Gir: the last home of Asiatic Lions

Beauty of the Forest is revealed by the fauna it hosts. When we started to Gir from Ahmadabad as part of our West India Tour, only one animal came to our mind - the Asiatic Lion. It is justifiable too. But as we crossed Junagarh, the birds of Gir were the first to welcome us. The Birdman of India, Salim Ali once said that if not for Lions, Gir would have a Birds' sanctuary. It is a paradise for birdwatchers.

Gir is the last natural haven for the majestic Asiatic Lions. An early morning jungle safari is a must to appreciate the beauty and understand the importance of these big cats to the Gir ecosystem. In our trip, we made three sightings - a lioness crossing the forest road, a couple of lions resting near a waterhole and a pride feasting on their overnight kill. The magnanimity of the Lions was realised by the way they ignored the visitors. In a sense, the Giants knew that with a flick of their toes or a tiny growl, they can make us disappear into the forest. Puny humans..!

The perfect camouflage 

The other big cats living in the jungle are the leopards. They are unpredictable, agile, lonely and often shy. Perfectly camouflaged in the savannas of Gir, they are the most dangerous. Along with lions, they play the most important role of creating a sustainable equilibrium with the herbivores like Sambar, Nilgai and Spotted deer.

A Maldhari herder

Gir is blessed with a wonderful society which worships the nature. It is with their participation, we have a trifold increase in the Lion population. With the support from Gujarat Forest Department, their Eco Development Committees have reduced the biotic pressure and established a mutual dependence with lions. They understand the Lions as much as the lions understand them.

The final breathtaking experience we had in Gir was the night walk into the jungle. It made me realise the importance of conquering fears to enjoy the nature. Today I had the company of my friends and guards while venturing inside the forest, but it may not be the case always. So courage is the basic minimum required to experience the beauty of the forest. And in our battle against fear, darkness of night is the true ally. In dark, our instincts are sharpened and the journey is focused. With our mobiles turned off, we could listen to the silence of the forest, call of owls and sounds of crickets. The star filled sky was another wonderful sight we miss in cities. In front of the beauty of nature, everything else looks insignificant, and Wilderness is the true nature of our beloved Earth.

A Tribute to Farmers

I watched a wonderful tribute video on this year's farmers' festival - Pongal. "What or which according to you is the most important job in the whole world?" RJ Balaji and Venky go around the city asking this question to people from various age groups. Surprisingly the answers they get are nowhere near the correct answer. Then after getting many clues, one by one realise that farming is the most important profession. Video ends with an upbeat song dedicated to farmers.

While agriculture had been the backbone of our economy even before we emerged as a free nation, what surprises me is the negligence accorded to farming especially by the rising neo-middle class in our cities. Today an average teenager in our nation has the least attraction towards the professions with utmost importance to the society such as teaching or farming. Even the traditionally agricultural families in our villages, who know the importance of farming, want their next generation to work in an air conditioned cubicle rather than on the open lands of villages. Agriculture has become so unattractive today that we see thousands of farmers abandoning their land to migrate to cities in search of the mirage of better life.

On the other hand, farmers today are adversely affected by the rapid changes in natural as well as cultural scenes. Being dependent on monsoon, small and medium farmers often face the failure of their crops and get themselves caught in the debt trap. Ultimately when the pressure breaches the threshold, they take their own precious life. Today our country, which worships land and respects food as God, is facing with rise in farmer suicides, and our urban society has decided to neglect it..! Worse is the mainstream media, which tries to capitalize by politicizing even the minimal attention accorded to the struggles of farmers.

In such a gloomy situation, the infant step taken by the Murugappa Group to educate the city dwellers with the importance of farming, is commendable. I wholeheartedly appreciate and thank it for making such a wonderful tribute to the most undermined profession in our nation. I hope this video will be a trigger for the like minded organisations to work on changing the attitude of society for the betterment of our farmers.

I salute the farmer, who stays hungry, to feed the hungry.

Inside Out (film)

Animated movies have a way of getting at the emotions housed inside certain stages of life. What happens when these emotions become characters in a movie? This idea of Pete Docter transmuted into the summer blockbuster of this year - Inside Out.

Image Source: www.wikipedia.org

Inside the brain of a 11 year old girl, named Riley, is a team of emotions - joy, sadness, fear, disgust and anger - working together to get her through daily life. The emotion Joy manages to control the headquarters, keeping track of the glowing orbs that represent Riley's memories. While other emotions want to take control of Riley's brain, Joy has to manage them too. After moving from Minnesota to San Francisco, an accident sends Joy and Sadness to a labyrinth of long term memory, and leaves Fear, Disgust and Anger to take control of Riley. She becomes emotionally wrecked as her parents do their best to help her adjust to the new surroundings. Meanwhile, venturing through the different realms of Riley's mind, Joy is determined to make it back to the headquarters along with Sadness, and return everything back to normal in the young adolescent consciousness of Riley.

This movie doesn't feel like it was haphazardly put together or drenched with unnecessary cultural references. Inside Out is truly genuine and crafted beautifully with lots of love and care. This is a very much imaginative film and the creative team and writers should be commended for their high effort. The idea of five emotions controlling an individual, the theme that every emotions are required for one's holistic growth, and the subtle message that sadness is as much important as joy, are few of the appreciable aspects of Inside Out.

As the objective of the story is narrative and it is classified as a kids' movie, Peter Docter and his team had a difficult task on how Inside Out would be presented. Neither too childish, nor too serious, Docter's screenplay has rendered a balanced treat that attracts both children and adult. Inside Out is also laden with tonnes of humorous jokes that would surely make both kids and adults laugh.

This movie also looks incredibly beautiful. Pixar Studios usually provide top notch CG and Inside Out is no exception. With vibrant colours and precise details, even subtle facial expressions are executed masterfully. The musical shortfilm of Disney-Pixar, titled Lava, is worth mentioning. Like the full animated film it is attached to, Lava is presented beautifully with pleasant tale of a lonely volcano looking for a volcanic partner. Pixar has not lost their touch in crafting these shorts.

Adults will be taken back to emotional struggles we had at that age and – let’s face it – sometimes still experience. Children will get the first film in a long time that treats their emotions as something complex and worth talking about. And it all happens in a colorful, energetic animation that may be Pixar’s funniest yet. Inside Out - right side in.

Nicholas Winton - the British Schindler

There is a saying that good people are hard to find. It is true. It is not because they are scarce, but because they don't boast about their goodness or seek attention. One such a beautiful yet humble person was Nicholas Winton. He was responsible for the rescue of 669 children during one of the darkest periods of history - the holocaust, and yet his story was never heard of until 1988.

Nicholas Winton, aged 29, was working as a stockbroker in London in 1938. Invited by a friend, Winton had foregone his ski vacation and visited Czechoslovakia after the ill fated Munich Agreement. After his visit, convinced about the impending war, He organized a Children Section of British Committee of Refugees from Czechoslovakia, without any prior approval. Through tireless efforts, he was able to transport 669 children in eight trains to London. Singlehandedly he managed to get sufficient fund as well as families willing to care for these refugee children. However, his rescue efforts came to an end once the war broke out in 1939.

He never shared about his wartime rescue efforts to anyone including his wife Grete, whom he married after the war. Half a century later, in 1988, Grete found a scrapbook in their attic, which had pictures and names of the Winton's children as well as a few letters from the parents of the children. Ever since his story got published in newspapers and aired in BBC's That's Life, he had been receiving thanking letters from the rescued. In fact, Winton had no idea that the audience of That's Life was full of the people he had saved and described it as one of the most emotional experiences of his life.

This great man passed away on 1st July, 2015. His story will live forever and keep inspiring people to do good even in the darkest of the time. His story will remind us that the world is full of good people.

“Nicholas Winton, we should learn from his motivation and from his courage and act, we must carry his spirit from generation to generation, then humanities future will be brighter.” - Dalai Lama

Kaaka Muttai (film)

"Till yesterday, we ate only when we were hungry. Who changed our nature today, that we are in search for taste?"

Image Source: www.wikipedia.org

Kaaka Muttai is a story about two brothers nicknamed Chinna Kaakka Muttai and Periya Kaakka Muttai, living in the slums of Chennai. With their father in jail, they had to discontinue their studies and assist their mother by working as ragpickers. When a pizza outlet is built near their slum, they become fascinated by the idea of tasting pizza. The storyline goes on to show the obstacles they encounter and discriminations they face, in their journey.

If one wants to taste the true essence of a Tamil film, then this movie is the pinnacle of it. It showcases the various problems of slum dwellers and how poverty forms a barricade for their opulent wishes. What is more beautiful is that they enjoy life even with the smallest things they experience, like drinking a crow's egg or catching a frog. In the scenes that shows the interactions between little slum boys and a higher class boy, it portrays the differences between the classes of the Indian society.

This film is director Manikandan's first feature film. Through his exquisite film-making and delightful take on slum life, he charms the viewers. He took a daring attempt to connect several social realities such as slum local politics, media sensationalism, social prejudice etc., and portray them in the most pleasant way, so that it guides people realise them without getting offended by the truth. He has sprinkled subtle messages in several scenes. To quote a few,

1. Media doesn't care: There is a particular scene where a new team arrives at the slum because two children from that area had been involved in a controversy. When these two children are about to walk right in front of the camera, they are told to hurry away by a channel member, who doesn't even know who they are. In another scene, during a television debate, a logically speaking person is shut off by the anchor frequently. These scenes clearly shows the conventional media's insensitivity to the issues and over focus on coverage and TRPs.
2. The Leftover Pizza and Not-Stolen Mobile: When a rich boy offers a leftover pizza to the slum boy, he refuses to take it. In another instance, they boy decides to steal a mobile phone from a train passenger but back out at the end. In both these scenes, the director tries to break down pre-conceived notions that poor children would do anything to get what they want. They have as much esteem and morality as anyone else.
3. Mother's reaction and class divide: When the boys' mother learns about the slapping incident, she becomes concerned of the safety of the children rather than getting angry upon the pizza outlet supervisor. Had it been a middle class mother, anger would have been the first reaction. The director has actually brought in Maslow's hierarchy of needs where safety takes precedence over esteem. Hats off..!

Cinematography is one of the important technical aspects for an offbeat film like Kaaka Muttai and Manikandan’s camera work makes the movie even more realistic and enjoyable. Special mention to the frame where a tricycle is placed on top of a hut’s roof. The coal contained railway tracks and the long shot which covers the entire slum, are a visual treat through his lens.

Coming to the performances, the little boys Ramesh and Vignesh are the blood and skin of the movie. They have perfectly portrayed the nuances of being slum boys. Their expressions are natural and it shows that they have thoroughly enjoyed during the shoot. Iyshwarya Rajesh breathes life into the character she renders. At a point when she is in the race to shine as a lead heroine, she has to be respected for choosing the role of a mother of two kids. Ramesh Thilak and Yogi Babu provide occasional laughs with their sense of humor. While the other actors Joe Malloori, Babu Antony and the woman who played the grandmother of the boys have done a fabulous job on their part.

To sum it up, Kaaka Muttai is one of the best reality films I have watched so far. No wonder it has bagged couple of awards in National Film Festival. It has even broken the stereotype of award winning movies by blending genuine humor in the narrative. The credit in turning the Kaaka Muttai into a golden egg goes to the producers Dhanush and Vetrimaaran. Their beautiful find, Manikandan, has nailed it with his simple yet effective storytelling. Kaaka Muttai - masterpiece debut.

O Kadhal Kanmani (film)

Are you young and single and never want to get into a relationship? Watching OK Kanmani would make you want to feel the pain of love.

Are you old and still fight with your better half? Watching OK Kanmani would make you want to cuddle your wrinkled spouse.

15 years after Alaipayuthey, Mani Ratnam is back on his turf with a pure and pleasant love story. After the failed experiment of Kadal, he could have gone out to make a commercial film roping in a star from the Top 10, or he could have made another film with a political backdrop, or he could have even gone over to Bollywood once again, where he would have found himself a bigger budget and wider reach. But no, he decided against all of this and set out to make something simple but memorable. Thus, OK Kanmani was born.

Image Source: www.wikipedia.org

It is a simple story that features two couples: one, young, who seem to have escaped their conservative dens are living far away from home and two, older couple, who seem to have preserved their values even while living in a cultural melting pot like Mumbai.

The youngsters, Aadhi (Dulquer Salmaan) and Tara (Nithya Menon), are both independent and ambitious individuals with promising careers. They both are of the view that the system of marriage is flawed and vow to never be tied down to a marriage. However, they find themselves attracted to each other, decide to be in a live-in relationship till they both part ways for their respective careers. Soon enough and as expected, they fall in love.

On the other hand, the older couple, Ganapathy (Prakash Raj) and Bhavani (Leela Samson), is still very much in love after years of marriage. The story-line moves in a way that the older couple become the backbone to the younger couple's relationship, which becomes crucial during the climax.

Dulquer-Nithya pair's charm and chemistry combined with the performance of Prakash Raj and Leela Samson, give life to otherwise plain storyline. Dulquer with his own style, looks dashing and is perfect for the role of Aadhi, a carefree yet passionate guy. On the other hand, Nithya can very well be called as Kanmani of the film, as she speaks with her love filled eyes and beautiful performance. Prakash Raj, with his natural way of acting with maturity, adds vital seasoning to already charming film. Leela Samson as his wife Bhavani, an Alzheimer's patient, turns out to be the germane selection of Mani Ratnam. Kudos to the director and the actor quartet.

A.R.Rahman, P.C.Sreeram and Sreekar Prasad are the background heroes of the film. As usual, Rahman's songs and BGM give goosebumps to the viewers. Aptly placed, songs of this film could be stand alone attraction for fans. The classical bit of "Theera Ulaa" and the male voice of "Naanae Varugiraen" are worth mentioning.

Sreeram's camera surprises the audiences right from train station scene at the beginning. Even the cut vegetables look ravishing through his lens. I was so immersed in the screen when I noticed the creative camera angles during "Paranthu Sellavaa" song, which was taken within the walls of a single room.

Sreekar's neither too lengthy nor too short editing serves as a silent backbone for OK Kanmani. One can hope that his innovative editing, like the one in the fast paced "Mental Manathil" song, continues in his upcoming films.

Mani Ratnam's touch to the film is visible in the due importance given to picayune. A Daliesque clock in Architect Nithya's room, Prakash Raj grinding spices physically and usage of traditional Tamil vessels are few examples. To sum it up, OK Kanmani is a feel-good urban love story with a simple premise backed with strong performances, exquisite visuals and soulful music.
OK Kanmani - a classy romantic by Maniratnam and Co.

Story: An Act of Kindness

A four year old boy was in the market with his six year old sister. Suddenly the boy found that his sister was lagging behind. He stopped and looked back. His sister was standing in front of a toy shop and was watching something with great interest. The boy went back to her and asked, "Do you want something?" The sister pointed at the doll. The boy held her hand and like a responsible elder brother, gave that doll to her and the sister was very happy.

The shopkeeper was watching everything and was getting amused at the matured behavior of the boy. Now the boy went to the counter and asked the shopkeeper, "What is the cost of this doll, Sir!" The shopkeeper was a cool man and had experienced the odds of life. So he asked the boy affectionately, "Well, what can you pay?" The boy took out all the shells he had collected from the sea shore from his pocked and gave them to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper started counting them as if he were counting currency. The little boy asked him worriedly, "Is it less?" The shopkeeper said, "No, No… these are more than the cost. So I will return the remaining." Saying so, he kept only 4 shells with him and returned the rest. The boy happily kept those shells back in his pocket and went away with his sister.

A servant in that shop got very surprised watching all these. He asked his master, "Sir! You gave away such a costly doll just for four shells?!" The shopkeeper said with a smile, "Well, for us these are mere shells. But for that boy, these shells are very precious. And at this age he does not understand what money is, but when he grows up, he definitely will. And when he remembers that he purchased a doll with shells instead of money, he will remember me and think that world is full of Good people. My simple act of Kindness could make him one such."

I (film)

Image Source: www.wikipedia.org

A little too much predictable, revenge romantic thriller, shockingly from the magnanimous Shankar. Fortunately he is saved from humiliation by Vikram's performance, Rahman's music and Sreeram's camera. In both romance and thrill departments, the plot is flat. A Mister India aspirant body builder Lingesan (Vikram) has a huge crush on supermodel Diya (Amy Jackson). Lingesan becomes Lee, as he gets a chance to act in advertisements with Diya. As time passes they fall in love and emerge as a successful pair in modelling. In the meantime, five persons - a bodybuilder, a model, a stylist, a businessman and a secret villain - who were affected by the skills and honesty of Lee, use the 'I' virus to deform his appearance and destroy his future. The story moves on as to how the hunchback Lingesan takes his revenge and unite with the love of his life Diya.

Chiyaan Vikram is the saviour. His physical and emotional transformations, from Lingeswaran to Lee to Hunchback, are commendable and even a level ahead of his multi-role performance in Anniyan. Make-up work for the hunchback and the beast song adds score to his acting efforts. Kudos to WETA. Chinese gardens in P.C.Sreeram's camera and A.R.Rahman's music, are a treat for eyes and ears, certainly a wholesome experience.

Though she is best suited for a role as a model, at times Amy Jackson's portrayal is emotionless and void of romance. Clearly there was no chemistry present between Amy and Vikram. Thanks to Shankar, this negativity was eclipsed by the mediocre screenplay. Unlike his previous blockbusters, no dialogue has the electrifying effect, no scene is memorable. A terrible disappointment.

Verdict: Shankar made an Exodus in I.

A promising future ahead...

The ongoing Test series between Australia and India has had everything that a series between these two sides normally has. Controversy. Drama. Emotion. Tempers have flared. Words have been said. Batsmen have been hit. Both sides have displayed overt aggressiveness in every match, if not session. Now that the Border-Gavaskar trophy has been regained by Australia, it’s time to reflect on the series so far and also what both sides can take forward from this series.

Although scorecards do not show any hope, India played good competitive cricket. With the ever calm Dhoni retiring from Test cricket, the young Indian team is to be led by aggressive Virat Kohli. In the post match interview after the Boxing Day test, Ravi Shastri said that the scoreline doesn't matter when the team's attitude is right. Such remarkable is the change in attitude of the team as well as the new captain.

The team toured Australia in 2011-12 was completely different. Even before the third test, the aged players were beaten and bruised. There was no competition at all for Australia. But today's Indian team has the talent and determination to take Indian test cricket to new heights. They are so competitive that Australia had to work hard to win the matches.

Australia is one of the toughest places to tour. Opponent is of high quality, and the public could get under your skin. But still, Australians appreciate genuine talent and love competitive games. The touring Indian team provided exactly this kind of competition. Under, all the batsmen, to their credit, have made some crucial runs overseas at some stage or the other over the past 12 months. The bowling, though, has let them down time and time again. How quickly they learn from their mistakes and start delivering outside Asia is going to determine team India’s future prospects.

While India have undergone a complete transition, Australia are just about beginning to undergo a transition themselves. Experienced heads like Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin won’t be around for too much longer, and the selectors will have to start searching for replacements. The injury to Michael Clarke has resulted in the appointment of a new leader in Steven Smith, who has gone from a bits and pieces cricketer to a dependable Test batsman. Smith might have to take over the reins on a permanent basis in the near future, with Clarke publicly stating that he is unsure of how much longer he could play. While it is always going to be difficult to replace players of such ilk, Australia should be well-placed considering the impressive displays of some of the younger players.

David Warner and Smith have enjoyed an amazing year, and they can be pillars of Australian batting in the coming years. Josh Hazlewood impressed on his debut and Joe Burns has an impressive first-class record for Queensland. Mitchell Marsh looks more than a capable candidate to replace Shane Watson. The Australian selectors have done well to blood in some youngsters, and they should continue to do so to avoid falling into an abyss like the last time a plethora of greats retired back in 2006-07.

South Africa are aeons ahead of any other Test team at the moment, and it is exactly why India and Australia have to improve themselves, to challenge and try to be the world’s best.

Two cricket loving nations. Two young leaders. A glimpse into the cricketing future of India and Australia suggests there are some exciting days to come.

A Winter trip to Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal. If translated literally, it could mean several things - a place to visit in summer, the end of forests, the forest of creepers or the gift of the forest. Can one word have so many meanings? Well, yes. That is the beauty of Tamil, that is the beauty of Kodaikanal.

My second trip to this serene hill station started from the deep south city of Tirunelveli, in the winter night of 26th December, 2014. Making rendezvous with the rest of the touring party in Palani, we started climbing the Kodai hill the next day. The plan of the tour was for two days - a day of sightseeing and a day of trekking - an utterly insufficient duration to completely enjoy an hill station in winter, but still with better planning and a dedicated tour guide, we were able to visit most of the places of interest and have utmost fun.

Day 1 - Sightseeing

Beginning of the tour was the Kodai lake, an artificial lake credited to Sir Vera Levinge. We chose for pedaling boats, although rowing boats and public ferry were also available. With two in a boat, one can freely explore the beauty of this star shaped lake filled with tranquility. Cool breeze from the misty mountains on a winter day in a lake. What else could I ask for? The next spot was the Upper Lake view, from where the same lake could be seen from a distance. The enormity of the blue lake with its unique shape and white trails of boats was a visual treat.

From there we moved on to the Coaker's walk, a long stretch of view points running along the edge of steep slopes from where one could see the Dolphin's nose, pambar river valley and the birds eye view of the town of Periyakulam and other hill villages along the mountains in a cloudless clear sky. It could well be the paradise for nature photographers. Unfortunately, a mist covered winter day spoiled the pleasure of viewing all these beauties. But still the walk treated us with local fruits and dishes sold along the sides of its narrow path.

Moving on to the suicide point, our tour guide gave an interesting information that the suicide point, that is open to public access, is a ruse and the real suicide point's name is changed to avoid suicide fatalities. As in Ooty, suicide point here is a major attraction (I still wonder why!), that it was the most crowded place to be visited by us. The more deadly Guna Cave was fenced and prohibited from public access, may be to avoid accidents. Probably due to its portrayal in the film Guna, it has also become a major attraction next to the suicide point. Both these points could be potential photographic spots if they are not so swarmed by tourists.

Pine Forest of Kodaikanal is small but beautiful, with hundred to thousand year old pine trees. If one avails the horse ride service, the whole forest could be covered in hardly about 15 minutes. We preferred to walk than take the horse ride. Once we went into forest, we felt kind of lost our track amidst the evenly spaced trees. However tracing back is easier in this small forest than one thinks to be. While returning back to the hotel, we could see the pillar rock, a giant monolith with steep cliff tagged with a thin water falls, quite a mesmerizing view.

One aspect of visiting an hill station in winter is that one can have a challenging and thrilling night walk. A ten kilometer walk with various view points where we could see the lights of towns downhill was the first such experience for me. The dark road, with the sounds of strange animals and insects rhyming with the howling cold wind, could kindle the deepest fears of anyone, for a moment convinced me that the stories of ghosts in the hills are true.

Day 2 - Cycling and Trekking 

At the insistence of our tour guide, the second day of the trip started with a brisk session of cycling around the Kodai lake. From kids to old-timers, there was a large number of cyclists pedaling around the lake in the morning mist. Joining them, our fun gang could experience the morning freshness of the hill rejuvenating our hearts and body.

Once the cycling session was over, we started our trek towards the Dolphin's nose. Walking through the dense tropical forest, crossing rivulets, getting drenched in small falls, climbing small cliffs and rises, it took two hours to reach the Dolphin's nose. It is a flat rock projecting over a breathtaking chasm of almost two kilometers deep. When we arrived there, the mist played spoilsport covering the valley and hiding the actual depth. To our surprise, once we were standing at the edge of the nose, mist cleared slowly and made us realize that we were standing on a cliff of two kilometers high. It was an adventurous as well as dangerous moment, where any person would certainly experience the fear of falling. After enjoying our time in the high cliff, we started returning to the hotel through steep slope (I realised what an uphill task really is..!), thereafter bidding adieu to the princess of hill stations.

The beauty of Kodaikanal is not confined to the places mentioned in this post. Several aspects of the hill is not explored here. Lying in the edge of a vast rainforest, Kodaikanal is one of the spots where the human-nature interaction has been sustaining for centuries. Village life in the hills and tribal life deep inside the forest are illustrations of such sustainable interactions. The whole town and adjoining tourist spots are in fact a sample of what lies to its west. It is the start of the great Western Ghats, that shelters millions of unique fauna and flora. It is the paradise for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, conservationists, ornithologists etc,., and certainly Kodaikanal is the Gift of these Forests.

Half Girlfriend (novel)

"...a simple and beautiful love story that will touch your heart and inspire you to chase your dreams." - Goodreads

Source: www.wikipedia.org

Before starting the actual review, I just want to clarify that I am not one of those 'I hate Chetan's stories' guys. I really enjoyed reading Five Point Someone and 2 States. There has long been a criticism that Bhagat unnecessarily includes social problems that are not related to the core of the novel. I do not agree with any such statements because it is his style of writing. None of us question Dan Brown for going into the intricacies of Roman Architecture, or criticise Khaled Hosseini for elaborately describing the beauty and nature of Afghanistan. Ultimately they intend to make the readers aware of these details, so does Chetan Bhagat. However, lately he seems to have forgotten the most essential part of a novel - the story. Story is the most attractive element of a novel that drives the reader to immerse and grasp the intended message. When the story is repetitive, monotonous or predictive, the novel fails, as happened in the case of Half Girlfriend.

A Bihari boy, Madhav Jha, gets admitted into the prestigious St. Stephen's College and befriends a rich Delhi girl, Riya Somani. He falls in love with her, she agrees only to be his "half-girlfriend", his lust betrays him, resulting in "half-break up". She discontinues studies, marries a rich family friend and moves to London. With a broken heart, he follows his dream and starts running a school in his hometown. She gets a divorce, flies back to India, meets him, helps him, but disappears. He finds her journals, searches for her, finally finds her in New York. They live Happily Together.

On the positive note, the story deals with the characters we see in real lives. Chetan Bhagat writes in a simple and understandable language, that can easily reach Indian masses. Within the story line he has beautifully highlighted some of the social problems like the class disparity of Indian society, regional differences, false pride of high society, child abuse, corruption in politics, etc.

Half Girlfriend is more of a movie script than a novel, to the worse, it is an half cooked one with loads of logical flaws. There was no real necessity for Chetan's presence in the story. Why would the lead character bring his dead girlfriend's journals to a writer, whose novels were read by him for the sole purpose of learning English? Wouldn't he want to know what his girlfriend wrote before dying? A guy, who tried to decode her every expression during each moment together, who had clinged on to the past for two years by thinking about her everyday, yet is not curious about what she has written in her journal. It doesn’t seem realistic. Riya cuts off from the world with utmost perfection, but forgets about her journal! These logical flaws clearly shows the lack of caution and realism from the author's side.

The intent to weave social issues inside the story is appreciable, but real content is missing. Neither the causes for class disparity, overemphasis on English, false pride etc., are explored, nor their effects are discussed. Author could've done some research and given attention to the deepest intricacies of the problems. Without doing so, the intended effect - reaching the readers, is not possible. Given the experience Chetan had in writing relationship stories, the whole novel should have taken a maximum of three weeks to write. One surely can not expect better reviews for such minimum input.

This disastrous failure clearly shows that time has come where Chetan Bhagat should stop writing relationship stories - he has written six such novels including Half Girlfriend. With the reach he has achieved through his first few novels, he can directly deal with social issues, not under the cloak of love stories. His fans deserve better novels, not half baked film scripts.

Half Girlfriend - deja vu.

The Third Gender

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something… transgendered? If you are an Indian in need of some luck on your wedding day you could do no better than seek the blessing of one of the country’s estimated 400,000 male to female transsexuals or "transgenders". Yes, the same section of the society, which was abused and ill treated in public places, discriminated in the society at large, expelled from home for being one, would bring an average Indian luck, provided he buys their blessings for ten or twenty rupees. And of course the same average Indian would later scold them and complain about how they stole his money by begging and spoiling the business by roaming in front of his tea stall..! After all, we are all hypocrites by nature..!!

A vulnerable lot

Transgenders have a recorded history of more than 4,000 years. Ancient myths bestow them with special powers to bring luck and fertility. Despite this supposedly sanctioned place in Indian culture, transgenders face severe harassment and discrimination from every direction. They have been facing years of crushing social stigmatisation, abuse and general derision from the wider community.

The uphill struggle for the transgenders first begins with finding acceptance within the family. Once the truth is out, transgenders are usually forced to leave the family home. Yet the society they must take refuge in is equally as unwelcoming. Transgenders have few rights and are not recognised by Indian law. This denies them the right to own property, the right to marry and the right to claim formal identity through any official documents such as a passport or driving licence. Accessing healthcare, employment or education becomes almost impossible. In the face of such odds they are forced to earn money any way they can, for many transgenders the method of making ends meet is prostitution, ultimately becoming vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases.

A law misused

As is the case for all gay, lesbian and bisexual people living in India, simply by being sexually active transgenders are breaking the law. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) outlaws any “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” − in other words, any sex that is not between a man and a woman with the aim of reproduction. Brought in by the British in 1860 to try and curb the “heathen customs” of the local population, it carries with it a potential life sentence. Whilst attitudes in the UK have matured considerably and such legislation has long since been removed from the British statute books, it still remains very much part of the Indian system. Even the Supreme Court of India, recently upheld its constitutionality. Although convictions are rare, it is in the name of such a law that the police are able to carry out their worst abuses against the transgender community. As well as the police aggression, gangs of local thugs known as “goondas” frequently rob and sexually assault transgenders on the street.

Apathy and bias

These attacks are rarely prevented or reported by the locals. They don't really care about what happens to this section of the society. Until very recently these attitudes were mirrored and strengthened by the Indian media which itself seemed to suffer from a certain amount of gender vertigo. Transgenders were routinely portrayed as wily tricksters who led unsuspecting men astray or half-man half-woman freak shows, almost devilish in their customs and practices. In 2003, an HIV/AIDS and human rights research centre in Lucknow was raided and the coordinator jailed under IPC 377 for "conspiracy to promote homosexual activities". An English language newspaper ran the headline: Gay Racket Busted- 2 NGOs Caught in the Act.

Towards an attitude change

Something, however, is beginning to alter in the traditional Indian mindset as right now there seems to be both subtle and appreciable changes taking place in terms of how this group are being treated and recognised by mainstream society. Over the last few years India has seen its first transgender fashion model, a transgender television presenter and in the recent Bollywood epic Jodhaa Akbar a transgender, instead of hamming up the usual comic role, was portrayed as a trusted lieutenant of the female lead. Thanks to a large number of internationally funded support groups that are gaining considerable momentum in many big Indian cities, transgenders, as well as other sexuality minority groups, are slowly starting to get a better deal.

Even the government seems to be finally recognising that transgenders exist. In March 2000 Shabnam Mausi, or “Aunt Shabnam” as she is affectionately known, became the first transgender to be elected into Indian parliament and since then many others have taken her lead by successfully entering the political arena. Since 2006, transgenders in the state of Bihar have been employed by the government as tax collectors, singing loudly about the debt outside the defaulter's premises until they are shamed into paying up − one of the most effective tax recovery methods ever used in India. In 2008, the state of Tamil Nadu allowed transgenders, if they wish, to be recognised as “T” rather than just “M” or “F” on ration cards with the same being planned soon for passports and driving licences.

Justice for the Other

Ultimately, the apex court has stepped forward on their account in the recent NALSA case. It recognised the transgender community as a third gender entitled to the same rights and constitutional protection as all other citizens. Further, the direction that they should be treated as ‘socially and educationally backward’ and given reservation in education and employment, is a far-reaching contribution to their all-round development. The Court has also noted that Indian law treats gender as a binary concept, with sections of the Indian Penal Code and Acts related to marriage, adoption, divorce, succession, and even welfare legislation, being examples. Through this astounding verdict, the Supreme Court has put in place a sound basis to end discrimination based on gender, especially gender as presumed to be assigned to individuals at birth, and also extend the global principles of dignity, freedom and autonomy to this vulnerable population. The jurisprudential basis for the judgment is that sex identity cannot be based on a mere biological test but must take into account the individual’s psyche.

With this landmark verdict, Now is the right time to end our hypocritical attitude to exclude the transgenders from the mainstream while sanctifying them as the luck-bearers of the society. For those complaining about the transgenders begging in trains and hampering businesses in kiranas and tea stalls, I would like to remind that it was us who led them to such misery, it was us who deprived them from the chance of leading a normal life. It is our responsibility to  treat them with care and love they are entitled to as a fellow human being.

P.S. I Love You (novel)

"A novel about holding on, letting go and learning to love again." - Goodreads

P.S. I Love You, a debut novel by Irish writer Cecelia Ahern, deals with a love that a man leaves for his wife even after his death and how he eventually convinces her to fall in love again. This man Gerry is so unreal and romantic that he leaves bunch of letters to his wife Holly, meant to guide her out of grief and loneliness. Starting from trivial tasks such as buying a bedside lamp, these letters gives her hope and a new outlook at the society. In the tenth and final letter, Gerry gives Holly confidence to fall in love again and a task to open her heart and follow it.

Highlight of the novel is the order of these letters. The author has stood upon the shoes of Holly and found out what would be needed at what time for her recovery. By doing so, the author has represented Gerry as a husband who has completely understood the feelings of his wife.

The story is more focused on emotions. Sometimes, even the letters have lost prominence to emotions. The author has more focused on how Holly feels upon reading a letter than to what the letter actually says and how important the task in the letter is to Holly's recovery. This has lead to a monotonous story-telling at times, although the storyline had the potential to diversify.

The characters centered around Holly are diverse in nature and add life to the story. Opposite to the main plot which deals with sad emotions, these characters and their little life episodes make the readers feel light hearted. The author could have used more such funny episodes to cut the monotony.

Overall, the storyline is good but the narration could have been better. Not bad for a debut novel.

To Kill a Mockingbird (film)

An adaptation of the novel written by Harper Lee and directed by Robert Mulligan, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the few good courtroom movies I have seen. The film poster says, "The rare film story of a father who must expose his children to a small town's outraged passions...and can only protect them with his love." It is indeed a rare film story which is explicitly mentioned as 'not suitable for children', and yet narrates the story in the view of a young tomboy Scout. 

To Kill a Mockingbird was set in a fictitious town of Maycomb, Alabama in 1932. It looks into the prevalence of racism in Maycomb society through three young children namely, Scout, Jim and Dill, and focuses on the character of Scout's father Atticus Finch. Intertwined between these characters, the story goes on about how Atticus defends a negro Tom Robinson who allegedly raped a white woman Mayella Ewell. Though the case is strong in Tom's side, the racist tendency of the society results in Atticus losing the case. However, Atticus efforts gain him the respect from other black people in the society. In the other hand, the story also talks about Boo Radley, and the children's imagination about his monstrous appearance. Final scenes talk about how the vengeful father of Mayella attacks Scout and Jim and how Boo saves them by killing the attacker.

There are scenes which give scintillating effect to the viewers. Let me describe few here.

1. The courtroom scene: As said earlier, the courtroom scene makes clear that Tom Robinson is innocent, and it was Mayella who tried to take advantage of him, and it was her father who beat her up. In this scene, Atticus' appeal to the all white jury to keep aside their prejudice and consider the case in human point of view, is one of the best pieces of dialogue I have heard. Yet the all white jury finds Tom guilty anyway. The best of the scene is the quietness the verdict receives from either side. Neither the whites cheer much, nor the blacks send cries of protest. This quietness is clear symbol of the faultiness of the verdict and tolerance of the blacks. Jewel in the crown is the saying by a reverend, "Miss Jean Louise, stand up, your father's passin."
2. The lynch mob scene: A lynch mob of white men tries to attack Tom Robinson in a jailhouse. Being prepared to break in and hang Robinson, the mob faces Atticus himself guarding the jailhouse. In that remarkable scene, Scout being unaware of the intentions of the mob, bursts onto the scene and shames a poor farmer into leaving. Despite being of innocent words, her speech shows a strategic exercise. It made me wonder whether a child could turn away such an angry lynch mob? The way the scene is portrayed clearly provides an aye for an answer.
3. Spit on the face scene: After the death of Tom, Atticus goes to his house to inform Tom's wife. Bob Ewell appears there and calls one of the black men, "Boy, go in the house and bring out Atticus Finch." One of them does so and when Atticus is out, Bob spits on his face, Atticus stares at him, wipes his face and drives away. There seem no specialty in this scene as such. But the face expressions by the two actors is the gem. Atticus' angry but confident look and Ewell's unstable fear in the stare down were well captured in camera.
4. Killing a Mockingbird scene: The climax sees a sudden appearance of Boo Radley. Robert Ewell is found dead with a knife stabbed under his ribs, and Boo appears in Jim's room. This appearance is much unexpected because of the descriptions of Boo and the story's focus away from him. Though it becomes obvious that Boo killed Bob, Sheriff says, "There's a black man dead for no reason and the man responsible for that is dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time." After this, so far innocent Scout reaches to her father and with much understanding of the situation and states that what the Sheriff says is right because sending Boo to the gallows would be like "killing a mockingbird".

Added to the excellent story by Harper Lee and direction by Robert Mulligan, the third element that leads the viewer to concentrate on the movie is music by Elmer Bernstein. In fact, till the movie was over, I almost forgot there has been a background music going on. It has so embedded with the screenplay. Hats off to Bernstein.

In total, To Kill a Mockingbird is an artistic depiction of the then society of Alabama. It views, speaks and plays the reality of a racist society and the few good men in it. No wonder it remains in the top 100 in IMDB ratings for the past 23 years.

Beyond the Tropic - A Journey to Rajdhani

Travelling is an unique activity that brings us in contact with various places and people for a much shorter period of time, but teaches extensively about the same. In Francis Bacon's words, "Travel is a part of both education and experience."

I am a traveler, though not a frequent or extensive one, I like traveling. But till the mid of this month, my journeys were contented within Tamil Nadu. Till the mid of this month, I had crossed the borders of Tamil Nadu for only four times. However, within the State, I had traveled across every districts at least twice. My entire travel history changed when I started to New Delhi on 15th December 2013. Though the purpose of my visit was to attend IFS 2013 Personality Test, it was the travel I had taken has been more memorable. Like all the great travelers, I have seen more than I remember and remember more than I have seen. And here, I would like to share things I remember to have seen in my entire trip to New Delhi.

Andhra Pradesh: Starting on a chilly morning of 15th December, myself and four of my friends boarded in Chennai-Delhi Rajdhani express. The first State we entered was Andhra Pradesh, in which we could see two faces. Geographically, the Coastal parts were completely different from rest of the State. In the coastal plains we could see improved agricultural practices with proper shelter belts and wind-breakers. The climate was moderate till we reached Vijayawada. Once we entered the Telengana region, we could see rugged terrains with tank irrigated agriculture and higher temperature. Social backwardness of the region was more expressive in agricultural practices and settlement patterns. Of high mark of Andhra Pradesh as I had seen was the majestic view of bridges across the river Krishna.

Maharashtra: I remember only two things from this state - Pollution and forests. As the train entered Ballarpur, a smoke cloud arising from many parts of the city welcomed us. Accompanying this was the effluent from paper industry here. The most regretful view of the entire trip was Ballarpur. On the other side, the Tadoba forest was extremely calm and fresh. It was my first time to travel through a forest region and it was a pleasant experience. The view of teak trees will stay in my memories always.

Madhya Pradesh: The first all Hindi state we entered was Madhya Pradesh. Lakes and Ravines were the token view of the state. Two of my co-passengers were from Bhopal. One thing we noticed from them was that the North Indians love to sleep. From Chennai till Bhopal, they got up only to eat. It was in Madhya Pradesh, we crossed the Tropic of Cancer, to the land where sun never comes overhead. It was from Madhya Pradesh, fog started to block our vision.

Rajasthan: A small stretch of the journey and a small station of Dholpur were all that was to see in Rajasthan. North of the Chambal badlands was so dry with minimum number of shrubs and trees. As fog became heavier, we were not able to see anything beyond 10-20 metres. This gave us no other choice other than to sleep, resulting in skipping the Uttar Pradesh part of this post.

New Delhi: The train became intermittent as we entered the outskirts of New Delhi, presumably due to heavy fog. Crossing the growing dense settlements, the mighty Rajdhani Express finally reached Nizamuddin station only after 4 hours of scheduled arrival, at 1400 hours on 16th December.

Thus ends the first part of my post "Beyond the Tropic."

Lessons learnt...

It has been a year and half since I started to prepare for Civil Services Examination, and I am in mid way through my first attempt. In this one and half years time, I have understood a few things which I would like to share in this post.

1. Preparing for Civil Services Exam itself is a worthwhile activity. It provides a different perspective on the events happening around us. Such a new perspective to view the problems wouldn't have been possible if at all I did not take up civil service as my career option. For this I thank all my well wishers who encouraged me taking up this track.
2. There is much to learn. Our knowledge is very limited even in the fields we perceive to be strong with. But very few people really accept this fact. When a person understands and accepts the knowledge he/she possess is incomplete, that person succeeds.
3. There are not shortcuts. Hard work and dedication are the necessary criteria for success. With proper guidance, any person working hard and dedicated to do service can get through the process and become a civil servant.
4. Life would see many ups and downs. In all the situations a person needs to maintain consistency. A person who is consistent in thoughts, talks and deeds can become whoever he or she wants to be.
5. Staying positive even when everything goes wrong. Such positive attitude is the very basis of consistency.
6. Every human is respectable. Their status or position does not really matter. Each person is a constituent of the society, so be duly respected.
7. No information is trivial. Everything we come across has its own impact on our surrounding. It is important that a human understands this truth and weighs all the data equally.

These may look simple things. But in the past few months I have experienced the importance of above said statements. I hope this helps other aspirants who read it.

When Plan B turns into Plan A

Back after a long gap, to explain the nihility of posts in this venturous blog, I’m back after a long gap. In fact, I was well aware that I am maintaining a blog here, and I had taken an oath this year to post at least thrice a month. But nothing is certain in life, and that’s what keeps the life alive. Enough for the prologue, let’s get into the subject.

Lastly I scribbled here on April 20, 2012, as the post below states. Just in a weeks time from then, my Final End Semester Exams at College of Engineering, Guindy had started, and in a flash it got over, ending my relationship as a student with the prestigious campus. Still I stayed there for few more days, registering evergreen moments in my memory. Though I had been through this stuff all my life – making friends and leaving them just like that – it was entirely different experience. For the first time I had passed something called “The Slam Book”, and got loads of preserved memories written. It was the only time I could see even the tough guys cry. Then came the D-Day, May 13, 2012. There is a term in Tamil that defines both sadness of leaving and attachment to someone in one sentence – piriyavidai. Being sent off from The Safe Haven by bricks of buildings, barks of trees and a few lovely juniors, I reached my hometown the very next day.

Then started the talk. So many relatives, well-wishers and claimed to be friends, who had never cared what I had been doing these 20 years, started asking the usual chain of queries – “finished engineering?” -> “what next?” -> “selected in campus?” -> “which company?” -> “good company?” -> “joining date?”. Hell with Social Protocol, I answered all these each time patiently. But one thing was well said by all these people – “this is the only time you could enjoy… don’t miss it…”, and I didn’t want to. Starting from Paramakudi, first went to my city Palayamkottai. If getting together with old friends is one thing, going back to the old days is the other. The same old VOC ground, galli cricket and galli cricket with kids, mushroom fry at road side paani poori shop, midnight walks, pointless talks, temple roof, movies, marriage functions (both invited and uninvited  ), food etc., the list never ends. Despite the hapless failure of Kodaikanal plan, other outings – to Tirupur, Salem, Tirunelveli, Tiruchendur, Madurai – went well, and the retreat call came from home. It was lonely Paramakudi days again.

So what about the title?! I had two plans about my career. They were not exactly two different plans, but two phases of a single plan. Phase A: Work for one year; Phase B: Resign and prepare for Civil Services Examinations and become an administrative official of India. Then came this mail from the reputed company which had recruited me, stating my joining date has been postponed indefinitely and the exact date will be informed on October. There is a famous saying in the book The Alchemist, “When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true”. I don’t know whether it is this Global Economic Slowdown which is a possible explanation for postponement or simply my Instinct which made up my mind to take the risk, it took just three hours to decide not to take the offer and go on with Phase B. Thus that three hours on June 20, had turned the Phase B into my Plan A.

Going with Plan A, here I am, in an apartment in Anna Nagar, Chennai, writing this post. Two month for settling in a permanent address here and two more month for setting up in the race, my delayed update is justified, I hope. You may wonder, if something is named as Plan A, shouldn’t there be some other Plan with different alphabet? In my case, sorry to disappoint, there is none. So, when Plan B turns into Plan A, Plan A must be a success 

நீரில்லா ஒரு நதி

காற்றில் எங்கும் கரிசல் மணம் – நம்

கண்கள் அறியுமோ கதிரவன் கனம்…

ஆற்றுநீர் காணாத மஞ்சள் மணல் – அதில்

ஊற்றுநீர் தந்திடும் கிணற்றின் எழில்…

கருவேலங்காட்டு முட்செடிகள் – நம்

ஒருவேளை உணவாய் சில கோவைக்கனிகள்…

ஆடுபுலி ஆடும் கிழடுகள் – மழலை

ஓடி விளையாடும் சுவடுகள்…

வெயிலுக்கு வசைகூறும் பாதங்கள் – மூங்கில்

மயிலுக்கு இசைபாடும் நாதங்கள்…

மறக்க முடியுமா – நம்

வைகை வினாடிகள்…

The lady who Lived

She was born in a rich family with Three Brothers and Six Sisters (as far as I know there were Three Brothers and Six Sisters in that family), ninety years ago. The then Sourashtrian society had clusters of male chauvinists and very few women who fought for their rights. But this woman, neither fought against the male dominant society nor despised it for its ignorance. She survived all kind of difficulties a woman can. Firstly the great culture of Child Marriage had ruined her Education, then Tuberculosis killed her husband just after a few years of marriage leaving her in solitude with a toddling little girl child. As usual, as in old days, brothers betrayed their sisters for ancestral properties. Despite being denied even a single penny from her brothers and being isolated as a young widow, she never lost Hope and Determination. She was left alone all the time, but she never let herself lose her self respect from others. She just adjusted herself with the people around her to survive for almost 90 years to witness the transforms in and around the society, to nurture her grand children and great grand children as good citizens to the country (she might have never known what she was doing then). She never lived her life for herself. She is my Great Grandmother, Vijayalakshmi, who had just passed away this Tuesday (13.03.2012). I am happy that she no longer has to suffer the pain of paralysis which attacked her ten years ago. I am happy that I had the chance to look at her face one last time. I do still remember what she told me when I left for Chennai for higher studies, “Go wherever you want to, but be the son of Sridharan always. Never let anything change you. You will be successful”, and I want to tell her that I have kept my word till date. Rest In Peace my dear Aathamma…

One Dream

ஒரே கனா என் வாழ்விலே-

அதை நெஞ்சில் வைத்திருப்பேன்!

கனா மெய் ஆகும் நாள் வரை-

உயிர் கையில் வைத்திருப்பேன்!

வானே என் மேல் சாய்ந்தாலுமே,

நான் மீண்டு காட்டுவேன்!

நீ என்னை கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சினால்,

நிலவை வாங்குவேன்!