very promising for those 'green lovers' but not for the retails outlet owners whose bulky investments outstare them right into their eyes!

Though the Rain God may have played a party pooper on this festive day, the facts clearly indicate that this Diwali was relatively environment friendly to all the living beings and that this gala day was truly celebrated in the spirit of the letter of the festival.

Where are the animals and birds?

Brand New Dresses. Mass Movies. Mouth-watering Sweets. Inviting Savories and plenty of colorful Bang Bang! Yeah. The D-Day, Diwali Day, has surely arrived with a big bang! I am not going to touch upon the bad effects of bursting crackers - air pollution and noise pollution beyond the permissible limits, smog and garbage creation, fire accidents and fire injuries etc. I can very well give statistical data to prove them. Of course, Google will be my search God! In fact, everyone knows it too. So, what is it that I want to cover in this blog? In this blog, I wanted to cover the other important aspect that plagues a beautiful day as Deepavali every year - the animals and birds - who mysteriously disappear from the face of the earth for a brief  24 hour period and have their presence felt on the very next day itself if they are alive! 

My mom used to prepare and keep aside some hot plain rice for the crows on the verandah sill near the kitchen almost everyday before making ready the day's breakfast and lunch. However, when it is Diwali time, it is like everything in the universe has changed topsy-turvy.  She still completes with her cooking on time but there are no cawing crows or the scampering squirrels in the entire vicinity. It appeared as if their existence had suddenly become extinct like the Dodos and Dinosaurs! It's not just the crows and squirrels but also the cows, stray street dogs and other domestic animals, which roamed the roads with a high degree of freedom and independence, were simply not in plain visible sight. Just for a moment, I felt like calling up 100 to investigate the mystery of these disappearing animals and solve the riddle that happens on every Diwali but later realized that a special police team needed to be in place to trace their own men during the festive season!

According to the official records, the Chinese are credited with the invention of fireworks in the 12th century. As the days progressed, the eye-catching and many-hued crackers became a fascination and popular amongst the general population as the people were simply awed by the dazzling display of sparkling lights that lit up the skies. Eventually, it became an obsession for the masses to satisfy their thirst for material happiness. The idea had caught up with the rest of the world by then and almost all the festivals end up with the light and sound of the bursting crackers especially the dawn of every New Year. It was no different in a country like India which was already imbued and permeated with several festivals due to her support and tolerance for many religions.

When the terror demon Narakasura had died, his mother, Bhudevi, requested Lord Krishna to celebrate his death as a day of celebration and rejoice rather than as a day of mourning. This event may or may not have happened but the invention of firecrackers after the 12th century were the ideal boost for our masses to indulge and luxuriate themselves in the pyrotechnics and have continued the tradition as a customary practice on Diwali's day till date. Making and eating sweets, getting a new dress and watching a movie is perfectly fine. But, while you are bursting a cracker and reducing your hard-earned pile of cash to ashes, it creates tremendous problems for all the other living beings around us. Take the dog for example. The hearing range for the dogs is between 40Hz and 60Hz which makes their ears to be very sensitive than human ears. These sounds which may be loud and a source of happiness to us are actually high frequency tones that scares the dogs and puts them in a state of trauma. This makes them to be completely restless and go out of control by showing clear perceptible signs like shaking, trembling and excessive barking thereby driving them to take shelter under the parking cars outside. Unfortunately, they are not even safe there. The misfired rockets travel parallely to the ground and still hit their target like an eagle-eyed Olympic gold medal shooter! It's just not only the dogs but also the birds who fight for their survival during this so-called happy festive occasion. They dare not venture out from their nests during this time lest they want to be a Kentucky-Fried-Whatever bird classification! The smoke emitted by the bursting crackers can cause suffocation to the birds just like asphyxiation to us! Also, the rockets and all the other wonderful air-borne boom-boom can very well hit the cautious and scared resting birds on the trees thus resulting in their premature deaths. The same holds good for cows, squirrels, goats etc. At the end of the day, a life is still a life whether human being or non-human being. But, when I looked for any sign of dogs or cats or birds today, be it on the trees or under the cars, I was unable to find any thus lighting up my Sherlock brains to decode this million dollar conundrum!

I am not saying or advocating that no one should burst crackers. But, if we were to curtail and temper on the unrestrained nature of our violent happiness by showing a little bit of compassion towards other sentient life forms, Deepavali can truly become a joyous and rejoiceful day in the spirit of the letter of the word as requested by Bhudevi and granted by Lord Krishna.

Bridge of Spies - Strongly Built!

You have an extremely versatile and multi-faceted actor who have reprised and excelled many difficult roles with ease and panache even beyond the wildest imaginations of any director where all they can do is gasp and applaud him when he is in full flow. Then, you have a master class director at hand who has given several blockbusters like Jaws, ET, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, AI, Minority Report to the latest award-winning Lincoln. As a part of the audience, I knew for sure that I was in for a treat. Oh wait! They have already joined hands together in their earlier and other highly successful ventures like Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal. So, there were no questions on the quality and outcome of the film. The real question which was racking my brains out was "How different is this film going to stand out for Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks"?

After a breakneck travel from OMR to Velachery, I found myself just in time for the movie and sat comfortably in the plush seats of Luxe. The first scene was more than enough for me to gauge that this is going to be a no-nonsense film. The camera showed a person looking into a mirror who took his brushes and then proceeded to paint his portrait. The subtle  message underlying this scene was phenomenal - everyone has different identities and different roles to play as per the situation demands. It was even more apt for a spy genre! I was marvelling the wonderful thought process that had gone behind this scene when Tom Hanks made his presence felt in his first scene of "Bridge of Spies". As an insurance lawyer, he showcased how a proper negotiation should be carried out and concluded to the t. People used to say that the Bollywood flick "Rocket Singh" is a must watch for a MBA graduate. I felt this movie should also be included in that elite list. Even in the face of fire where Tom Hanks was faced with the daunting challenge to exchange a USSR spy for a USA spy from erstwhile USSR and an economics graduate from East Germany, he showed immense character to hard negotiate, convince and persuade the concerned authorities to exchange 2 persons for a single person. From a sales point of view, that's brilliant! It's like going to a car showroom and telling the sales person "Hey man! I need two cars for this single car". It's highly impossible to pull off such a feat. But, Tom Hanks ensured that the impossible became a possible like a piece of cake. Likewise, he literally grabbed the scene by the throat where he defended Abel in the USA court. There were claps in the theater. But, what really astonished me was the fact that the movie was inspired by true events! For a fleeting moment, I imagined how would it have been for the real Donovan to have experienced it first hand to go one on one with the then powerful USSR and East Germany all by himself.

Although serious, the film had its own lighter moments. I was laughing like anything when Tom Hanks walked into the USSR office and mistook everyone there for another lawyer and ultimately concluded that there was no such person!! It was downright funny even in the climax scene when he gives a jar of marmalade to his wife and his shrewd wife turns the bottle and finds out that he had gotten it for her from the nearby corner shop. The dialogues were also witty and were not overdone.

Overall, this Cold war spy drama turned out to be warm and funny with scintillating performances from Tom Hanks and co. "Bridge of Spies" is yet another feather in the cap for Steven Spielberg. Just like Lincoln and War Horse, there is surely another Oscar nomination for sure! :) 

The Grand Fall & the Big Guffaw (Part 2)

My mom was shouting at the top of her voice that I needed to wake up and get out of bed at that very moment so that the priest does not get delayed for the sacred thread ceremony which was due to start in 30 minutes time. As I was still sleeping like a polar bear, she came hurriedly to use her clever tactic that she had been employing ever since my school days - switch of the fan! It was then I woke up not because my mom switched the fan off but my mom was in a state of shock and screamed feverishly on seeing my injuries. I hadn't woken her up when I came quietly and slept into the room after all the dress ups and injections which the doctor had given me last night. I knew it was Avani Avittam but the intense searing and piercing pain in my arms and legs sufficiently ensured that I could neither sleep nor be ready for the festival. Before my mom could ask me any specifics on the deadly incident, I told her that everything can wait until the sacred thread is over. But, there was a catch here! The doctor had particularly warned me not to take bath for at least couple of days. However, the situation mandated that I should necessarily have a shower to complete the ritual. So, I was patiently waiting for the priest to solve this intricate problem. 

Avani Avittam is a very special event for all the brahmins world wide as the day gives them a ripe and golden opportunity to discard their old sins which they had committed in the last one year and begin afresh a new year with pure intentions and actions when their "poonal" is changed on this highly auspicious day. "Avani" is the tamil month and "Avittam" is one of the 27 stars in Tamil Astrology. Legend has it that the protector of this world, Lord Vishnu had incarnated as Lord Hayagriva - the Lord of Knowledge who restored the Vedas on this divine day. I was remembering whatever my dad had taught me about this important day when the priest arrived with his disciple. 

He was also horrified on seeing my condition and enquired whether I would be in a position to perform the rightful religious rites as ordained by the scriptures. I told him that I was ready but I hadn't taken a bath! Like the many loopholes in our Indian legal system, the priest did some quick thinking and said that as mine was a genuine case, I would be considered as an exception and exempted to take the bath to perform the rituals provided I do the Ganga snanam. So, the priest became a judge instantly and gave his judgement after careful deliberation of the facts and applicable laws to my case!

I was gritting and grinding my teeth to every inch as the pain became more than unbearable when I was asked to sit on the floor in the "chaplangaal" position to execute the rites one by one. After bearing another 30 minutes of excruciating mental torment and physical agony, the "poonal" changing ceremony was completed with the priest's blessings. Soon after the priest and his disciple had departed, it was an extremely volatile time for me then as I was thoroughly inundated with a flood of open question regarding the incident of the accident.

Epilogue:

I had wanted to write this blog as a horror story infused with my own personal experiences. Unfortunately, I couldn't fit in the element of ghost properly and the big guffaw is on me now! 

x-----concluded----x 

PS:

Whether I had intentionally created a ghost character or not and concluded in such a fashion in this blog is solely left to the discretion of the reader... :) :)

The Karmic Love - Teaser 6

Shailaja's mood always improved whenever she got the message from him. His messages were extremely funny, comforting and most importantly, they were very caring. She knew he was a very good person at heart. She vowed to herself that she would never marry in this lifetime when she was a kid. That horrible day was her worst nightmare and it had drastically altered the way she viewed relationships from those dreadful 24 hours onwards. Since then, Shailaja has been immensely hesitant and apprehensive whenever she heard "wed locks". Such was the profound impact that her parents divorce had left an indelible mark, pain and distrust for the institution of wedding and sacred ceremonies. She was 10 years when the vicious incident tore apart the intense love she had felt for her parents thus creating an empty void in her broken heart. She could not still digest the fact even now that her parents parted ways due to minor disagreements that cropped up between them. She felt betrayed that her parents thought only of themselves before making and taking such a landmark decision in not only their lives but also her life too. She used to wonder how come other kids were so happy with their parents and that their wouldn't their parents fight at all! From a firm believer of God, she pushed herself to stand right on the line of control that separated theism and atheism. As time trickled little by little to the extent that 8 years had gone swiftly in the blink of an eye, her resentment and animosity towards wedding bells had reached an all time high that even the Sensex cannot dream to breach her barrier!  

It was then she met him in her class on the very first day of her college. The moment she laid her hazel eyes upon him, she felt her heart giving a thunderous and happy jolt. All her anger, frustrations and pent up hatred evaporated and dissipated into thin air. She prayed to God after a long time that he should be good. Several days passed and she knew she had found her soul mate. Whatever she loved, he was able to reciprocate even before she starts to open her mouth. It was as if he could read her mind! Though he was not good-looking,  he possessed all the other qualities which she felt a guy should have - charming, witty, helpful, sincere, hard-working, trust worthy, gentle, patient, tolerant,amazing sense of humor and an irresistible magnetic appeal - that left her in an insane state of euphoric intoxication without consuming a single drop of alcohol! She did not know whether it was a crush or her life line to forget the bad experiences in her past life. She wanted to take her time though to truly ascertain as to whether he also feels the same way towards her. But, one thing she was very sure. She understands the truth that she cannot fly like the birds but time literally flies when she used to speak with him over mobile and whatsapp. All was going fun and pomp and Shailaja was enjoying every moment with him when the flood gates were suddenly thrown wide opened on one fine day when  her best friend told her that she was in love with him. 

Rules ruling the roost in ASB!

Once upon a time when our planet was in her nascent stages and human beings were scattered like molecules in a gas , no one was bound to any rules. The people did as they liked thus utilizing their unmitigated and limitless freedom to the hilt. It was only when they were driven by their fear of survival due to a variety of factors like wild animals, mother nature's fury etc. that these individuals flocked together like a herd of sheep and settled together wherever they felt they were safe and sound. When many different minds of distinct ages come together then there usually ensues positive and negative disagreements amongst the people to proclaim and demonstrate themselves to be right in the eyes of the others. When everyone was so attention seeking and had their own definition of right and wrong then it became even more difficult to manage the obstreperous and unruly crowd until they were all united by a series of statements that brought these numerous unrestrained body, mind and spirit under a single umbrella. The first rules on this planet were born that were agreeable by many thus also creating the first society in the process. The entire fabric of this massive society is intertwined and knitted properly together by the glues called trust and rules.Even one cease to exist, the society will degenerate into chaos and anarchy. As the Earth evolved, the societies also transformed themselves from being crude to civilized to highly civilized and so did the rules changed along with the progression of Earth and society.They were framed by the governing authorities to ensure that the society not only survives but also thrives and prospers for the future generations also to make a mark on this planet. Just like the two sides of a coin, in some instances, the rules were also thrust upon the people by dictatorial regimes who mercilessly flayed those who bravely flouted their rules. Karma - the omnipresent and omniscient judge always ensures that the correct verdict is given at the right time to all those wrong doers.

I completed my MBA from Amrita School of Business, Coimbatore.With close to 23 months work experience prior to my MBA, I was initially shocked to see the numerous rules in hostel and college that I felt like a dog on the management's leash! Luckily, good sense prevailed when I questioned myself why were there so many rules and I understood that the rules were put in place for a specific reason - to bring order by those who had misused and abused the freedom given to them by the college and hostel earlier. When some one gives you the complete freedom in an institution like a college or a corporate, it is always the right thing to maximize the best use of the available resources to be very productive in all the endeavours. The moment when the authorities feel that their trust is being violated and put to wrong use by any student or employee, it is only then that they have no other alternative but to wield the cane to guide these unguided through the rules.

But, even I was appalled when I read the following rules that were prettily pinned up in the notice board when I had gone to my college to be a part of the Diwali fest for the underprivileged children in the nearby village.

   

I enquired the officials and they said the rule set is for the entire Gauthama Bhavanam. So, the rules are applicable to not only engineering but also MTech, MCA and MBA. Usually, the waters in Amrita is extremely cold and it is very difficult to bath unless the solar heater works..Unfortunately, the sun is very lazy that he rarely pokes himself out of the clouds..So, how does a teacher can expect then the students to be fresh and concentrate in the class all day long if they do not have alternatives for a mere bath in the hostel and placing such restrictions? I am not saying that all those who bath are fully dedicated to the class..But, at least for sometime they can very well maintain the concentration level.On top of it, there's a new rule in ASB which says that students cannot take more than 3 classes leave else a grade cut will ensue. Supposing it falls below 5, then they are awarded an "F grade and should retake the exam. So, a student who baths in the cold water daily, falls sick and gets admitted in the hospital for a couple of weeks, then they will get an automatic F without even writing the exam! One of my friend, Navaneeth Suresh, has had a first hand experience when he was admitted in the hospital for a week and had to literally fight tooth and nail with the authorities to make them believe that all his doctor certificates are not doctored. Second, I had friendly chat with a caretaker of very healthy dog in a house near Gargi Bhavanam and asked him casually how come the dog is so fit..He told me that the dog is being fed with 2-3kgs of non-veg everyday.I am a brahmin by birth and do not eat non-veg.I am not saying or advocating that brahmins should/should not have non-veg.But, I do not eat it.That's it. I was still very angry that the students are being considered so inferior that are we so below the dog's position? There's also a worker's mess right next to Gauthama Bhavanam's mess which provides eggs to workers. So, we, the students who are nation's pillars tomorrow, are we so below them tooo?

I am not married or have a daughter..at least yet! But, my mom single-handedly brought up my sis and me after my dad's unexpected and sudden demise and it was also very difficult for us to find a son-in-law who does not drink or smoke or indulge in any bad habits. Fortunately, by God's grace, I am having a gem of a bro-in-law. Like me, there would be many with sisters and cousin sisters. Everyone knows that smoking, drinking and having drugs is wrong. But not all consume them. Some does and some doesn't. Then, the issue of indecent material. If the authorities are of the opinion that only porn can have a bad influence on a person, then they are falsely right in their views. There are many raunchy and steamy scenes in all the "woods" industry. Not to mention the racist risque and vulgar jokes that are shown and spoken brazenly in the movies/ standup comedies or the obscene lyrics in the songs. So, what do they mean by obscene/ indecent here ??..If the wardens search only the rooms as a surprise , then its okay. But, if they search them in public, just think of the psychological damage and mental trauma that they would experience. In fact, one such incident happened in Velammal school where the kid was subjected to corporal punishment and he took up his life. Even our revered law says that a 1000 criminals can go scot free but an innocent should not be punished. So, when our wardens find an innocent and highly sensitive student like the velammal kid, he is sure to contemplate and commit suicide because of the deep embarrassment he had undergone..A life is a life and he is also a son to his parents at the end of the day.

No one is against rules at least in MBA. Everyone understands that any rule put in place by the management is only for leading a better and harmonious life...But, it is only when they transgress rudely to the point that the rules can cause unnecessary embarrassment, it is seen as a problem..Amrita is a great place to be in - be it the beautiful environment, faculty, infrastructure or the educational materials. It is really good. But, the students spend as much time in hostel as they do in college. This is the stark reality which is happening at Amrita. Anyone can verify and confirm it for themselves, if they wish and want to!!

I still say that rules are needed for proper functioning of any system as without rules, all hell is broken loose! I am not saying that the rules needed to be student friendly. But, it shouldn't choke them to the point that they give negative word of mouth for the next set of batches to not to not be a part of this wonderful Amrita campus and culture. That is what I am really against.