A tribute to Benazir Bhutto

The beacon of hope and light for Pakistan is extinguished. The country marred by communal riots and terrorism since their independence had a flickering hope when their Former President Benazir Bhutto arrived in Pakistan in October of 2007 after 8 years of self-imposed exile. All the hope came to an end abruptly miring the nation into a shroud of darkness and uncertainty with her assassination.

Benazir was the first women president of an Islamic nation. She was a very special and a rare breed in Pakistan – well educated, extremely handsome, exuding dynamism, and bravado both in action and speech. Her charisma magnetized not only the Pakistani youth, but world leaders as well. They respected and celebrated her as the ray of hope and pillar of strength for Pakistan. She was seen as a friend and not a foe by the Western world. Her education at Oxford and Harvard, her liberal outlook was certain to change the fundamentalist landscape of Pakistan. The nation gave her a thunderous welcome in Karachi this year after seeing their leader emerge from exile – Florence Nightingale was back again.

Anarchy, dictatorship and terrorism were not new to her. Though her personal life was marked with grief, chaos, separation, she was determined to light the lives of her countrymen and bring an end to suffering in Pakistan. In her youth she witnessed her father overthrown by the Military leader Zia Hul Haq and later hanged to death. Her family, the source of strength and support was continuously attacked. Mysterious death of her two brothers and imprisonment of her husband shook her confidence, but only made her resolve to fight stronger. The single mother was left alone nurturing her 3 kids in London. Was it determination, was it courage, or was it resolve, what kept her marching forward? In one of her interviews she mentioned drawing strength and inspiration from Mrs. Gandhi and Joan of Arc. There had been multiple attempts on her life in the recent past but she was confident no one can take her life away unless almighty decided. She knew life came with no guarantee. She held on to her faith without fundamentalism and was determined to serve the country and improve the quality of life at the grass roots.

Her life experiences made her outlook mature and transformed her to be the mother of Pakistan. In her recent interview she outpoured her love for the people of Pakistan and attributed her return to serve and care of her children risking her life again. There was no anguish or fear, but only care and love. In the NY Times Op-ed column last month she wrote, “It is dangerous to stand up to a military dictatorship, but more dangerous not to.”

The absence of democracy, pronouncement of emergency, ex-presidents in exile, dissolution and incarceration of judiciary, and gagging press punctuates Pakistan’s climate today. Terrorism, chaos, vandalism, and uncertainty are the way of life in Pakistan. Suicide bombers struck a few meters away from her convey on the night of her return to Karachi. In her recent email interview to Wolf Blitzer (CNN) she had mentioned about her security lapses and clearly pointed fingers at the existing anarchy for law and order failure in Pakistan. She also held the autocrat Musharaf responsible in case of her assassination. May be she new her end was coming? Her life came to an end on the same soil where her father was put to death.

The world mourns the death of a charismatic women leader in the West Asian History. A nation crippled in the hands of tyranny and terrorism was looking forward to the general elections to reinstate democracy and rebuild the crumbling nation, but today their hope is once again extinguished. For Pakistanis Life back to normal - chaos, darkness, bloodshed and more brutality.

Will technology straighten the dogs tail?

Jan 17, 1979 - My mother along with many others stood outside DAV Gopalapuram from the wee hours to get an application form for Kindergarden.

28 years have rolled by and Dec 26, 2007 – a longer queue from the previous night waits outside DAV school in Moggapair for Kindergarden application.

Even after 3 decades some things just remain the same. Undoubtedly DAV has been one of the best school in the State and in the country and it produces an assembly line of toppers year after year.

Over the years DAV has turned into every parent’s prayer and dream destination for their wards. It is good for the school to enjoy the reputation and brand image, but shouldn’t they be more humble and humane? The school can always blame parents for being over ambitious, but why don’t they issue applications online rather than make parents unnecessarily wait outside their school for an application form?

Movie Review: Yevano Oruvan

We all know the common thread running across Indian, Anniyan, and Gentleman – a fight against corruption in the Indian society. All these movies empowered us to talk about corruption in public, but empowerment didn’t not translate into long term fighting the epidemic with conviction and bravery. We are all here waiting for more Anniyans and Indian thathas to sprout and fix the country. And as a result we have complacency has set in, corruption and bribery has become the way of life and a must for survival in India.

But what is different in this movie Yevano Oruvan? It is a perfect battle between human revolution and social reformation. Though it falls under the same genre of movies (social reformation), but the movie clearly elicits out what Gandhiji once said, "Be the change that you want to see in the World". It has been more than 50 years since this message was delivered, but this is the first time the message has manifested in the movie script.

Yevano Oruvan is a story of a lower middle class hero who fights to make both ends meet. He abhors reservation, corruption, extending favors for money and vehemently fights for his fundamental rights while piously adhering to ethics and values. A series of small events brings out the sleeping Tiger in him and he goes rampant questioning authorities and trying to fix the problem overnight. Was he successful in his mission? You must watch the movie for more.

Madhavan graduates from his chocolate and lover boy image into a responsible middle aged man and a father of two. The script accurately brings out the husband-wife struggle that happens in every household with to respect kids, managing finances etc. Women playing workhorse and men playing bread winner in a household, though a cliché were portrayed with care and candidness. The battle between wife and values intensifies and the dichotomy tears him apart. But he decides to stand by his values. But what is the fate of India is the question left for the viewers to decide - Human revolution or social reformation?

Pinning down the subject in a conservative Brahmin colony in Nanganallur makes it very realistic and enjoyable. But there is a flip side to it which I will discuss later. Camera luminously captures the busy and monotonous Chennai lifestyle, its threatening water scarcity and treacherous suburban rail commute. Wow, Chennai metamorphoses from being a sleepy, orthodox city to a busy city under the blanket. Honest portrayal of Chennai.

The script deftly narrates and focuses on struggles of common man - school admissions, private hospitals, never ending water lorry queues, dream of owning a home, fortunes spent on kids’ school tuitions and saving for the rainy days.

Dialogues in the movie were razor sharp and piercing the cerebrum. In the last scene on the train he says, "to get a window seat one will have to lose his life and gives a contented blank smile".

The dialogue he makes looking at the sky addressing the almighty asking him to be relieved from this planet was very touching. Inability of humans and Almighty to fix the virulent virus in the society was brought out with anxiety and concern. Redemption was a ?

Background score was in-sync and un-intrusive with the script and theme.
Choice of actors needs a special mention. Sangeetha brought out the pangs of a struggling mother with dialogues, anxiety and tears.

Astute editing kept audiences intact and engrossed in a movie devoid of songs and comedy.
The sidewalk artist sketches a pictures of Ganesha and there are no takers, but when he sketches Vasudevan's image people generously share their change with him. Does it mean that people have turned aethist? Does it mean that people want instant justice like instant lottery? Does it mean that people beleive in overnight heros more than God? There could have been little more clarity in this depiction.

A few rough edges in the movie could have been trimmed:
1. Why do Brahmins always have to be portrayed as the bellwether when it comes to social reformation? Avoid stero typing of Brahmins. Right from the days of Gentleman, Anniyan the lead character comes from a Brahmin background. Does it mean that other people from other community can't rise up as leaders to question atrocities? Brahmin background failed to help the script and could have avoided.

2. Policemen in the script have been portrayed as corrupt and sloppy individuals, but when it comes to the Assistant Commissioner there seems to be a confusion. He keeps going from one end to another end debating between ethics, morality and reality. Audience were confused and misled with the depiction of this character. The director should have taken a firm stand.

3. The sidewalk artist sketches a pictures of Ganesha and there are no takers, but when he sketches Vasudevan's image people generously share their change with him. Does it mean that people have turned aethist? Does it mean that people want instant justice like instant lottery? Does it mean that people beleive in overnight heros more than God? There could have been little more clarity in this depiction.

When I left the movie hall I was reflecting on a few prevalent practices in India. We have taken bribery as way to get things done – both lawful and unlawful. The word bribe is rephrased as donation, fund raiser to underplay the effect of money. Mutation has removed guilt and ethics from our DNA and we don’t seem to need them anymore. I was ashamed, but I had to recall Darwin "only the fittest survive" other perish like our hero Vasudevan. That which was brushed under the carpet for generations was yet again brought to the table, do we change or ignore is in our hands. Human revolution or social reformation?

Movie Review: Kalloori

So many movies with youth, love and friendship as a theme have germinated in the Tamil Film Industry (Kadhal Desam, Alaigal Oivathillai, Boys, Kadhal, Autograph, Idhayam, etc.) but what makes Kalloori a feather on the cap? Read more to understand why is a must watch movie.

One needs a lot of maturity and caution while handling subjects on youth and adolescence because any message communicated wrongly can cripple and degenerate the DNA of an entire generation. Kalloori has proved mettle of our directors in presenting sensitive subjects such as friendship and love in a classy manner without any tinge of flesh, city, and selfishness while successfully driving home the value of friendship and community.

Remember, realism when shown properly doesn’t need any top actors, flashy clothes, Matrix like fight sequence or other marketing gimmicks to attract footfall in theatres. The movie moves elegantly in a time frame of 5 years where friends who schooled together from childhood move into college together. They are not just pedestrian classmates, but they shoulder each others emotional burdens, evince interest in lighting each others life, all with unconditional love and no expectations. Through these rural kids director has shown the difference between love, infatuation and friendship.

1. Kalloori brings Madurai Mannvasanai without any adulteration. For city dwellers the much forgotten rural fragrance was recreated in this movie. The rural setting vitalizes the script in terms of backdrop, dialect, rustic cast, make-up free characters, rural innocence/gullibility, absence of flashy clothes and scuttling city life – Completely engages our senses without reaching the limits of cloying.

2. Realistic screen play, tightly knitted plot tightly makes the script power-packed. There was so much of humanity in the script that made every city soul hungry for love and care and left them psychologically struggling. One could see the contrast characters in the city and in rural. Strong silhouettes of pride, community ahead of self, sensitivity, magnanimity, strong sense of ethics and values gave contrasted city from rural in the script. Do people in the city carry any of these palettes of emotions? I asked myself – where did all these emotions vanish? Am I a machine on a journey to make just money? What happened to the feeling of community and togetherness?

3. Each character in the movie carries unique fragrance and flavor which makes the story fresh, distinct and meaningful. Friendship comes in different shapes and sizes and each of us react differently and different values. The freshness in the cast - Muthu, Adilakshmi, Nagarani, Kamatchi, Shobana, Ramesh, Salma, Kayal, Iyyanar are very natural and don’t carry any baggage from the past.

4. Adilakshmi’s western dance piece received uproar in the theatre, Kayal and Salma’s repressed and orthodox thinking fetched them a lot of boos in the theatre. Comedy was finely kitted in the script – absence of Vadivelu, Vivek made it even more interesting and challenging. The duo in the movie put a great show with just a few stares and few repetitive dialogues. Special mention to Kayal and Muthu for their outstanding performance. The performance of glamour less rustic cast outsmarted the perfect, suave city looking Tamanna. Characters have been sculpted with atmost attention – every heart in the theatre longs to be apart of their group.

5. We have reached a stage in Tamil Cinema where one needs to give points for absence of profanity, horror, and blood shed. Definitely Kalloori scores full in this category.

With all kudos to cast and crew of Kalloori there are a few areas for improvement

1. Camera failed to capture the finer beauty of rural life that goes beyond words.

2. Music failed to carry the rural flavor and a few songs sounded like Church choir – Joshua needs to go on a rural trip to catch the lilting tunes of rural India

3. A tighter editing would have saved us from wiggling in seats.

4. The climax in the movie was handled very differently and not digestible. Though I felt it came abruptly and swiftly, but then I put myself in Director’s shoes and racked my brains to come up with a few options. Why would a director have a build a story with such great pains and finesse to let three of the roses in the bouquet wither? May be sometimes life is incomplete and characters come to an end abruptly. It is better you leave the theatre before the climax, because the climax is brutal and doesn’t seem to fit with the movie. It still would make sense to remove the climax from the movie.

After Kadhal people had raised their expectations on Balaji Shaktivel. He has definitely lived upto it, but he needs to excel this in the future. He knows the art of tying down youth for three hours constantly engaging them in laughter and lighter moments all through the movie. He also made many of them walk wondering where their net of friendship had vanished. May be some of them will look out for their clan on Orkut? Kaloori was definitely a soul searching exercise.

A vagrant’s sojourn – Part 4 – Badrinath

Bolo Badri vishal bhagwan ki jai!!

How hard it is to escape from places. However carefully one goes they hold you - you leave little bits of yourself fluttering on the fences - like rags and shreds of your very life. ~Katherine Mansfield

It was already ten days away from home on the mountains, but I was not homesick. I didn’t seem to miss my mother’s kitchen either. Where is the question of hunger and home when nature fills heart and mind? My vehicle has a few punctures on the hilly terrain, but I relaxed enjoying the wilderness.

It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts. ~K.T. Jong

Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that's where I renew my springs that never dry up. ~Pearl Buck

My heart got entwined in the snow-covered peaks of Badrinath, ravishing beauty of Alakananda, and impregnable vegetation of Devadaru. I sat on the banks of the river and capturing the enslaving beauty of the mountains in my memory. My memory was not enough, and I went back to pen and paper, but I fell short of words. This is when my camera came to my rescue.

It takes a day to travel from Kedarnath to Badrinath. I reached Rudraprayag in the afternoon and halted at Syalsaur for the night. The cottage was situated in the valley right on the banks of Alakananda. I was surrounded by no houses, it was just mountains and coniferous forest.

A hot shower at the end of the day was really refreshing to the gritty body. That night I was on Mother Nature’s lap and as I looked at the sky I saw a million eyes twinkling at me. It was pitch black and I could not trace my own shadow. Trickling Alakananda, and humming beetles were composing a symphony to go with the visual. The oxygen rich air invigorated my lungs, the machine was operating at zero friction. I hadn’t paid for this experience, but all this came free of cost. Mother gives and seldom takes back.

It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe. ~Victor Hugo

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. ~Martin Luther

This was my last leg of the journey there was abundant curiosity to see Neelkant parvat, the invincible peak on the Shivalik ranges. He stands tall with frosty façade. One could find peace and calmness in him.

Two blankets (razai) were not enough to keep my bones warm on the peak. I had to go to bed with my jacket, socks, and monkey cap to stay warm. Neelkant appears golden for a short time during sunrise (between 5.40 am – 6.00 am). I had to wake up early, dress in warm gear to catch this spectacle.

The temple of Shri Badrinathji is flanked by two mountain ranges known as Nar and Narayan , with the towering Neelkant peak providing a splendid backdrop. This spot was once carpeted with wild berries which gave it the name ‘Badri Van’,meaning ‘forest of berries’. Right below Neelkant is the town of Badrinath and the temple.

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver

The town of Badrinath is just waking up to the sunrise and golden peak of Neelkant. The temple remains open from May (Akshaya trithiyai) to Nov (Diwali).
Due to lack of power, rooms have no heat nor hot water. One has to get to the hot spring to bath in the morning. The hot spring is right below the temple and 0.5 km walk from the hotel.

For someone like me who has lived in the city for all my life community bathing was really new. My grandmother used to say that they exchanges tales and gossip in the bathing ghat. When I saw the hot water spring and community bathing I remembered my grandma’s tales.

Temple opens very early in the morning (4 am) to chants of Suprabatham and Vishnusahasranamam. Even the Sun god doesn’t come to work if MS Subbalakshmi fails to render Suprabatham and Vishnusahasranamam. May be god made her just for Suprabatham and Sahasranamam. From tiny villages in South to the peaks in the North her voice was resonating. The bakthi effusing in her voice pulled me out of the blanket even in the cold morning.

The original temple that was here is said to have been of very great antiquity, dating back to the times when the Vedas were written. It was destroyed by avalanches or by Buddhists. It is said that the image of Badrinath had been thrown into the Alaknanda during the time of the Buddhist era and was later retrieved and reinstalled by Adi Shankara during the following Hindu revival. The present temple is believed to have been established by him. Others say the present temple was built about 400 years ago bye the king of Garhwal. The temple looks modern now with a colorful “Singh Dwara” or the main entrance gate. The idol of Lord Badrivishal is made of black stones haligram. The details are not well defined, perhaps the result of weathering, when thrown in the Naradkund for several years. The Lord is seated in a "padmasana" posture. The temple has various sevas that one can offer to the lord based on his/her affordability.

Mana Village: Inhabited by an Indo-Mongolian tribe, Mana is considered as the last Indian village before Tibet. Vyas Gufa, Ganesh Gufa, Bhim Pul, Vasudhara Falls (3.6 km) are among the places near Mana Village. Women here spend their winters at home making handicrafts, sweaters, shawls, stoles etc.

I couldn’t resist from having a Cola at India’s last tea shop. Due to snow and extreme winter the shops close when the temple town shuts in November and reopens the following year in May. Apart from shops and catering to the need of tourist people have rear cattle and sheep. Women were busy cutting grass on the slopes and the valleys and carrying them back home.

Vyas Gufa cave: Near Mana village, this is a rock cave where Vedavyas is believed to have composed the Mahabharata and the Puranic commentaries.

Only in quiet waters do thing mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world. ~Hans Margolius

Bhim Pul: On the other side of Mana village, a massive rock forming a natural bridge lies over the roaring Saraswati River. It presents a spectacular view of water thundering down through the narrow passage under the rock and is believed to have been placed there by Bhim, the second eldest among the five Pandava brothers.

There is also a Saraswati Mandir on the banks of the river. We don’t how old the temple is, but the construction seems very new. Within a few meters River Saraswathi joins Alakananda (Keshav prayag) and she is never again seen on earth. It is believed that she is antarvahini and confluences in Allahabad along with Ganga and Yamuna.

I felt very sad descending the mountains of Badrinath. Due to narrow roads it is one-way traffic from Joshimutt to Badrinath. Vehicles are permitted to ascend and descend at particular time in the day to ensure safe journey.

No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength. ~Jack Kerouac

One impulse from a vernal woodMay teach you more of man,Of moral evil and of good,Than all the sages can.~William Wordsworth, "The Tables Turned," 1798

Joshimutt is the closest town to Badrinath. Joshimath is nestled in the Himalayas at a height of 6150 feet above sea level, enroute to Badrinath from Rishikesh. Joshimutt also happens to be first and only mutt established by Adi Shankara in Northern India. There are temples to Narasimha and Vasudeva, built by Adi Sankaracharya here. Adi Sankara authored Sri Sankara Bhashyam here. Joshimutt is surrounded on three sides by the snow clad Trishul (7250m) in the south, Badri Peaks (7100 m) in the NW, and Kamat (7750m) in the north.

Auli, 16 km from Joshimath is an ideal winter resort run by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN). There is a rope car service that runs between Joshimutt and Auli. A 3 km long slope ranging from a height of 2519 to 3049 m is a major attraction. The ride is scenic and one gets to see the peaks of Nandadevi.

My vacation was coming to an end. I was mentally prepared to be back in the noisy city with glaring bill boards, chaotic traffic and monotonous routine. But I knew mountains would always be around and I could come back when life turns insipid.

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is a rapture on the lonely shore,

There is society, where none intrudes,

By the deep sea, and music in its roar:

I love not man the less, but Nature more.

~George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage