The lovely, brilliant, humane, civilized, dignified, hardworking people of Israel and Jews world wide need to hear this - We Love You.
On 7th of October, you were attacked by terrorists. There are no words to describe the horror you went through. In a civilized world of 2023, it shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have happened at all - what ever the year be. Our heartfelt condolences and a big warm hug to all of you.
When you see the protests against you in London, Germany, France, Universities of America and some parts of my own country, India, it can feel that you are alone in this world. You are not. Billions of people across the world are with you. We stand side by side with you. We understand your pain.
Inspite of being a small population, your gifts to the world are enormous. Be it in music, movies, sports, medicine, business and elsewhere, your brilliance have propelled the world ahead. The number of Nobel prizes your people have won itself is a testimony to your contribution to mankind.
I write this note to you on behalf of the people of India and countries across the world.
We also apologize that humanity let this happen to you. We couldn't prevent this. Your people did not deserve this suffering.
I end this letter of love to Jews and people of Israel with a humble, heartfelt, sincere prayer for the children, women and men - the fallen heros.
What struck me the most about Kantara was its pace. For a movie which talks about the life of people in a village, their beliefs and rituals, it was a very fast paced movie. Not even one scene or frame was unwanted in the movie.
Let us look at the characters first.
Guruva's earnestness touched my heart. His belief was so pure, so unadulterated. His nature
was child like. When he realizes that the land lord was trying to bribe him, you could see the pain in his eyes.
I absolutely loved how Leela stood her ground when she had a conflict with her husband and her community. It showed the strength of her character, grit and her need to carve out her own identity.
Murali, the forest officer was an interesting character. He is one of those people who is easy to dislike. However, towards the end, we realize his heart was at the right place. Could he have done things better? Absolutely yes. However, that was who he was - a flawed person, much like many of us are.
Devendra, the landlord fooled me for the first half of the movie. I thought he is a genuinely generous land lord. But then, he lived up to the stereotype of the rich baddie. He got the gullible villagers on his side and then he went around with his devious schemes.
The lawyer cracked me up every time he came on the screen. All of us have encountered one such character in our lives - either an uncle/aunt, or a friend or an officer. They get angry and they cool down as quickly. No one gets upset with them.
Shiva starts off as a good hearted rowdy. Then, destiny leads him to the glorious path that awaits him. His character is grey too. He is not a perfect person. He does things which are not always right. But, the way Shiva becomes the demi God is stunning. The sincerity with which he transforms is mind numbingly beautiful.
About scenes that stole the show, Guruva tells the Land lord that he needs to set things right. Later on, he recounts the same to the landlord as the God. That was subtle, yet brilliant.
The scene where Land lord mistakenly feels Shiva understood who Guruva's murderer is.
One where Leela tells Shiva how disappointed she was that she did not try to see things from her perspective - the hurt in her voice is haunting.
The scene where Shiva becomes the God and brings everyone together- the villagers, forest officer and tells them how they need to together protect the land and forest.
About other elements of brilliance in movie, there is a certain divinity to the music. I am not referring only to the lyrics, but the musical notes and the ragas themselves evoke an unearthly sense of being.
The colours - the screen explodes with them. Their richness is second only to the strength of the story of the movie.
I felt there were multiple themes being addressed in the movie - beliefs, culture, ancient wisdom, humanity, devotion, and the never ending conflict between man and Nature. That, I feel is the success of the movie. Different people are able to look at it in different ways and make the movie their own as how they like it.
Like a painting that speaks a thousand words to 10 different people and yet, make those 10 people believe that their version is as credible as the 9 others, Kantara does justice to every audience member's wish and hope.
P.s. I must thank my friend Manie (Manikandan) for pushing me to watch the movie. It is your relentless appeal which made me watch the movie and I am forever grateful, dear Manie.
Here is a glimpse of the music which will make you feel like you are almost in a trance :)
I
have heard many wise people asking “What is the use or purpose of artists in
this world? Do they add any value? Aren’t they just having fun at work? Can’t
they take up something more ‘productive?”.
I
felt 2020 was an answer to all the above questions and much more. Imagine
having a sound, healthy body and mind. From the first breath till the last, one
utilizes this body and mind for the benefit of oneself and for others. Yet, when
bidding final goodbyes, one might wonder if they have lived their life at all,
if their soul is filled with a sense of contentment.
For
that sense of fulfilment, I feel one needs moments of wonder, admiration and
happiness in one’s life making the soul feel that it had a worthwhile journey
and that is exactly what an artist does – enrich our souls while we go through
the tempestuous voyage of our lives.
When
the pandemic struck and all of us were forced into a lockdown, there was an
initial euphoria of being able to spend time with oneself and family. Many of
us found time to bring back to life, our forgotten hobbies and passions. Some
of us took to fitness like never before and some others, took to food like
never again.
However,
once a couple of months passed, the reality of having to face one’s life
without having any other distraction whatsoever kicked in. We gradually
realized the work, office commute, tea breaks, work meetings, office politics
were all helping in their own little ways to take out minds off our own
magnifying glare down at our lives.
In
those moments of despair, came in artists – to calm our nerves and soothe our
souls. I know I speak for much of humanity when I pen down the below words to
thank artists for being the saviors of humanity.
If
we did not have music to listen, to help us uplift ourselves from the abyss of worries
and to celebrate the short spikes of exuberance throughout the lockdown, we
would have become imprisoned in our own deafening silence.
If
we did not have movies to watch and get absorbed into the magical stories and
the worlds the brilliant directors and talented actors created, our own world
might have crushed our spirits. Although momentarily, we were invested in the
worries and lives of those characters we watched which helped us forget our own
tribulations.
If
the dancers weren’t kind enough to share with the world, the grace and poise
that the human body is capable of, we wouldn’t have lost our thoughts to wonder
and admiration. Those moments helped us understand the talent and beauty that humanity
is capable of creating, once they apply their minds. I must admit, when no one
was watching, I might have broken into a step or two with as much grace of that
of a Polar bear.
If
the stand-up comedians did not observe the world for its fallacies and translated
their thoughts into a smile on our face, we would have forgotten how to cheer
amidst all the gloom and doom of 2020, the annus horibilis.
If
the painters were not kind enough to move their brushes at will and showed us
how beautiful this world of colors is, we might have got lost in the grey of
gloom.
If
the chefs did not cook up the most imaginative of dishes, we might have
forgotten to develop a taste to the new normal of the world.
If the writers did not spin a tale using the abundance of their words, we will not have had the comfort of escaping in to the worlds of their protagonists. We would not have been able to learn from the greatness and more importantly, the fallacies of their characters.
Thank
you, Artists, for being who you are and for helping us becoming who we can, in
a time of misery and melancholy.
This one goes out to a community I hold
very close to my heart – the graduating class / university students. Maybe it
is because I began my career in the University hiring space. Maybe it is
because it continues to be a part of my work which I am so passionate about.
My
colleagues in HR would agree to this - When you go to a university and interact
with a class full of bright, young students, it gets you charged up. That positive energy gets you going for quite a while. I have seen many senior leaders experiencing
this.
Add
to this, having the good fortune of being able to handover the very first offer
letter of many a student’s long, fulfilling career. These are reasons too, for
me to be close to this group of people.
The
class of 2020 is in a difficult situation. Covid19 is wreaking havoc around the
world. There isn’t even one business sector which is not adversely impacted due
to the health concerns around corona virus. This in turn impacts the job prospect
of students who are graduating from universities by the summer of 2020. They are
worried if the organizations will honor the offer that have been rolled out as
part of campus placement process. Those who are yet to be placed are wondering
if they will ever find a job.
Now,
I am not saying that everything is fine. No, it is not. However, not everything
is lost too. From your perspective, it will seem like there is nothing to be
hopeful of. It is perfectly normal to feel so. But very many people have been
in your shoes many times earlier. There was the dot com bubble, subprime crisis,
September 11, multiple corporate scandals, civil and global wars and so on. In
all those situations, those you underwent those very difficult situations felt
exactly like how you are feeling now. Also, many large organizations have already announced that they will honor all the offers they have made in the campuses. This will make other smaller organizations also to try and follow suit.
Those who emerged successful from those
quagmires did a couple of things right.
They accepted the
situation they were in and wrapped their mind and thoughts around that
difficulty. They allowed themselves to grieve and thus get over it.
They kept looking for
opportunities. Many a time, they did not find the opportunities they wanted.
But they took up the ones that came their way and put in the best of their
efforts and they kept looking.
They told themselves that
if they could handle something like this at the very beginning of their career,
nothing could break them in future, and they were right.
Hang in there, make good
use of your time. Educate yourself, hone your skills and keep looking.
I urge you to do this. One
evening, find out when the sun set is. Be at a place where you can get a good
look of the sun. Keep your phone and all other distractions away. Be with the
sun as it dissolves into the horizon. See how the mighty star is going down shedding
all its glory. Watch carefully how darkness spreads all around.
The next day, when you
wake up, look out and see the bright light outside. The mighty star is back. Look
up and watch how the sky is lit up in blue serenity. The darkness has
disappeared.
Such is Life too. It is a bit muddled now. But
it will all clear up, just fine.
It
is said that in some relationships, fondness settles in with time. In our case,
looks like immense fondness is settling in with distance. I have come to know
the abundance of love I have in my heart for you.
You
know that I liked you from the first instance I set my eyes on you, don’t you? I
remember the first day of meeting you and hoping desperately that you like me
too.
There
were times when it was just the two of us. At times, it was early mornings. You
used to light up seeing me. At times, it was late evenings. You used to ensure
that the air conditioning was just the right amount that I liked. You always
offered tea. Even better, you ensured the cafeteria always had just the right
amount of light and it had a view.
There
is one thing which used to upset me a bit. Inspite of knowing each other so
well, you always asked for an ID. But on second thoughts, that is one of the
many quirks I like about you. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Whoever
came by, you always reserved a place for me. You guarded all my little Knick knacks
and photo frames with your life. I still remember when one of my trophies fell
and you guarded it with your carpet. That was so you – always watching out for
others.
I
never told you this. But when I went on long vacations, once a couple of days went by, I used to miss you. My friends and family used to make fun of me that I
am too into you. What do they know of our relationship, right? You truly lend
me identity, purpose and meaning in life.
Of
all the people I expected to come in between us, Corona was the last one I
thought would do this treachery. What a Brutus Corona turned out to be! Apparently,
Corona refers to itself as Covid! Who cares, right?
You
stay well, my dear office. Do know that you are more than just a work place to
me. You are a dear part of my every day and will continue to be.
It
breaks my heart to tell you that I do not know when we will meet again. But, we will meet soon, against all odds!
Much
Love,
Always Yours,
Office Goer.
I dedicate this love
letter to all those who miss going to their offices. Please share with fellow
office goers. 😊
All of us have very fond memories of
childhood. It is one place we would like to walk back to and revisit in our
lives.
Of the many beautiful songs from
Malayalam Cinema, there is one which weaves a magnificent magic around the
innocence of childhood – ‘Vennila Chandana Kinnam’ from the movie, Azhakiya
Ravanan. Here, I am attempting to present to you, the essence of the song. I am
not attempting a literal translation, but the endeavor is to help the non Malayalees
enjoy the unparalleled beauty of this song.
I want you to close your eyes, think
of your child hood, your friends from those days, the house where you lived,
the food you liked, the scents you remember, how young your parents were, the
summer vacations and then read the below lines.
Oh
look! the shining, lovely moon has fallen in to the serene lake…
Come,
let us pick it up with our little, tender hands.
When
the birdie sings the melodious harvest song…
Let
us build a cozy nest with its yellow feather.
In
the lush green meadows where the cattle grazes…
Let
us
Enjoy
the tender mangoes…
Ring
in the anklets of the wind…
And
run up the hill of lucky red seeds…
I
shall come and cover your eyes
When
we play hide and seek,
Allow
me a little lie, that I saw you…
Let
us
Be
the King and Queen of those unseen stories...
Get
on the long slow swings during festivities…
Be
the peacock that spreads its long beautiful tail…
Hide
in those hillocks where the clouds run by…
Swim
around like a golden fish…
Board
the rhythms of a boat song…
Let
us
Play
hide and seek…
Bake
mud cookies…
Play
with the stones in the shades of the huge mango tree…
Go
visit the temple…
One
where the leaves of the mighty banyan tree meditate…
Hear
my friend,
Tomorrow
is the first meal of the lovely baby sparrow…
And
then, the tiny squirrel is being fed his first milk…
In
a faraway land, the wind seeds are getting married…
And
then, the little elephant will take bath ever so playfully…
What
really struck me was the fact that most of what this song speaks holds true for
almost all of us, which ever part of India we are from. The magic of Childhood
remains unchanged.
Oh
what a beautiful time Childhood is, isn’t it? How one wishes to hold on to those
days for as long as one lives!
I started watching ‘ Joker ’, the
movie with great expectations. Over the next painfully slow, dreary 120
minutes, all I could see was the mis- deeds of a person who needed help with his
mental condition. I wonder why people are going gaga about this movie!
The
movie has nothing extra ordinary about it. The protagonist is an aspiring stand
up comedian. He makes a living by being a clown. He is unhappy that no one is
bothered about his existence and the fact that the world is rude to him. He had
a difficult child hood. He has a medical condition where he laughs
uncontrollably in situations which are not meant to evoke a laughter.
One fine day, he encounters some
rich brats in the subway train. Enraged, he kills them. He finds joy in those
killings. Further, he goes on killing people recklessly till the end of the
movie. That’s it. There is nothing more to the movie!
Now, you might be thinking I haven’t
understood the sub texts. Oh, I did. I understand the movie was trying to show
how the ‘Haves’ treat the ‘Have- nots’. How the perceived ‘normal’ humans treat
the ones who don’t fit in. How insensitive we as a race are, towards people
suffering from mental health. The movie was also talking about how a difficult
childhood can govern the rest of the life of a person. It also deals with the lies
that adults tell the kids and how when the false hood is revealed, it can bring
the world crashing down around them. BUT, nothing mentioned here makes the
movie remarkable. These are tried and tested narratives. There is nothing exceptional
about these story lines!
I feel many of us are expressing our
false admiration for this movie out of sheer peer pressure. Your friends or
family might have spoken highly about the movie. Not wanting to come across as not
having a refined taste in movies, you also went about giving rave reviews! Is
that the reason?
Has Joaquin Phoenix done an
exceptional performance in the movie as the lead actor? Hell yea! Despite the
movie being so unremarkable; the actor makes you want to sit through the snooze
fest that it is. He epitomizes what human will, dedication and talent could
achieve even in uninspiring situations.
Who
saves a smile for kids who don’t get to be kids,
Who
speaks a few words to those creatures without voice,
Who
leaves a corner in their home for the wanderers,
Who
let people believe in their Gods,
Who
let the non-believers be,
Who
lends an ear to those who don’t have anyone to speak to,
Who
holds out a finger to those who have lost all hope,
Who
spares a warm hug for those in the winter of their lives,
Who
reads out a story to those who haven’t read a letter, Who sheds a tear for those who have none to call their own, Who walks a mile for those who can't take a step, Who be the wings for those who have not known the joy of flying, Who sings a song to those who have never heard a lullaby, Who writes a letter to those who have never received one,
Who
takes a little lamp and step out in to the deep dark night,
It
is in times of Oscars that we Indians miss our film award shows
~Where
they laugh with (not AT) nepotism
~Where
the host takes more time to spell out sponsors than the award name itself : This award brought to you by the biscuit powered by the network driven by the car
perfumed by the soap and chewed by the Paan!
~Where
ex superstar wears the Kanchivaram Saree which can be spotted from the moon.
~Where
star dad gives the best actor award to star son.
~Where star mom gives the best actress award to star daughter.
~Where
heroines reserve two chairs; one for them and one for their gown.
~Where
heroes wear tuxedos in 38 degree Celsius of Mumbai.
~Where
Bollywood makes the strongest political statements against the producer's family!
~Where
the camera pans on the same actor and actress who were rumored to be dating
175 years ago.
~Where
all the families and the star kids sit in the front row and the real performers
sit in the 2nd and 3rd rows.
~Where
an actor kills himself over a role and still ‘Rahul’ wins best any actor every
single time.
~
Where there are more Ad breaks than the number of local trains in Mumbai.
~
Where son of Mr. Sharma makes jokes on poverty and the stars laugh from their
Rolls Royce’s.
~ Where awards are given for the most profound categories ~ " Best Real Social Media Star"
~Where the stars who perform on stage receives an award for sure.
~Where the same stars' same expression is edited,cut and shown at the beginning, half time and end of the award show for sad, happy and angry situations.
~Where some provocative half statements are made for the promos.
Long Live Bollywood ( Indian film industry ) and its awards.
Here is a little list of things all
of us could do in the New year. If you are looking for things like ‘Quit Your
Job’ and ‘Be reckless’, you may stop reading right here. Below is a more
realistic and less glamorous list 😊.
In this new year, with new hope and
new vigour, let us decide
To talk less
To listen more
To be on time
To save money
To think more
To exercise
To do charity
To read
To write
To travel
To worry less
To be happy
To love
To meet people
To learn new skills
To set up small goals and achieve
them
To make time for family and friends
To honor the promises, we make
And thus
To make the new year better than the
one gone by in more ways than one 😊.
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