SHAMITABH A REVIEW !

Pura naam Amitabh Bachchan !
Baap ka naam Harivansh Rai Bachchan !
Ma ka naam,Teji bachchan !
Shaher Mumbai !
Umar Bahathar saal......

But for the wall that keeps prodding me to write, I would have found that bit of solace in silence.Thank your stars that none of you can hear me.

That sums it up.Our hero Daanish played by Danush is mute and dreams of becoming a superstar.

He travels from Ikatpuri to Mumbai with a trunk box and a Pan Parag tin, containing some cash which a poverty stricken mother had left behind for her son on her deathbed.

Daanish enters the Filmcity and hides in a vanity van.The movie is about super stardom,a true reflection of the state of Bollywood,how a billion hearts beat and only a few make it,the struggle for the No 1 position, the fear of a fall and the connected emotions of greed,selfishness,jealousy and ego.

This is the 21st century and a futuristic world out there.We are made to believe that , if mainstream cinema says so , it must be true , if not now maybe some day
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Brace yourself to , also believe that , a pretty assistant director attired in black ,who dreams of making her own movie some day with the mute actor as the hero, is compassionate enough to help a stranger,a struggling newcomer who does not have a voice of his own.

She stands like a rock behind him,gives him the much needed support to aim for the stars and gets him a chance to work as a hero with a renowned director.

If all this stupidity was not enough,the casual telephone chat between a physician and his friend an Otolaryngologist had me totally flabbergasted.Anyway,on the advice of the friend ,Daanish is packed off to Finland for the latest voicemaker implant .This is a recent marvel in the field of layringitis and Daanish is a recepient of the power of vocal chords.The donor has a baritone and has to coexist with the recepient.

Daanish and the debutant assistant director played by Akshara Haasan meet a drunkard who growls within the confines of the cemetery walls.The contract is signed and the protaganist says that his voice which sounds good even from the mouth of a dog had been rejected earlier when he had aspired to make it big in tinseldom.

The lighter moments in the film come in the scenes where Big B is at his expressive humorous best.He lends his voice much to the irritation of Daanish whose lip movements fail to sync with the baritone.In these scenes,Daanish manages to emote his helplessness quite well.

The second half is utterly disappointing and one gets to realise that Balki is also confused.Not knowing how to build upon his brilliant idea,clueless on where to take whom,he throws in the towel ,and the movie goes wayward.One thing this movie will be remembered for is the style and the sophistication that Big B exudes.He is formidable and carries the entire movie on his acting and voice alone.

Rejected in his early days for his unconventional looks, old,wrinkled and haggard looking ,smothered in mud and dirt he is still a class apart.It was a night show that I was watching and the saving grace was the growl of the baritone,but for which the sound of snores would have been echoing within the hall...............

STAY FOCUSSED AND KEEP TIREDNESS AT BAY !

What I say is nothing new and each one of us knows it too well.I keep repeating it because it reinforces my faith in silence,in the benefits of hard work and strengthens my belief that in order to stay motivated one should be usefully engaged.

People ask me whether I never get tired. Of course I do and I tell them that middle age anxiety only worsens it.Yet ! it set me thinking also.Maybe my attitude helps. Immediately what cropped up in my mind was, what about the elders,distinguished luminaries,eminent persons,contemporaries and those younger to me who are fruitfully occupied ,work much more than me and are healthy in body and mind, not to forget our own hale and hearty PM.

That's when a flood of thoughts invaded my mind and as always it was an

irresistible urge to put it down in paper and then post it on a wall. Writing is meditation. Writing is therapeutic. Writing heals. So where's the question of getting tired. ? Writing puts me back on my feet.

Let me begin with Passion.Once you give your heart and soul to a work, you can never be really tired. Our day begins with a glass of water, a cup of coffee or tea or maybe honey and lime or anything else. So once you get up,if coffee is the first thing on your mind,just go and get it. Naturally you have fine tuned your mind to think only about coffee and how to go about making it.The mind is focussed just on the cup without any other thoughts. On consumption of your favourite drink, the mind is appeased and you are energised. It's more about the positive attitude in play rather than just the caffeine. As you complained of aches a little earlier, tiredness, that had prevented you from getting up from bed has disappeared.

Mind you ! the disappearance is temporary though, and not too far away from you .From here onwards, it is going to be just you, your tiredness and how you are mentally prepared to tackle it. Caught in a crossfire of lethargy and activity, if you choose to remain active, you will be spared and tiredness will be forced to take a back seat. Procrastination is permitted if the activity is not priority and if there is a sense of urgency. delegation is allowed and troops may be deployed.These are just some tips to keep tiredness at bay 

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Once the coffee ritual is over, if it is the urge to pick up the newspaper, nothing on earth can prevent you from indulging in such activity. You are going to feel good.Go ahead ! Then ,go get those good hormones to work. As a result, the mind is going to be steadfastedly concentrated on thoughts of the newspaper, if the delivery boy has not yet arrived or buried within the pages if you have got hold of it. Here the time spent on waiting is clearly not whiling and reading is a useful activity. As you get engrossed in the news of the daywho is making headlines and who is not, the mind will fall silent yet again only to contemplate on your area of interest and ponder at leisure sometime later .Lost in the world of newsmakers and events,when the focus is entirely on imbibing and retention being the sole objective, the mind on its own has attained silence.This is how energy is conserved and entry of tiredness is thwarted.Now you are ready to take on the world with it's challenges.

One could cite innumerable examples, people from various walks of life,mothers,fathers,brothers,sisters,sons,daughters,friends,scientists,engineers,businessmen,

doctors,auditors,bankers,artistes,musicians,filmamkers,story writers,actors,homemakers,teachers,students,sportsmen ,helpers,maids,technicians,plumbers,carpenters,blacksmiths.....One could go on and on and realise that inspite of different ways of working ,socialising,serving......goals being different, there is one thing in common.When it is the passion that keeps one going ,doing what one loves to do, one is busy in what keeps him/her happy.This in turn builds concentration and while engaged in any such activity,the mind is free of clutter and is silent.Happiness wards off tiredness with ease.It's all in the mind they say. As opposed to treating fatigue, I would suggest ,to stay happy is a solution.

What is significant is that, inspite of any tiredness that will try to creep in,when passion is always uppermost in mind,there can be neither room for negative thoughts nor for tiredness .Hence it is is of paramount importance to love your job,develop a hobby,be engaged actively,stay strong mentally and not succumb to diversions which may cause the mind to be cluttered with unnecessary thoughts .A mind that is trained to be silent will ensure freedom from fatigue for the body.

Keep watching this space for the next update on how to stay bubbling with enthusiasm and vitality and why a cook at home woman who behaves or rather acts like a five star chef is absolutely relevant to this topic...

SHE IS AWESOME

My ode echoes the thoughts of many a woman ,
past fifty who have rendered service yeoman.
Still in her prime ,she has now reached a stage
where , with love alone she tries to assuage
anxiety and ergo she is a picture of perfect calm ,
verily satisfied, guilt free , she plays the ville farm .
Give me kindness,give me more of it is all that she prays.
More charming than ever before ,she has blossomed with grace.
With childhood and youth left behind,
now a blend of elegance and experience combined
she introspects on middle age with pride ,
a mischievous glint in her eye,casting a glance aside,
recalls her rebellions and elders who supported her,
angels who bore the brunt ,her father and her mother.
Behind a milestone is a sweat and the wipe off the brow,
a tale of sacrifice and sheer pleasure in seeing somebody grow.
As she steps in and out of varied roles today
today's fifty plus woman is a blend of the old and the new,so to say
On behalf of a community ,I have to say this aloud,
to brag for the sake of my contemporaries,I may be allowed
as stories of sheer grit and determination do the rounds ,
I am simply amazed at the talent that abounds.
Hence my ode is a tribute to her,simply to substantiate
that she is a force to reckon with,and on her as I contemplate,
her life story only reinforces my belief that once past fifty,
she is bold ,beautiful and wise,quintessentially..........

YASHODA AND HER KANHAIYAS BOND BEAUTIFULLY !

Yashoda stared in disbelief."You will not do that,I hope you can understand, my little boy.".. she said.The little prankster was a hyperactive kid and kept Yashoda on her toes all day long.

As she gaped in awe and to her utter dismay,and before she could stop him,the lad hurriedly grabbed the pair of shoes lying nearby and flung it outside, from the third floor balcony.

As Rahul grinned mischievously,a seemingly innocent Gokul emerged out of the balcony.Yashoda was in tears and her little boys were jumping with glee..

"This is just one of the pranks that my boys are upto anytime of the day remarked Yashoda.I keep a close watch and I am always alert,"she said."They are blessed with a mechanical bent of mind ,remarked the young mother....and so I have placed most of my household appliances out of their reach," she added.

This is an excerpt of a conversation ,when I met Yashoda a few years ago."It is very difficult and yet pleasures of motherhood ,Aaaha." she said.

Two days ago and after a gap of nearly 10 years,I happened to meet Yashoda and her children at a function.I was thrilled.After all,it was a reunite with a close chum after so many years.
When her twin boys were 5 years old,her husband ,a bank officer was transferred further south.We kept in touch and wished one another on all occasions.I would enquire about the activities of her kids and she would say ,"Oh ! Thankfully they seem to be mellowing down with age...I had met the kids a couple of times and they were Oh ! so lovable."

Now,here I was meeting them again after a decade.It was a pleasant surprise and I spotted Yashoda first..."Oh ! How come you are here ?' I asked her."We have just been posted back to Chennai ,"she said and in the process of shifting ."she added."How are your little boys ?"I asked her..."Oh ! They are fine,grown up to be six footers and she pointed her fingers towards the two tall boys standing in one corner of the hall.

I was taken aback..."Who they ?I was not too sure,As we talked,the boys moved towards us and as they neared me,Yashoda introduced me to them..."Hey Please meet my sons Rahul and Gokul.They are fifteen years old."I was still in a state of disbelief ,but I was happy to meet them.
We chatted together and it was fun.The boys were cheerful just like the mother......Infact a carbon copy of the mom.Yashoda added..". Rahul aspires to be an aeronautical enbgineer and Gokul wishes to be a doctor."

"Please give me your address "I asked.Immidiately Rahul took out a pen from his pocket,brought out a paper and started writing with his left hand...."Is he left handed just like you ?I asked Yashoda..."Oh ! Yes ! and Gokul is right handed like his father.

So what's new? you may all ask ?Well ! Nature never ceases to amaze us and when I came across the boys after so many years I was surprisedly stunned too.The persona revealed all the traits of Yashoda and here let me tell you,that, she is not their biological mother.Yashoda had adopted them as new borns and I was fully aware of that....

This is not the only case of adoption that I know amongst my close circle of friends..... What amazes me even more is the tremendous parent child bonding in all such relationships in the absence of the umblical link.

As we took leave a blushing Yashoda said with great pride, "The boys have taken after me in their looks and their Dad in their behaviour."

and I left the function with mixed feelings and unanswered questions....

SHRI CHAKRA RAJA SIMHASANESWARI.........

Shree Chakra Raja Simhasaneswaree,Shree Lalithambikaye Bhuvaneswaree...crooned Kannamani inside the puja room on the second floor of 178 Rash Beharee Avenue...Vijaya,she cried out..".Uppu kuzhakkattai poornathirukku elimminchambazham pizhiya marunthudathey." Seree Amma.aracha.Ulundhai vega potturkken.Marakkamatten,"...solii Vijaya went about her Thai Friday chores.."..Vijaya ! do not forget to add lime to the urad dal filling for the salt modaks," a devout and pious Kannamani called out to Vijaya.Yes Amma I shall remember to do that ,"replied the dutiful daughter-in-law Vijaya.

You can never think creative if you do not work hard remarked a friend.That set me thinking...Oh really ? I mused...and creativity in any form finds its way out thanks to the positive mind set of the individual,Right? I added.It also depends upon the number of funny bones and that varies from individual to individual.While some are endowed with a surplus,many ,I am sorry to say do not have even a single one.The friend smiled and nodded in agreement.

I am not surprised when people crib and complain.Life is not a bed of roses,not even for the Gates ,the Birlas or the Ambanis of the world....An individual falls,stumbles,rises,reaches desired heights ,fails at times and tastes success at times.In this journey he undergoes pain ,and when he strives hard the best things he receives are not served to him on a platter...No never...He chooses to hide his pain and moves on.As he moves on,sometimes on thorn ridden paths,he picks up the roses too and makes Happiness a habit.He is happy being himself,lost in admiring his possessions and striving hard towards a reachable goal.He is plain happy ,laughs away his woes and the positivity in him makes him feel extremely good.The side effects are positive and that set me thinking again.

Growing up in a joint family has its advantages and it's share of pinpricks.Atleast it prepared me to live in a joint family .Growing up in one was exciting should I say ? Living in another has been a greater challenge.As I look back....Whoa!..I grew up in a joint family and the upbringing lasted for 25 years.Its been another 25 years and whoa! I am still growing.The state of enlightenment still eludes me and I am happily ignorant.Whoever said that ignorance is bliss ,would be happy to read this.

Kannamani had chalked out her Aadi ,Navarathri,Margazhi ,Thai & Sankatahara chaturthi plans in the month of Chithirai .Vijaya,she called out to her obedient daughter in law.Please make all the necessary arrangements.It was a Sunday and the first Aadi Friday was a couple of months away.Times haven't changed much for today's Nayaki..Citing bossy pressures,Nayaki feigns ignorance and she is excused....Anyway Nayaki is a fantastic helper.She takes care of all the running around and the odd jobs.

Young Nayaki was a silent spectator.She was amused .Intha Kannamani Patti sahasranamam sollarangala illa oray Kuzhakkattai maava ariaithu ariaithu Kuzhakattai bhajanai panrangala ?" ( Does this Kannamani Patti chant the Sahasranamam or does she recite the Modak ?She wakes up with Modaks all over in her body and mind," baby Nayaki chuckled.

Vijaya used to tell her kids tales from the Panchatantra and the Jatakas.With a mischievous glint in her eye and a naughty look on her face,she would ask her grandma..".Kannamani Amma ! Kuzhakattaikku kannu undo dee ? Does the modak have eyes?
Kuzhakattaikku kathu undo dee?Does the modak have ears?
Kuzhakattaikku Vaay undo dee?"Does the modak have a mouth.
Po Kuzhakkattaikku Vaal Undu..
.Unakku Kuzhakkattais kidayathu,
"Go ! Modak has a tail.You will not get modaks to eat,"saying Kannamani would admonish her,only to reward her later sumptuously.

It was great fun growing up in such a family in the midst of a parabhrahmam grandfather,a grandma whose thoughts were always with the hidden provisions ,strict uncles , carefree aunts , gem of parents and a calm and composed brother.

I saw my mom work tirelessly always with a smile on her lips.When I was five years young,I realised the secret behind her smile.The Iyer family despised sulk.It must have been really tough.She was just 21 when she entered the family.An Osmania University graduate,slowly she adapted beautifully to the needs of the Tambong family.She was my youngest uncle's first tution teacher.He doted on her then.He dotes on her till today.

You may be wondering why I am saying all this ?...We love to complain about the weather,about the government,about the roads,about the transport and declare that but for the road blocks,we would be much happier and more comfortably placed.I agree,but citing such circumstances,one tends to become more lazy.

Grandma had a knack of keeping herself and the others busy.She was good at delegation.Granpa would ask every day...I am going out for a walk.Do you need something?She would reply immediately..."Please buy I kg coffee powder,I tin Ovaltin,I kg of Soap powder,6 Sunlight Bars and Two packets of Sandalwood Incense.Grandpa knew very well that she had a store stocked with daily provisions and soap items.He never questioned her but faithfully walked out and returned home empty handed mostly.

Then it was her turn to give him a piece of advice and move on.The arguments would last for a few seconds and life would move on normally.Visitors to our home were always welcomed with a mixed fragrance of incense,camphor,face powder ,Coffee and detergent.We had ample stock tucked away in all corners.

Water was scarce.To be honest there was no water connection and no taps either.Mom used to get water for the daily puja rituals and cooking from a hand tubewell on the ground floor.We lived on the second floor and I remember she used to carry pots of water several times during the day.I have never seen her complain.

Transfer of blame is a sign of weakness.As human it is natural to have negative and positive feelings.Here I wish to stress that it is important to understand that just as moments of glory are temporary,we need not live under a perpetual fear of the unexpected ,unexpected I say because all that is good is what we expect and desire.Its the worry of uncertainty,the possibility of untoward incidents that we constantly think may happen,that paves the way for negativity to make an easy entry into the sub conscious mind.All that is fed into the sub conscious mind is certain to happen sooner or later..

This and more gyan was repeatedly fed into the young minds by a stern Chandru.The octogenarian uncle is a self made man.He plays bridge every day,writes columns in newspapers ,moves around in public transport,walks a mile every day and makes sure that everyone around him wears a smile always.

"Idling and Negativity breed ill feelings and robs the individual of basic reasoning skills,and instead of appreciating all that he is endowed with,he is always dissatisfied citing innumerable excuses,"he would say.......He spoke to me a few days back and said...Hey lazy bones.I stumbled on a web site"Live Mocha.in"........

That's my uncle....He will take the horse to the water...and there ends his efforts...Now He will expect a feedback.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR GIRL ! YOUR MOTHER IS YOUR DOCTOR !

Dearest Mama Tolerance Valentino !

I do not remember your first touch.

frail thy name is,you held on to me,

oblivious of all happening around you,

heartening it must have been.

Emotions all bottled up ,

did you need a shoulder to cry upon ?

I do not remember your first words.

With a wide beam on your face,

what could you have said ?

Did you have a lump in your throat?

Overwhelming, was it so ?

I do not remember your first gaze,

charged with emotions,

were you anxious?

Celebrating the moment,

why did you cry?

even as I snuggled upto you.

I do not remember the first kiss,

as tears rolled down your cheek.

You smothered me with salty love.

Sleepless and weary did you whisper

sweet nothings into my tiny ear ?

I do not remember your first fit of rage.

With clenched fists and eyes tightly closed,

Why was I inconsolable ?

It was the colic you had diagnosed,

as I puked over your shoulders

I burped,peed,pooped,and when I didn't

you rushed me to the Doc,

and then you ran again for the shots.

I was warm and you went cold.

When you were terrified,

I was blissfully sleeping.

You stayed awake simply gazing at me.

When your head dropped,

in panic you woke up again.

Your heart was racing,

I was not aware of that,

For nine long months

my heart was beating inside you.

I kicked you .

You did not mind.

You underwent a transformation.

Dearest Mother of Mine !

you envisioned these moments,

in anticipation of the love of your life.

Yet ! why were you always weepy, angry and frustrated ?

Was I really that scary Mommy ?

With love and hugs..

Baby Terror Valentino !

If You Know Me !

It is an out & out Thala Show

On board the flight from Boston to Chennai,a handsome middle aged man hides his identity from the woman who is seated beside him.Just in time ,Thenmozhi checks in and boards the flight .The flight purser informs her that she can occupy a business class seat next to Mr Satya. This has obviously been prearranged.It is the requirement of the story line..

28 year old Thenmozhi is played by Anushka Shetty .She stands tall at 5ft 10 .Seeing a debonair Ajith by her side,she is speechless.She has already lost her heart to the stranger.

From there the movie goes forth and back as Thala narrates the story of his childhood,his murdered father whom he idolises and because of whose advice he sticks on to the right side of law,his love the dancer Hemanika played by Trisha who is expressive and Esha her daughter from her failed marriage .

Many parts of the movie are on flashback mode with a well groomed black haired and bearded Ajith dominating the frames.Each time a grey,pepper and stubbled Ajith made his appearance on the screen,the audience was in raptures and the dialogues were drowned in the sound of applause ..

Victor is the bad man played by Arun Kumar .He plays his role convincingly.The cop Satya is out on a mission to eliminate evil and get to the bottom of an organ transplant racket.

It may take some time till the songs get registered in the viewers minds and nothing exceptional about the movie except for the fact that hero oriented movies are here to stay.In some frames he appears stiff  ,without the slightest of expression but overall Ajith looks dignified.

Yennai Arinthal is another usual cop drama .Violence depicted is typical of a Gautam Menon flick.Seeing these gory acts makes one wonder how the blood ,knives and guns went past the censors.Portions of dialogues have been muted and that could be a reason how the movie was finally granted a U.....