Markazhi Ragam – A carnatic sound and light show

It would not be an exaggeration if I call the movie Markazhi Ragam a Carnatic Sound and Light show. The auditorium was dark; lights appeared and disappeared at appropriate time and to evoke the mood of the song, stage décor and artist costume kept changing as the artist moved on from one rage to another and one composer to another and one deity to another. The dais was free from clutter (are we in Singapore) no flask or Bisleri bottles, no electronic sruthi box to hide notebooks. I could not see any kancheevarams, jasmine flowers, glass bangles, shawls or kurtas, (except for the artists) but instead it was jeans, salwar, skirts, high heals, and expensive perfume fragrance. Does it sound uncarnatic? Are we pushing the boundaries of music, art and culture? or should we call this redifining the boundaries? Is this movie for serious carnatic aficionados or an effort to glamorize carnatic music or bring out the physics of carnatic music? Why can it be all of the three?

You can have diffused lighting, expensive Bose speakers, but none other than Mayamalavagowlai can create the carnatic concert mood and tether all audience in the concert hall. Jayashree in her typically meditative style sang Ponnaiya Pillai’s (Tanjore Quartret) Mayathirthaswaroopini. The camera was busy framing the vocalist, her mohana maalai and stone studded pendent, and exposing the fabric in her expensive silk draped over the piped blouse. Then the camera stood over the violinist shoulder to capture the dynamics between the violinist and the vocalist and finally it decided to settle with Jayashree as she kept pouring the swaras for this lilting composition. The song ended with the Mudhra "Guruguha Swamiku Ne dasu daini" in the Samasti Charanam.

The screen turned dark and blank like the starless and moonless night and suddenly the new dawn broke and Jayashree had taken us to Nagapattinam. One could hear the boundaries of Neelambari sketched with atmost devotion, mastery and sincerity and slowly unfolding Muthuswamy Dikshithar’s Amba Neelayathakshi. Images from 3 cameras were beamed on the screen captured the breaking sweat beads on the percussionist’s forehead and the mike popping out from her sternum.

Jayashree sat on the stage like a fully bloomed lotus with a 1000 petals adorning the pond. Her right hand was busy holding the baby and moving it back and forth while her heart was doing the talam count. It would not be an exaggeration if I said Jayashree became a mother to the mother goddess while rendering this kriti.

Every raga is a fresh canvas on which artists paint their imagination and creativity. The audience was busy swaying their heads soaked in the raga, while some were busy trying to guess the krithi. One could hear enthralling Reethigowlai on the horizon against Jayashree’s silhouette. Subburaya Shastri’s Janani Ninnuvina, the famous beautiful madhyama kaala krithi in Reethigowla raga was presented. Nereval at Saraseeruha lochani Suvaasini Taamasamu Seyakane Brovumu was delectable and effusing with surrender and bakthi. The camera zoomed in on her face while the lights made the diamonds on her nose dazzle (reminded me of Devi Kanyakumari.) while she sang the krithi with poise and perfection. For some music is a hobby, but for Jayashree music was definitely tapasya. There was no change in timbre of tambura, and at an unexpected moment clad in a red kurta and dazzling kadukkan TM Krishna appeared on the horizon and completed the kriti after the taniavarthanam. It was indeed a nice way to introduce him in the concert movie!

I don’t know if it was it Michelangelo stroke, Picasso’s brush or Midas touch, but all of it seemed to be present in TM Krishna’s elaboration of Behag. The raga engulfed the auditorium, while both vocalist and violinist were on a motivating journey to get each other beyond the imagination boundaries of absent rasikas. TMK rendered Swati Tirunaal’s Saramaina Maatalanda chalu chalu ra Javali in Telugu.

Be it reflections of the string, fabric of the bow, craters on the Mridhangam, or viboothi, kumkum on the artist forehead, cuticles on his nails, the camera captured the stage dynamics real and raw without any deception or manipulation. Swaying his arms, and picking up the swaras and sahityam with his right in enthusiasm TMK was playing a perfect volley with the violinist. The eyes of the violinist RK Shriramkumar kept watching the vocalist’s lips and transmitting them back on the strings. While the Mridhangist Arun Prakash was kept his ears open to play apt theermanans for the sangathis rendered by the vocalist.

Could there be a concert without a Thyagaraja krithi? May be Thyagaraja didn’t want Seetha to feel insecure and possessive and that is why he addressed Rama as Seethapathi in the Kamas kriti?

There was no premium pricing for this concert and a front row or back row really didn’t matter and everyone got to see everything clear, candid and without any compromise. May be that was the reason why Arun Prakash looked very conscious, while the TMK sishya on the tampura was joyous all the time, while the French sishya was always hiding behind the Tampura?

Can there be a Markazhi without RTP? TMK elaborated the Subha pantuvarali and presented a short thanam and pallavi “Brahmai vaha kila satguru kripa” in Sama, Kamas and Subha Pantuvarali. It was not just TMK who had less interaction with the Mridhangist, but the cameras too stayed away from this artist. Why this partiality?

If she was a calm ocean, he was a rumbling volcano. Both of them had their distinct and captivating styles. TMK remained muted while Jayashree rendered Kararavindhena Mukharavindham from Balamukundashtakam in Ragamalika in her impeccable meditative style with only tampura sruthi on the background. TMK came right back into the frame to render Purundaradasar’s Jagodhodharana in Kapi.

The sound and light show ended with a piece in raga Yamuna Kalyani. This brought all artist and instruments together – a perfect ensemble and spirit of unity. Jayashree and TMK took turns to render Vandemaataram in Yamuna Kalyani, Kapi and Sindu Bairavi.

Everything seemed the same at the end of this concert on reel. A portion of the crowd that walked in sipping coke and carrying a tub of caramel popcorn seemed happy, contented and musically satisfied at the end. I found them chewing the same cud discussing on camera angles, artist costumes, jewellery with fervor and enthusiasm. A few musical die-hards were busy discussing real music on the reel – ragas, swaras, composers, physics of sound and music.

http://www.margazhiraagam.com/

Abhiyum Naanum

Abhiyum Naanum is yet another Prakashraj, Prithiviraj and Radhamohan combo after Mozhi. You can have the same cast and team, but doesn’t it guarantee success? Did the movie have the same charm as Mozhi?

- The theme is not new to Tamil industry, we have seen movies Paasamalar, Lakshmi Vandacchu dealing with similar sentiments and portraying empty nester syndrome

- The movie is logical at times but exaggerated most of the times (preparing for Pre-KG interview, talking to the Prime Minister), scenes are predictable (Following daughter to the school, daughter taking the father to the lake on a fullmoon night) pedagogical and flat. Reflective narration style is not new, but is becomes very monotonous

- Prakashraj’s affection towards his daughter almost borders Electra complex and it is scary at times

- Both Prakashraj and Aishwarya must learn to deliver dialogues and not scream on top of their lungs. Aishwarya’s voice is raw and jarring on the ear drum. She definitely needs a dubbing voice. I am surprised how sound engineers and editors missed this glare

- Prakashraj overacts and reacts in a few scenes. May be the Director should portray realism and not sensationalize a father-daughter relationship

- Trisha is just a glamour doll and eye candy in the movie with little scope for acting

- Manobala’s humor is like the 6th finger – it looks ugly and makes it look clumsy and useless

- Director was not clear in many places what he was trying to convey and how it strengthens the script? Trish brings home a beggar and she clothes a destitute on the street and Jogi gets a call from the Prime Minister. Can’t we have simple, normal and regular people in the script?

- Director should have done a thorough homework with the characters. Only Aishwarya’s character was close to reality. Why everybody in Joginder’s extended family have lost a dear one in a riot or terrorist attack? Joginder and Trisha are portrayed as angels? Do we need Samaritans for this script?

- Dialogues sprinkled with sentiments, philosophy and reality was heartwarming. The camera has captured Ooty differently and made it look new and refreshing

- Vidyasagar’s music failed to register and the choice of voice used in the songs failed to add flavor to the song

- There is no room for homework and correction now, but as a learning exercise the entire cast must watch “The Father of the Bride” to understand and appreciate how a father/daughter relationship can be shown on the screen without cloying sentiments

Madagascar: Escape to Africa

I had not seen the prequel to this movie (“Madagascar: The Crate Escape"), but after watching trailer and having caught the word of mouth I decided to get myself a seat for this movie. However much fairytale kind and animated the characters are in these movies, there is still some element of realism in the script and theme. The story line is often simple and very pedestrain. Characters fall in love, lose in life, friends who rescue them and adding to this charm and realism there is always a moral that appeals to both younger and older audience.

On their way home to New York from their Madagascan adventure, the four friends crash land in an African nature reserve. The animals are excited when they see more of their kind in the African wild. The excitement picks up when Alex (Lion) discovers his long-lost parents (Zubba and Florrie), Melman (Giraffe) gets an amazing career, Gloria turns into a popular pool girl and Marty is surrounded by stripes.

Every land has its set of challenges; every parent has their set of disappointments from their children, every heart has a unique key to lock and unlock, and there are unfriendly moments in every friendship. The rest 60 minutes of the story revolves around all of the above.

There were so many Aha moments in the movie. I could relate to Alex being forced to take up test by his father and become the Alpha male of the land, Marty kind of a feeling (surrounded by my clan), holding the wrong key to the heart like Melman L, and going through tug-of-war times between close friends Alex and Marty, Melman and Gloria.

The movie was never short of dramatic moments. The tough women Nana shows how New Yorkers are resilient and adaptable. Her dialogues were sharp and sticking. Gloria stopping Melman from being offered as a sacrifice to the volcano. Alex meanwhile manages to rescue both himself and his father by dancing for the New Yorkers. Skipper (a penguin) marries a bobble-head hula doll from the plane and leaves on a honeymoon.

Nothing lasts forever, Alex gets banished but brings water to parched the waterhole and earns the aplha male title and Alex parents have their proud moment, Melman gets Gloria for life, Marty and Alex become friends again..Though the plot was similar to Happy Feet and The Lion King, the characters were lively, cute and moral was loud. Now I am curious to go back and watch the prequel.

Books, Books and Books....

I am an addict and shopoholic when it comes to books. I went berserk when I stepped into Borders and Kinokuniya (largest bookstore in Asia) while in Singapore .Curious to know what came home with me?

Everything from romance, self help, fiction, human psychology to evolutionary biology etc.

1. The Wednesday letters – Jason F Wright
This is along the lines of Tuesdays with Morrie, but has a unique flavor of family and forgiveness. Isn’t forgiveness the need of the hour? Here is the jist - The three children of Jack and Laurel discover a treasure trove of family history in the form of Wednesday letters-notes that Jack wrote to his wife every single week of their married lives. As they read, the children brush across the fabric of a devoted marriage that survived a devastating event kept secret all these years. It's a lovely story: heartening, wholesome, humorous, suspenseful and redemptive. It resonates with the true meaning of family and the life-healing power of forgiveness all wrapped up in a satisfying ending.

2. The myth of Monogamy – Fidelity and Infidelity in Animals and People –
Shattering deeply held beliefs about sexual relationships in humans and other animals, The Myth of Monogamy is a much needed treatment of a sensitive issue. Written by the husband and wife team of behavioral scientist David P. Barash and psychiatrist Judith Eve Lipton, it glows with wit and warmth even as it explores decades of research undermining traditional precepts of mating rituals. Evidence from genetic testing has been devastating to those seeking monogamy in the animal kingdom; even many birds, long prized as examples of fidelity, turn out to have a high incidence of extra-pair couplings.

3. The gift- Cecilia Ahern
I was moved by her books PS I love you and Where rainbows end. Ahern demonstrates a sure and subtle understanding of the human condition and the pleasures and pains in relationships. Her theme in the new book is the way in which we conceal the truth about ourselves -- many people cover themselves in layers of deceit until somebody with the right motivation unwraps those layers and discovers the truth.

4. Thanks for the Memories- Cecilia Ahern
Some cross paths in the strangest of circumstances. They have no idea that their fates are more entangled than they could ever have imagined! In this book Ahern writes about the relationship between a woman and her blood donor.

5. The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature
We have heard and read Darwin and Freud and some of us have read young Turks like Richard Dawkins and Geoffrey Miller. In The Mating Mind, he takes Darwin's "other" evolutionary theory--of sexual rather than natural selection--and uses it to build a theory about how the human mind has developed the sophistication of a peacock's tail to encourage sexual choice and the refining of art, morality, music, and literature. Why have humans evolved such costly and complex brains? And further, why do we use our brains to produce such seemingly useless behaviors as art or music?

6. Letters to Sam - A Grandfather's Lessons on Love, Loss, and the Gifts of Life
This emotionally powerful collection of letters from grandfather to grandson will touch readers right down to their core. When his grandson was born, Daniel Gottlieb began to write a series of heartfelt letters that he hoped Sam would read later in life. He planned to cover all the important topics and what motivated him was the fear that he might not, as a quadraplegic, live to see Sam reach adulthood. Then, when Sam was only fourteen months old, he was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disability, a form of autism, and suddenly everything changed. This is a lovingly written, emotionally gripping book that offers unique - and universal - insights into what it means to be human.

Books make you laugh, think and at times cry. Aren’t books the best way to start the year and end your day? Circle back after a few weeks and I shall share my thoughts on each of them.