Huh! I am ashamed that I have done this umpti number of times now. I recently read the Post "Memoirs of Mistakes" by Nil, but I just cannot apply that here. I know I am not doing what I promised to myself.
All said, I also realised that it was not only me, along with me were most of my friends too, sailing in the same boat of long inactivity. Hopefully the coming new year brings in the much needed interest and enthusiasm in all of us so that we continue what we have not been doing for long now.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Sunday, May 21, 2006
A Word is mightier than a...
With the Da Vinci code, being the latest in the list of movies that are made out of literary best sellers, I thought, is it ever possible to depict and showcase a literary work so perfectly in a movie. According to me, how much ever one tries to make a visual out of words, it is just impossible to reach hundred percent. Through words one can describe the scene in a much powerful manner than showing the same visually. No matter how well the actor expresses the feel. Right from the God Father, the Harry Potter series, I have always felt that the book is much better than the celluloid. That’s the scope and challenge, a moviemaker gets from such literary works. Be it the use of extensive visual effects and 3D graphics in Harry Potter or the screenplay of God Father, or the gigantic settings in the Lord of the Rings, moviemakers have done it all to bring out the same essence of the book. One good try that is worth mentioning here is the picturization used in ‘Virumaandi’ to show the difference in Viewpoint when two people narrate an occurrence of the past. (Needless to state, I am a huge fan of Kamal Hassan.) But through words, one could have put forth it very easily.
Giving life to words on a paper is not a simple task, and that too showing a 592 page story in lesser than 100 minutes is not a joke. Salutes to Ron Howard. The effort should always be appreciated and I do it. And the biggest advantage with movies is the reach and spread that the creation gets among the public, that is the only sense, in which the silver screen beats the pen and paper hands down.
Giving life to words on a paper is not a simple task, and that too showing a 592 page story in lesser than 100 minutes is not a joke. Salutes to Ron Howard. The effort should always be appreciated and I do it. And the biggest advantage with movies is the reach and spread that the creation gets among the public, that is the only sense, in which the silver screen beats the pen and paper hands down.
The Da Vinci Code
The movie “Da Vinci Code” was supposed to be released last week. Being one the readers of the book I know the exact contents of the book. Even though it is a work of pure fiction and even though Dan Brown makes it very clear in the very first page, one would, in the grip of the story, might momentarily believe it’s real. I did. This is more so in the case of Da Vinci, because of the usage of some real organizations and poeple (Opus Dei, The Priory of Sion), setting (the Louvre) etc.. But its only until we come out of the grip of the read, to realize it’s nothing more than an amazing piece of fiction.
Now, with the completion of the movie, I was eager to watch how well Ron Howard has managed to recreate the words in the form of visuals. But then arrives the controversy. I just could not imagine what is this fuss all about? And this being debated more in India, probably shows, how conservatives we are still. It’s not only about Christianity, but the same controversy and the hunger strikes were there when the films like Water, Fire and Kamasutra were made. My view point is, are the sentiments of people here in India are so vulnerable that a single movie can change the belief that we all have grown along with, all these years? It’s really sad. Yes, I agree that we have our own values, culture and tradition and I also firmly believe that our culture is our Identity in this world and is the Differentiator to the outside world. At the same time, we should not oppose an art work that throws a different view. And that too, when it’s a work of fiction! Hopefully things will change soon, for the better.
Now, with the completion of the movie, I was eager to watch how well Ron Howard has managed to recreate the words in the form of visuals. But then arrives the controversy. I just could not imagine what is this fuss all about? And this being debated more in India, probably shows, how conservatives we are still. It’s not only about Christianity, but the same controversy and the hunger strikes were there when the films like Water, Fire and Kamasutra were made. My view point is, are the sentiments of people here in India are so vulnerable that a single movie can change the belief that we all have grown along with, all these years? It’s really sad. Yes, I agree that we have our own values, culture and tradition and I also firmly believe that our culture is our Identity in this world and is the Differentiator to the outside world. At the same time, we should not oppose an art work that throws a different view. And that too, when it’s a work of fiction! Hopefully things will change soon, for the better.
Music is magic
As I type this post, I am listening to one of the magic works of A R Rahman, the tracks of RDB. Music is magic. The captivation it has among people is amazing. It’s not who the creator of the music is, but it’s about how captivating and enthralling it is to you.
As a true music lover I listen to all kinds of music which I feel good and suits my taste. I mostly like soft music, and Rahman has given a lot of that in this piece. Particularly the tracks “Tu bin bataye” and “Luka Chupi” are extremely good. The Guitar that goes along in Luka Chuppi is amazing. The sound of the string is really pleasant to the ears. When one observes closely, one can listen the triggering of the strings crystal clear. This along with the voice of Lata Mangeshkar and Rahman himself is pure magic. To top it all, the song ends with the rendering of the swaram. Being a Hindustaani semi classical, I would rate this one as one among the top songs that has come out of A R Rahman. I just cannot think of any other word than Magic to describe this work. As I have always felt the more and more I hear some songs, more and more I like them. I listen the background music which goes along with the song throughout. I feel that is the difference between music makers like Illayaraaja, Rahman and others. A soft piano that goes along has not been mastered by many except these two great masters. Music to me is all about experimentation and these two great men never stop doing it. Listen and observe to enjoy yourself.
As a true music lover I listen to all kinds of music which I feel good and suits my taste. I mostly like soft music, and Rahman has given a lot of that in this piece. Particularly the tracks “Tu bin bataye” and “Luka Chupi” are extremely good. The Guitar that goes along in Luka Chuppi is amazing. The sound of the string is really pleasant to the ears. When one observes closely, one can listen the triggering of the strings crystal clear. This along with the voice of Lata Mangeshkar and Rahman himself is pure magic. To top it all, the song ends with the rendering of the swaram. Being a Hindustaani semi classical, I would rate this one as one among the top songs that has come out of A R Rahman. I just cannot think of any other word than Magic to describe this work. As I have always felt the more and more I hear some songs, more and more I like them. I listen the background music which goes along with the song throughout. I feel that is the difference between music makers like Illayaraaja, Rahman and others. A soft piano that goes along has not been mastered by many except these two great masters. Music to me is all about experimentation and these two great men never stop doing it. Listen and observe to enjoy yourself.
Encounter with Fire
Date: April 4th, 2006
I had a close encounter with fire. That is when I realized the power of nature. I was performing the Navagraha Homam after my uncle’s “Aata thevasam” (First Death anniversary). When fed with the right fuel, ghee and pieces of wood (samith), the force of fire increased. The very sight of the fire rising up was great indeed. I tell you Fire is beautiful. I thought to myself, human beings are also a form of nature. One, when fed with the right fuel of knowledge, can prosper in life. I pray that everyone in this world gets the right measure of the right fuel so as to prosper well in life.
I had a close encounter with fire. That is when I realized the power of nature. I was performing the Navagraha Homam after my uncle’s “Aata thevasam” (First Death anniversary). When fed with the right fuel, ghee and pieces of wood (samith), the force of fire increased. The very sight of the fire rising up was great indeed. I tell you Fire is beautiful. I thought to myself, human beings are also a form of nature. One, when fed with the right fuel of knowledge, can prosper in life. I pray that everyone in this world gets the right measure of the right fuel so as to prosper well in life.
Its all in the mind – Continued…
Well, a few weeks back, I had posted how I felt when I was driving the PY registration bike in Bangalore. My eyes kept on searching in every nook and corner of the roads for policemen.
Now, we have paid the required Karnataka Road tax for that bike. And when I am driving the same bike now through the roads of Bangalore, I just do not think about the PY registration and my eyes no more searches for the conmen and my hands do not maneuver the bike to hide behind the larger vehicles. It is indeed all in the mind!!
Now, we have paid the required Karnataka Road tax for that bike. And when I am driving the same bike now through the roads of Bangalore, I just do not think about the PY registration and my eyes no more searches for the conmen and my hands do not maneuver the bike to hide behind the larger vehicles. It is indeed all in the mind!!
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Oh! This one is mine!!
I just remembered I have a web log!!! So here I am back, awake from a loong sleep.
I had so many things to post but I posted none of them. so now I thought I shall just pump things in here soon.
I had so many things to post but I posted none of them. so now I thought I shall just pump things in here soon.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Its all in the mind.
That day I had given my new bike for the first service. Hence I had to go to the office in the old bike. The problem with the old one is that its in Pondicherry registration and I have not paid the Karnataka Road tax so that I can drive it. One attracts heavy fine if not followed the rules.
And here I go, driving, with my heart panting as if I have done something terribly wrong. To my bad luck, its one of such days where in each and every nook and corner there is a policeman standing with the Receipt book of his. Huh! A left turn and there he is. I quickly look for the truck going past me and cruise behind it so that the police man doesn't watch me. Oops, Just when 'I' was about to cross the signal, it turns red. And there I have to stop. Now, heart pumps even faster. The man overseeing the traffic can see me clearly and more clearly, the number plate in my bike. I make frantic efforts to turn the handle bar to an angle from which he cannot see it, and was acting to be very casual. The count down is ticking 85, oops that's nearly one and a half minute. It was like an hour and half for me. And at last it turns green and allows me to go past the Stop line. I feel as if I just cleared the tenth standard. To reach office, I still had to clear the higher secondary and then 8 semesters in college. Yeah! That's exactly the number of traffic signals that I need to cross through daily. At last, I somehow manage, thanks to the heavy bangalore traffic, I always had some vehicle to hide behind, and reach Lavelle Road, the one in which my office is located. Just a turn left and within 60 meters, I could reach the office parking lot. And there I see our man, sitting pretty in his Pulsar!, that too right in front of the two wheeler park entrance of my office. Carefully observing, I realized that he was there to drop someone. My heart beat slows down as I got nearer and nearer. Huh!!
I was thinking about this even today. I pass through the same set of traffic signals daily. And there is absolutely no doubt that policeman need to be there at all signals and junctions to maneuver this kind of traffic. But still, when I travel in the new bike, with all required documents intact, I don't worry about all this. The reason for all these feelings and thoughts was because, I was more aware of the fact that I am doing something which is wrong and against the law. Don't we get the same feeling when we tell someone a lie? Its exactly the same thing when one falters against the moral law. It just keeps pricking for a long time.
Its all in the mind.
And here I go, driving, with my heart panting as if I have done something terribly wrong. To my bad luck, its one of such days where in each and every nook and corner there is a policeman standing with the Receipt book of his. Huh! A left turn and there he is. I quickly look for the truck going past me and cruise behind it so that the police man doesn't watch me. Oops, Just when 'I' was about to cross the signal, it turns red. And there I have to stop. Now, heart pumps even faster. The man overseeing the traffic can see me clearly and more clearly, the number plate in my bike. I make frantic efforts to turn the handle bar to an angle from which he cannot see it, and was acting to be very casual. The count down is ticking 85, oops that's nearly one and a half minute. It was like an hour and half for me. And at last it turns green and allows me to go past the Stop line. I feel as if I just cleared the tenth standard. To reach office, I still had to clear the higher secondary and then 8 semesters in college. Yeah! That's exactly the number of traffic signals that I need to cross through daily. At last, I somehow manage, thanks to the heavy bangalore traffic, I always had some vehicle to hide behind, and reach Lavelle Road, the one in which my office is located. Just a turn left and within 60 meters, I could reach the office parking lot. And there I see our man, sitting pretty in his Pulsar!, that too right in front of the two wheeler park entrance of my office. Carefully observing, I realized that he was there to drop someone. My heart beat slows down as I got nearer and nearer. Huh!!
I was thinking about this even today. I pass through the same set of traffic signals daily. And there is absolutely no doubt that policeman need to be there at all signals and junctions to maneuver this kind of traffic. But still, when I travel in the new bike, with all required documents intact, I don't worry about all this. The reason for all these feelings and thoughts was because, I was more aware of the fact that I am doing something which is wrong and against the law. Don't we get the same feeling when we tell someone a lie? Its exactly the same thing when one falters against the moral law. It just keeps pricking for a long time.
Its all in the mind.
Argument - Self thoughts
Argument is something which I hate. I just dont want to be in there, when there is an argument. I hate to be in either side of an argument. People express thier views. I also have something to say on it. But I do not do it. Except when there is an absolute need for it. Yes I do put my views across, but I feel I do not always.
In some occassions I just keep mum when someone talks, as if I accept each and evrything that the opposite says. I am not an introvert by any means. But still why? But I also realise that I need some time to think before I can talk. Also it could be because of the fact that I do not like to hurt anyone because I say something which someone does not agree, particularly if that someone is very much elder to me.
So is this something I need to change myself?
In some occassions I just keep mum when someone talks, as if I accept each and evrything that the opposite says. I am not an introvert by any means. But still why? But I also realise that I need some time to think before I can talk. Also it could be because of the fact that I do not like to hurt anyone because I say something which someone does not agree, particularly if that someone is very much elder to me.
So is this something I need to change myself?
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