I SWEAR (IN)

Swelling with positive reinforcement, to see that a common man without a political background (armed with honesty and intelligence) can rise above cynicism, hate, and negative propaganda - with the will to make a difference to our country! Thank you to my fellow Indian citizens in Delhi, for giving me the opportunity to experience this moment of extreme pride and humility at the same time! ‪#‎IAmArvind‬

MY OLD FRIENDS

I first saw you twenty years ago, and then you went away with no promise of return. You thrived in my thoughts, my words, and sometimes even in my actions. The world made wisecracks about my excessive fondness for you, but I unblinkingly flicked their sniggers away with the sheer happiness you brought to me, time and again. I managed to stay in constant touch with one of you over time, but to see you both together again is a unique return to those teenage years! -

Sometimes, it becomes possible to wait for years; but unbearable is the wait for those few hours, or minutes, as the actual moment approaches! I can't wait to see you guys again tomorrow! Bursting at the seams with excitement!

#dumbanddumbertomovie

FRAUDIAN PRINCIPLES

July 6, 2008 - Extracts from the Satyam.com website one day before Satyam chairman Ramalinga Raju confessed to a $823-million fraud.
Link: http://www.satyam.com/about/board_of_directors.asp

Ramalinga Raju, also known as Raju, is Satyam’s founder and chairman. Raju is a world-renowned visionary, global business leader, and thinker. He uses a simple, yet extensive management model to create value, which promotes entrepreneurship, a focus on the customer, and the constant pursuit of excellence...

Raju has an MBA from Ohio University, and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School. He has won numerous awards not only for building a best-in-class business but also taking innovative steps to positively impact the society...

A voracious reader, Raju is deeply influenced by science. He has adopted several scientific principles in running business operations.

Scientific principles indeed.

THE HEALING VOICE

Ten years ago, I went through a phase in my life when I could relate to no one. Anyone who cared for me (including myself) seemed powerless to help me. Loud nights of silent crying and silent nights of loud crying were all that I could drown my sorrows in.

Then I began to listen to Jagjit Singh's ghazals. He changed the way I felt about my situation in life. Many a night, his voice soothed my frayed nerves, kissed my senses, and comforted me like a mother - when my own mother cried herself to sleep, unable to help my condition.

I always believed that the "music has no language" concept works only to a certain extent (to enjoy, appreciate, and shake an occasional leg maybe) but doesn't touch the soul. I barely understood the Hindi/Urdu lyrics in the ghazals, but the music and the voice - how were they able to reach in to touch my carefully hidden fears and alleviate them? It was a miracle when I desperately needed one.

I came to know much later that this man whose voice carried me through innumerable weary days was struck by personal tragedy a few years ago - the loss of his 21-year-old son in a car accident. His singer-wife Chitra, who performed with Jagjitji in his concerts, stopped singing after that shock.

Last night, Jagjit Singh performed at Palace Grounds, Bangalore (pic below). Amongst the thousand voices singing Main Nashe Mein Hoon along with him in exhilaration, mine was humbly one! For many years, Jagjitji has ended many a painful night in peace for me. Last night was a night I begged he would never end.



I am overjoyed that I watched Jagjit Singh live in concert - a lifetime wish fulfilled! What can my tears of gratitude ever give him in return for what he has given me?

SELES-TIAL PLAYER

Age 16: Youngest-ever French Open champion.
Age 17: Youngest woman to reach #1 on the WTA rankings.
Age 19: Wins eighth Grand Slam singles title. Most ever won by a teenager.
Three months later: One demented bastard changes everything [link].

Monica - I don't have your poster up on my wall anymore, but you will always be my favourite women's tennis player! The mental strength and resilience you displayed in coming back to the game to win one more Grand Slam after that traumatic incident is... unbelievable!

Monica Seles announced her official retirement from professional tennis on February 14, 2008.

WHEN MAN BECOMES GOD

A friend asked me today: Are you for or against Gandhi? Its been a while since I've lost the habit of thinking on these lines as I'm out of school and college, and there are no more elocution competitions to commemorate special days. My TV is not tuned to receive Doordarshan either, so it's been ages since I last watched Richard Attenborough's epic.

All my life, I've been told (by history books, elders, television documentaries, newspaper articles) that Gandhi is God. And I used to think that if a man is called the Father of the Nation and his image appears on the nation's currency, he must be big!

My only flash cuts to Gandhi's "negative side" used to be my Indian Air Force pilot-friend, who always abused Gandhi for "screwing up on the Partition". And I've read pieces about Gandhi's controversial experiments with Brahmacharya. Somehow, the growing cynicism in me wants to think there must be more to the man than just truth and non-violence. Again, I believe that all people are made of goodness and evil, and that the two must be weighed to determine, in the greater scheme of things, the person's greatness.

I believe nobody in real life can be a thamizh film hero - embodiment of all good things, without a trace of negativity in them. And that every person is glorified after their death, positive side usually conquering the dark side. Couple this with our national tendency to turn people into "Gods", in the truest sense of the word.

So, as "Is Gandhigiri relevant today" debates happen on NDTV and Sun TV airs Thiruda Thirudi, my response to my friend's question:
I don't know enough about Gandhi to form an opinion of him.

Suddenly my ill-informedness slaps me very hard!

Some interesting links:
MK Gandhi's Autobiography
More on the Mahatma
Much more on the Mahatma
(warning - may be offensive to some):
Nathuram Godse
More on Nathuram Godse
The Gandhi Nobody Knows by Richard Grenier

AISHWARYA SUCCEEDS SHAKEELA

Rabindranath Tagore wrote a novel, Chokher Bali, about a young widow who messes up the life of a married man and his family. This novel was made into a movie in 2003, starring Bengali actor Prasenjit, Aishwarya Rai, and Raima Sen.

Three years later, this movie, which depicts complex relationships, adultery, and manipulation of human emotions is being dubbed into Tamil as Aishwarya Rai Oru Perazhagi (meaning "Aishwarya Rai is a stunning beauty") !!! I laughed for 120 seconds non-stop when I first read this!

I wonder if the dialogues in the movie have been retained intact, or whether Raima Sen, when her character has to say "You bitch - you stole my husband from me", says, "You gorgeous bitch, you lured my husband away with your delicious smiles and five-second bare back scene!". Even funnier to imagine this in thamizh! :-)

Indian pornstar Shakeela was the only other actress whose movies, regardless of their names, were only known as "Shakeela movies".

Some other "classics" I can foresee in the pipeline:
(sorry, non-thamizh readers, no fun if I translate)

Raincoat -> Eera Towel-udan Aishwarya
Mistress of Spices -> Aishwarya Oru Vilaimaadhu
Khaakhee -> Aishwaryava Kokkaa
Bride and Prejudice -> Aishwaryavin KaLLa Kaadhal
Bunty Aur Babli -> Aishwaryavum Avanum

PRESIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Got the link to the website of the President of India, thanks to buddy Random Access!

The President of India

I wanted to share this with all of you - it contains Shri. APJ Abdul Kalam's speeches, poetry, songs, quotes, addresses to the nation, press releases and much, much more. Totally unlike some of the drab government websites that I have visited in the past.

A laudable feature is that the visually challenged can also obtain information from this site, with the help of inbuilt speech applets.

NIGHTINGALE IN THE WINGS

It has been a very long time since I played a new thamizh film song in an endless Winamp loop. What a brilliant composition! And what a melodious voice!

The song is "ManjaL Mugamey" from the film ABCD.The first time I heard this song, the voice sounded so strangely familiar! When I looked on the cassette cover, I was overjoyed to see the name Saindhavi. I had the pleasure of knowing this chirpy little girl during my days as a chorus singer. She and I had been part of a chorus group for a bhajan album two years ago.

Her talent has radiated on several shows like Ragamalika (Jaya TV), and Are you Ready (Star Vijay). Also found out that she has sung "Randakka Randakka" from Anniyan along with Shreya Ghoshal (but I could not spot her voice from that song). This little girl is still in school!

I really wish that she makes it BIG as a singer. A newcomer with perfect thamizh diction is a boon to thamizh music! I hope she (and a music fan like me) is blessed with more wonderful compositions.

Listen to her voice in:
ManjaL Mugamey (Film: ABCD)
Poomaalayo PonvaeLayo (Film: UnarchigaL)
(Her voice sounds best only on a good quality CD recording of these songs, not the low bitrate links above)