Change?

I called. And called once again. But all i could hear was a long beep. So i called the next number. Again a long beep. Now this only meant one thing. Both parties were busy conversing with each other. So i gave up. And called home. Just when i started speaking, i got a call back from the first person i called. I ignored, thinking i would get back after the current conversation.
Not even two lines into the conversation, another incoming call alert. This time from the second number.
Successive tries, first from me to him and his home. Then from him and his home to me. All the times same result. Engaged. Just like me.
All i remember from the day is flashing a smile and showing off all my teeth to the cameraman. Everything else is almost a blur. All the attention to detail, acting like a delicate darling in front of others, careful practice to remain calm and composed went for a toss in between the flurry of activity.
Life changing event? Truly speaking, i don't know. I came back from the function happier and a couple of grams heavier - both from the eating and the ring.That is pretty much what every person needs- a happy heart and stomach!
Oh, and by the way, Happy Woman's day. Couldn't have thought of a better day for my relationship status to change! More power to Girl Power!
P.S. To all the people i had assured that i would shout when the D day arrived, this is the shouting from the rooftop! :)

ABCD Movie Review

So what do you do when a "Dance Company" you own fails to do well in the finals of a Dance Competition? You play the dirty politics card and get them to keep the Champions' title.
Next, you throw your Choreographer out. He, who has put in more than 10 years of mehanat into the dance company simply walks out, because you proclaim that the ghar and gaaDi are what you have given him. Hello, no salary concept here?
And well, our man, the choreographer is by a stroke of massive luck, in the right place at the right time. His buddy convinces him to cancel a ticket to his ooru- Chennai and asks him to stay back with him. Luck also chances him upon a bunch of young almost jobless folks, all of whom , again by massiveluck, are acrobatics capable dancers.
He sees potential, they start dancing in his mind and thus a dance group is recruited.
After this is a series of lessons of life (boring), some gyan about chasing one's dream (boring), lots of dance (expected) and some more dance.
At the end of the movie, you can almost get "So the moral of the story is..." kind of feeling.

Acting wise, they do a decent job - nothing that needs heavy duty acting skills. The screenplay seems strained at times, trying to fill in dull parts with unnecessary side tracks.

But what it paisa vasool is the final 20 minutes of the movie. Amazing energy, a nice twist in the plot and the participants of DID living up to the dance superstars image. Prabhu Deva is a treat in the scenes that he shows off his style and dance moves.  They do indeed make you want to dance to celebrate life itself! Kay Kay Menon as the baddie is well cast. Again, I have a problem with the transformation of the bad to good in the end. Nothing is ever that Black or white.

That the audience in the cinema hall stood up and did more than shaking a leg was proof enough that Anybody *can* dance! If only real life had that kind of background music!

On the whole, a one time watch. Maybe re-run it to see the dance bits. If you are watching it on a low cost ticket price day, definitely worth your money!

Of Temple Towns and unspoken prayers

I am not really a temple person. I believe in God and pray everyday. But I don't really think that going to a temple is necessary in order to pray. However,on a recent visit to Tamil Nadu, I tagged along with the elders on temple visits.
I was surprised to see how they knew names of all the temples, the God that each temple was dedicated to, the location of the temple and most importantly, what famous prasadam was available in each of the temples.
It was perhaps the best time to visit Tamil Nadu. Pleasant breeze during the day, temperate afternoons, the lush green Cauvery basin were all a part of a Tamil Nadu unknown to me. I tried imagining the sticky and humid Chennai but in vain - it was that cold in Kumabakonam early in the morning!
This post has been a long time coming. I did not really know how to go about writing it. Story about one temple would be a post in itself. Hence an easy way out and a glimpse of the temples that i visited during my trip last month. Warning- a really long post below.
The first morning at the Thyagaraja Temple in Tiruvarur was an eye opener about how big the temples in Tamil Nadu can be - so much so that the two entrances of the temple are a good ten minute walk from each other!

Like most other temples i would subsequently see, this temple had a HUGE koLam (theppa koLam/temple tank) adjoining it.

And not to forget, a really hi-fi vadhiyar!

The paintings inside the temple walls, the heavy woodwork, the musty smell of the oil from the lamps were a fixture in all the temples.
The elephant at the entrance of the Uppliappan kovil in Kumbakonam blessed me soon as i gave it a coin. And once i turned, the koLam there made me stop and stare.

There was such a symmetry in the multiple dwarams, that i forgot for a moment that we were queuing up to the see the God.

Next stop was the Rahu-Ketu temple next door. Again, brilliant colors on the walls and roof. A hall way that seemed to never end. Lots of open space, sand and a lovely koLam that i could not photograph due to want of light.

Day two saw us visiting the Vaidheeshwaran Temple that is thousands of years old and is known to hold a cure for all kinds of ailments. Lovely light streams into the temple near the entrance, but it is spread over such a vast area that by the time you reach the garbhagriham, it is really dark.

Once again, a huge tank in the enclosure whose holy waters are said to be therapeutic.

And well, in keeping with the theory that it is faith and not really the idol that is important, we did drop in into the dargah at Nagur, where the person with the peacock feather jhadoo asked me if i was there in order to pray for a wedding asap. I retorted saying its not an asap wedding i need, thanks much. He seemed baffled and wanted to know what is it otherwise that i was wishing for. I said my prayers in my mind and got the jhaDoo beaten on my head.

Next in line was the Velankanni Church. A pristine white washed building by the blue sea, people of all faiths culminating to pray, a Tirupathi-like tonsure center out of which came people by the hoards with chandan paste on their newly shaved heads were all sights to behold.

One thing i was convinced of. People have tremendous amount of faith that God holds all the answers. And  people throng the religious places to re install that faith. And irrespective of which religion you belong to, the faith you see in the pilgrims can move you. You also start believing that *This* particular God is waiting above to say tathasthu to you. So you pray- be it at the temple, or the church or the mosque, and hope you are the lucky one!

The wrap to the visit was at a place that i have forever wanted to see - The Brihadeeshwaran Temple at Tanjavur, my native place. The temple is an architectural marvel. It is surprising, that in times as old, people built such a wonder without any machinery. Period. I have nothing more to say.

The sheer size of the temple is something i perhaps can't put into words.

It was a fitting end to the journey.

Oh, and yes, where ever i went, along with God, there was another omnipresent element. There was certainly no escaping her!

On that note, it is a wrap on the piligrimage diary. I came back after visiting many shrines, a lot of prayers said in the heart and maybe with a blessing or two that God bestowed upon me. 

Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu Review

I have had my eyes on this movie for a while. For one, it seemed like a feel good movie, and seemed to be one that the whole family can go out and watch together. The sound track was already on my daily playlist. There was no way i was going to miss this movie!
Giving Alex Pandian a miss, i booked tickets for SVSC. The movie starts off slowly. There is no linear narration. Nothing that tells you what the leads are doing for a living, no scenes that spoon feed information to the viewer. Bits and pieces of their daily life are portrayed for the viewer to understand and put together.

The story mainly focuses on family values and the value and importance of having a family. The special bond that the two brothers share, all the things that they convey to each other in their silences, the awkwardness in expressing their love and concern for each other is really touching! There are no Hindi movie style bear hugs or in your face dialogues about how much they love each other. But their demeanor and actions say it all.

It is a movie about family and relationships. About regular people worries like running a home, getting  the daughter married, finding a job and battling the world to make a living. All of the 159 minutes are not action packed with events. Some are just long pauses and mundane dialogues.

But there are some really stirring scenes that will make you forget all the boring bits. The ever smiling good Samaritan father played by Prakash Raj has a memorable role. When he tells his sons that he has not given them money or property but has given them the wings to fly and do what they want, you cannot help but smile with him. And no, its not a all happy movie. It is one hell of a tearjerker. I was telling myself in the head, it is after all a movie, after all a movie, but could not help but cry at each of the over feeling type of dialogues.

Venkatesh as the serious, reserved, brimming with temper guy is very convincing.The love story between Mahesh Babu and Samantha is not really convincing. A guy who doesn't really give bhaav to many a ladies previously, simply falls for her for no special reason.She is wasted in a not so important role. Mahesh Babu is endearing in a movie that doesn't need him to do much of dishum dishum. His crackling chemistry with his grandma is a treat!
However, it is Seetha played by Anjali who walks away with the best role. She was super in engeyum eppodum and has done a fab job again! As the orphaned girl who grows up in their home, she is bubbling with energy and is the driving force in the house. The director hasn't really leveraged the relationship between her and Venkatesh well. For most part of the movie, he is oblivious of her feelings.

The script however could be a little more taut. Many a places, scenes appear to be there just to fill gaps. All  of the duets/dancing songs were totally unnecessary. But the title track and the wedding song make up for the others being shoddily shot. I did not understand many dialogues, cause  i am used to watching Siddharth's movies that have a lot of English in them. The pure telugu in the movie was a little hard to understand in places.

The movie may not have a great new story. But it tells you the value of smiling, being nice and helping people. It tells you that come what may, your family is always there with you. Do not forget to carry your tissues, cause cry you will. But am also sure that you would walk out with a smile! 

Spoilt for Choice

I still remember the time when Diwali used to stand for waking up before the sunrise, the traditional ganga snanam, touching the elders' feet afterwards and receiving blessings and new clothes from them. Diwali, Pongal, maybe Ganesha Chaturthi and the birthday were the only occasions when we would buy new clothes. So much that, everybody would eagerly anticipate the arrival of the festivals, get their clothes ready in advance and get terribly excited about the prospect of trying the new "dress" on. Did i go through all that this year? Of course not. I woke up as usual since i did not have to really compete against the street kids as to who would burst the first cracker of the day. I stopped the cracker bursting business ages ago. The ganga snanam happened in cauvery water and since mister tailor had not gotten my new clothes ready, i had to resort to wearing something that was not brand new. But what surprised me was the fact that i was not really disappointed. And why is that? That is because i dont really look forward to the handful of occasions anymore to pick a new dress or a pretty accessory. The "have money- will spend" attitude has taken away  the thrill out of new clothes for festivals.
I saw a poster yesterday that said, buy only things that are absolutely necessary and things that you really love. I think half the stuff i have is something that i have picked up as an impulse purchase, only to stop liking it a few days later. Another quarter of my stuff is what i have picked up because the discount was great!  Goal for 2013- Junking all the items not used over the past 6 months, giving away everything that i have stowed away in the secret hope that i will be able to fit into it someday again and to buy wisely from now on.
Coupon shopping has wrecked havoc with monthly budgets the whole last year. After a year of reckless spending, i am now wiser to know that no deal is the last deal. And most things that are bought with coupons are only add ons to existing stuff. Do i need that extra handbag that is on unbelievable 50% off? I know i will survive without it. So am not buying it. How many watches does one need? One or two for regular use, a dressy one for occasions. The eyes and the heart will continue rivet at the shiny Rolex watch on the glossy supplement of the ToI. But it is about finding out whether it is a want or a need.
There is plenty of choice out there when you go shopping. Life was much more simple when there was not much choice. I had one watch that i wore all through high school and college. Bought clothes only for festivals. Wore that same gold earring everyday. And now, i have to dwell on what to wear to work each morning even though i have a closet full of clothes. Once the clothes are picked, think about matching accessories. And no, not done yet. Shoes? Winterwear? I dont know if it is simple to go back to how it was in school. That would mean giving away all those accessories and am not yet ready for that. But yes, i am resolving to cut down on purchases. To pick up only the best of the things rather than being carried away by a discount. And am reserving all future purchases for important occasions so that, when i recollect a purchase, i can also recollect the occasion and the happiness associated with it.

Diwali Wishes

Here is wishing you all a bright, happy and prosperous Diwali. May the festive season bring in a lot of peace and contentment to all of us. And may the festive season bring in a little more responsibility in every one of us towards Mother Earth. Let there be more light. 

A Ride aboard the Nilgiri Mountain Rail

I have a fascination for trains and train journeys. As a kid, it was a yearly ritual to travel overnight to visit grandparents for the summer vacation. I have fond memories of the Rail Museum in Mysore - a staple stopover whenever any relative with a kid visited Mysore. As I grew up, I have taken the train to visit places far and wide apart. And now, I shuttle between Mysore and Bangalore, almost every week by train. Train journeys can be chaotic, sometimes boring and sometimes full of fun. My weekly journey though spans three hours to and fro, is uneventful and mostly spent on getting some shut eye in peace. However, sometime back, I was in for an altogether different experience when I took the Nilgiri Mountain train on a visit to Ooty. For starters, there is something about the air in hill stations that makes you want to breathe deeply. It just fills you up with so much energy!
We reached the Ooty station at 9 in the morning. My friend had already booked through the IRCTC website. So did not have to worry about ticket availability.

The train chugged off at quarter past nine from the Ooty station. While you can feel the nip in the air in the station, inside the train, once the windows are closed, it is warm and cosy. And you don't really want to open the windows, lest the cold air troubles other passengers. But there isn't any need for it as there are big windows on both sides that give breathtaking views as the train winds through the hills. Scenic and green, it is a sight to behold. Once in a while, the view gives way to a tunnel, evoking screams from the kids and adults alike. We passed by the Lovedale station which has been featured in many a movie. It appeared to be a small, sleepy town, right out of a picture postcard. 

The train does not stop at Lovedale. We had to get off at Ketti, the next stop, from where we would proceed to complete our itinerary. The friendly guard made my day by asking which college we were from :).  Half an hour of train journey. Just 9 kms of distance covered. A small little toy train. But the happiness out of the journey knows no bounds! Do take the train the next time you go to Ooty.