Badsha (Tamil) –An Ever Green Movie

It's ever green! Even after seeing seven times, on Eideth time I felt excited when I was watching the Movie "Badsha" on TV yesterday. Badsha got released when I was studying Engineering at Coimbatore. I think it was going on K G Theatre. I might have seen twice in theatre. After that when ever I got a chance to watch the movie in TV, CDs, I have never missed the chance. I hope I'll get more chances in future also. Because the movie is a mega hit. Any remembrances of Rajni Kanth go without Badsha. The beauty of Badsha is when ever I watched the movie; the earlier seeing of the movie has never reduced the thrill and pleasure of watching it. Movie with perfect blend of sentiments and action!

Every scene in the movie has been customized for Rajni Kanth. Also, the scenes for supporting roles were so perfectly made to bring out Rajni Kanth as a son, Rajni Kanth as an elder brother, Rajni Kanth as a friend and Rajni Kanth as a lover boy. I could not imagine that if someone else had done the movie, whether it could have been such an interesting one.

The movie started a new style of Punch dialogue for Hero in Tamil Action movies. But I believe no one has perfected than Rajni Kanth. The punch dialogue of the movie "Nan Oru thadavai sonna, Nooru thadavai sonna mathiri" remains unforgettable and recalls Rajni Kanth when ever the dialogue is heard.

His attraction is his eyes. So powerful! So sharp! It just catches hold of me. His eyes speak more than his dialogues. That's why some of the dialogues in the movie like "Ulle Po", "Innoru thadavai nan unnai intha idathula Parthen, partha Idathula Kuli thondi puthaichiruven", remain ever green in mind.

Thanks to CI TV which telecasted the movie on last Friday!

Wedding Invitation with a Dedication

First Dedication, Then the Invitation

I dedicate my "Life in 20's" to all my Friends!

Life in 20s

More than three decades are over from the day I was blessed in this world. In these three decades, the last decade, 20's of my life was so cheerful. Because it's an era of friendship! Here I am musing over my life in 20s. I dedicate "my life in 20s" to you, to all my friends.

20s the period, I started understanding the meaning of life. It's the period which transformed me from dependent adult to independent family man. It's the period of romantic infatuation and love. It's the funnel of time through which I was directed to my naukri and chhokri.

When I was crawling, my mom made the way for me. When I was walking step by step, my mom held me. When I started running in the street, my mom cautioned me. When I started cycling; my dad ran behind me. When I was crossing kamuthi borders, my dad accompanied me. Hmm… till 20s I was protected in a shell.

20s is the period; I started living life on my own. I proved myself to the world. I comforted my parents a lot. When my parents were worried about my travel beyond kamuthi, I proved that I could live any where in the world. When they were waiting for my call for money, I showed them my salary slip and bank balance. When they were worried about my class room learning, I shared them my life experiences.

20s is the period; I realized the value of the money. First time, I understood what is "possible" and what is not "possible" with my money. Before that everything was possible by a phone call. Whom else! Dad the great! But the self-earned money gave me a lot of freedom. Freedom to spend as I wish! Freedom to change from unbranded clothes to branded clothes! Freedom to choose 100 cc bike instead of a 50 cc moped! Freedom to go for a tour with friends without being questioned! Freedom to go for Saturday night booze! Last but not the least freedom to help my friend in need!

20s are the period; I went through infatuation and love. Teens are sweet. But for me 20s were sweeter than teens. Everywhere prospects appeared. Everyone appeared as prospects! In neighborhood, in bus stop, in college, in office, in temple! Some were long chase, some were short-cuts, some were cut short, some were one-way , some were no entry, some were at unreachable height, and some were barricaded! It's the period of romance with thrill! Unknowingly looking at her! Unknowingly following her! Unknowingly listening to her! Unknowingly day dreaming about her! Crazy life! Life with 1% reality and 99 % imagination! But every time my friends were there, to pull me back into reality. Like the jumping ball coming to a halt, the wavering mind came to a halt at the end at the end of 20's. Got engaged and fell in love. Life with 99 % reality and 1 % imagination! Romantic 20's!

20s is the period; I got a lot of friends. When I started living away from the home, friends started living with me. Colleagues, classmates, seniors, juniors, roommates, neighbors, Oorrmates… friends came in many forms; Not only I ate with the friends; Not only I drank with the friends; Not only I played with the friends, but also I lived every moments with friends. Friends became my companion, Friends became my mentor, Friends became my criticizers, Friends became my support and Friends became my entertainment. To say in a simple word, Friends became my life. It's an era of friendship in my life.

20s is the same period, I bid farewell to a lot of friends. The Last day in CIT, The Last day in MPL, The Last day in HPL, The Last day in BIM and The Last day in GEA like that there were several occasions. Every farewell was painful separation. Emotions ran high; but definitely there was hope of meeting everyone in a better position in future. Every time new friends added to my life. But I lost the pleasure of doing things together with old friends. Old friends are never forgettable. Always they reside in my heart.

I dedicate" my life in 20s" to all my friends! Cheerful 20s!!!

If god appears before me, I'll ask him a chance either to re-live the 20s once again or at least to meet all my friends on my wedding . Here is my wedding invitation, for you, for my friend. I hope to meet you on my wedding.

Please click the link ( http://www.geocities.com/mram1976/Invitation.htm)

NBA- A case of failure to play around the system!

Good & bad, Vice& Virtue never happen in absoluteness. Whether dams are good or bad, Whether Government machinery is vice or virtue- We can't decide them in absolute. It depends. When one perceives it as Good the other perceives it as bad. NBA's battle for stopping the construction of the dam for more than fourteen years is a best example for it.

The recent Supreme Court judgment to continue the construction of the dam, should have hit the NBAs strongly. I started following the issue after reading the Greater common good by Ms. Arundhathi Roy. One of the finest research papers on Dams.

Where they failed? It’s the failure to play around the system. Just look at it. It’s the one issue the congress,the BJP and the major political rivals are united. Atleast NBA should have adopted divide and play policy. Atleast they should have won the support of one party . Also, On the name of voicing their opinion for greater common good, they have antagonized not only the Government machineries but also the personalities like Narendra Modi.

Their fight against the construction of dam is portrayed as obstruction for the solution for the thirst of millions of people. Their fight against destruction has been portrayed as the fight against the development. Their fight against the power has been portrayed as fight against the Government. Their support for the poorest of the poor has been portrayed as the fight against the largest middle class of the states; their support for the greater common good has been portrayed as the failure to envision the larger picture of the issue. The rational reason for these distortions may be the difference in perception of good and bad. But personal egos fuelled the division and distortion further.

In legal world rarely, "mind to mind" communication happens. It's simply paper to paper communication. The legal world doesn’t believe what it sees, it doesn’t believe what it hears, and it doesn't believe what it listens. It believes only in official records. In official records rehabilitation has been done. In official records, the dam is projected as the solution for the thirst. In official records, the social activists are portrayed as obstructionist. Ultimately the construction has been allowed to continue. Even though NBAs got the fighting sprit, even though they got the media space, Even though they attracted film stars into their campaign, they failed to play around the system.

Globalization, Dams, Nuclear weapon, measuring the prosperity with GDP growth has become the necessary evil. It's like catching the tail of the tiger. If we give up any of the above they will destroy us. That's why more and more nations are joining WTO, more and more nations want to become n-power. When anyone makes the point against any of the above, they have to provide the viable alternative which convinces the entire system or have the power to enforce on the system. NBA has failed in both ways. They don’t have any power or authority to stop the construction of the dam and also they have not convinced the system with viable alternative.

Check this link for the SC judgment
http://www.narmada.org/sardar-sarovar/sc.ruling/nba.comments.html#judgments

DHULR-Dowry hidden under Love and Responsibility

I asked my dad," Are we taking Dowry?" He strongly denied. Then, I asked what about the "so and so items"…. He replied that "so and so items" are customary…It’s given by your father-in-law with love and also it’s his responsibility. Hmm… Dowry hidden under Love and responsibility!

Everyone feels disgraced if they are told that they are collecting dowry. Because generally dowry is related to abuse, harassment, stove deaths etc… it's attached with a negative connotation. That's why people don’t claim that they take dowry. They cover it under love and responsibility.

According to Dowry Prohibition Act'1961 taking or giving dowry is illegal. But the legal world gets into action only when the abuse is reported. So till that being reported, the dowry is allowed. Till it gets reported it's categorized under various names like "gift", "seer", "Kanyadhanam". But for uniformity we could call it as DHULR- Dowry Hidden Under Love and Responsibility. Here I focus only on DHULR.

As a human being we are happier about our exposing our material possessions. Marriage is one of the chances to expose our wealth to the world. Every one does it within their reach. Mittal did it in millions of Pounds; Average middle class do it in Lakhs of rupees. This show-off leads to exorbitant dowries among the affluent families. There is no limit on the upper side for the dowry for these families. These people create the benchmark for the wrong cause. It's simply display of their affordability and arrogance rather than love and responsibility!

Generally in the marriage market, the worth of groom is gauged by the quantum of dowry he is able to fetch. Higher qualification, higher earning potential, higher expectations on inheritance fetch more dowries for a groom. It's just like the discounted cash flow method for business valuation. Project the future revenues/profits and discount it to present value. Only difference is that it's being done mentally without the help of Excel sheets. But the principle is same. Nowadays, groom's worth should have been increased a lot. Because Gold is trading at its 25 years high and expected to continuously increase in future. The uniqueness of this market is people don't believe in the unit values. Generally the negotiation happens in multiples of tens only. For example, 60 savarans come after 50 Savarans. 51, 52, 53 don’t fit for consideration. But when they go to buy the gold for self, they talk in grams. Simple contradictions!

The next reason for existence of dowry is that the rich dad wants his rich daughter to continue her rich life style in her in-laws house. So he dumps what ever possible by him as dowry. He ensures the materialistic comfort of his daughter every where she goes. He should be a Hutch Person! So, he pays dowry. He says, its love. He says it's his responsibility! But he forgets how irresponsible he is by making his daughter lazy, inflexible in life. Some time this happens in redundancy also. For example, Already the "so-and so items" may be with the groom's family. But still the "so and so items" are wanted as dowry. Greediness hidden under obligations!

The next reason could be drawing wrong equations. If you ask any groom's father, his response will be, I did for my daughter, and so what's wrong in insisting on my son's wedding. It's like drawing equation, A + B = C. Similarly the equations are drawn from other’s marriage. For example, in a family if the elder brother had fetched a car, then it may be the customary obligation for the in-laws of younger brother also.

Sometimes I wonder, People talk of their hardships for their daughter's marriage. But when it comes to son's wedding, selective amnesia happens. They forget to say loudly that I suffered during my daughter's wedding, so I don’t want to pass the same troubles to my daughter-in-law. Don’t they see the "daughter" in "daughter-in-law?"

DHULR has a positive side also. It's considered as the help to the young couples to establish the family. But when both the bride and groom is equally investing their life time on the marriage, why the responsibility is skewed towards the bride's side. More time DHULR loses it's rationality under ego, greed, social pressure etc. Because people are irrational with customary obligations! Beyond everything DHULR paves the way for dowry abuses and harassments. May not be in their families, but in other families! The best way is to avoid DHULR also. Let us avoid DHULR!

P.s: All the views are personal but the depicted characters,the groom, father, and in-laws are not from personal experience. Nowadys I watch a lot TV dramas.

Indian – A lovable Worker

What describes India better? I say "competition". Any average Indian is put into the rat race from the school onwards. He hears only the bells of competition. Competition to get admission, competition to get the rank, competition to get the job, competition to get the promotion! Instead of asking "where the competition is?", if we ask "where it's not?" we get better explained of the situation. That's why I felt the word "competition" describes India better than any other word. Competition gives little choice for Indians in their life. Perform or perish. It brings the survival instinct in the Indian blood. The survival instinct inculcates the sincerity, commitment, thriving for excellence in their attempts. That’s why India is looked as the best place for service through out the world.

In India it's always the story of limited opportunities with unlimited applications. It's only the process of elimination rather than the process of selection. It's elimination in abundance of talent not due to lack of talent. There may be "burn-outs" due to lack of opportunities but never be missed opportunities due to lack of talent. Indians are lucky. They got the biggest peer group in any category. That makes the Indian to always think "what’s more?" An unsatiated mind!

Indians are never afraid of toiling in work environment. Indians are never afraid of working in an unknown place, unknown culture with challenges ahead. Indians never complain about adjusting to the situation. Indians never mind to compromise on their ego for the opportunity. Either it's by choices or chances, Indians are flexible. The best workers of the world!

Even with this cut throat competition, Indians are bound by values. It's like a flexible structure built on the strong foundation where you can alter the design as you wish. That’s why wherever he is, his basic values are intact. He is sincere, honest, committed whether he works for an Indian company or an American company or an Arabian company. A lovable worker!

- Proud Indian Worker

When I missed my mobile...

Today I lost my mobile. Last I saw that when I was returning from office to home by the office van. I should have missed that in the van itself. Tomorrow I have to check in the van. Insha Allah! It’ll be good if I get it once again.

Suddenly I have been isolated from my world. My mom would be calling me, my would be -wife would be calling me; she may be sending sms also. She may get surprised on seeing no reply from me.

I went to a booth and informed my mom about the loss and asked her to inform my sister and my would-be wife also. My mom as usual expressed in desperation “when you are going to be careful with your things?”

The biggest mistake is that I am not maintaining any telephone diary. Also, I am not remembering any number except very few numbers which I have been using for long time. I remember my house no, I remember my dad’s no. Other than that I remember my office no. I am not remembering the bus driver no. I am not remembering any of my co-passengers no. All those numbers are in the mobile. Now that mobile is missing.

Before the arrival of mobile phones I used to remember a lot of my no by heart. Because, every time I was dialing from the landline phone. That made me to memorize the numbers. Nowadays I have hardly used the landline phone except the office intercom. I just select the contact person in my mobile and press the button “call”. Technology made me to be lethargic. Not to blame technology! I have become so lethargic with exploitation of technology.

I am so stupid that I have not given any number other than my mobile no to anyone. I am not able to imagine, if I get into some deep trouble and my mobile is not with me, I might not have been able to call anyone except my home in India while I am living in Saudi Arabia.

I am little prepared for a situation like loss of mobile phone. But I studied risk management and practice that in our investment appraisals. I was co-coordinating for emergency preparedness in my earlier job in a chemical plant. It'sCrazy! I don’t know how they gave me the job.

P.S : Its unbelievable. I got the mobile next day. The driver found the mobile in the bus and gave me the next day morning...

Living in Misery- Why Philosophies can’t help it.

“Joy- The happiness that comes from within”, “The Art of living-Manase relax please”- I have read quite a few books on my pursuit of understanding why I am living in misery. One thing good in all these books are they tell small but good stories to explain their ideologies/concepts/philosophies.

One of the biggest impacts of globalisation is the confusion of common man by the books of western and eastern philosophies. Both the philosophies differ on their outlook towards life. Definitely both can’t be practiced at the same time. After globalisation these philosophies were brought in the book form to common man. After reading all these books, he gets confused a lot like me.

When I start comparing Western and Eastern philosophy, the western tells me to try hard, plan for life, be ambitious, dream big and hope for the best. On the other hand the eastern tells me to give up trying, never be ambitious, forget the future, and live in the present.

Practically speaking, my life is mere replica of western philosophy. I believe the society is built on western philosophy. But this life brings me misery. So it’s clear that the western philosophy brings misery to life. That’s why I’m in search of books life the above mentioned.

Those books explained me why I am in misery. They told me that it’s due to pursuit of western philosophy in life. That may be true. They tell me to live naturally to get away from misery. They present a green pasture of life with eastern philosophy.

But I doubt will it be green even after I jump into eastern philosophy. More than that I strongly doubt will I be able to practice the eastern philosophy naturally. The practice of eastern philosophy itself looks unnatural to me.

Osho says love your work. Come on Mr.Osho! I am not able to love my work! That’s why I am coming to you. How stupid I should have been by just thinking that someone else will solve my problem. Ok. I am not able to love my work. Then, you say the same thing in different words, do what I love. Once again it’s a problem. I do not know what I love. I am sorry, I am very common man. What else you want me to do. You want me to meditate. How can I mediate when meditation doesn’t happen to me naturally? You tell me to live like an artist. Yeah! I wish. But I can’t learn to become an artist. Art has to come to me naturally. Isn’t it? You are right in saying that anything unnatural brings misery. But your philosophy of being natural to erase misery is too unnatural.

So what to do? Live in misery. Living in misery is natural. That’s life. Never attempt anything to erase the misery from life. Because it may add more!!!

Vendor of Sweets- by R K Narayanan

nA nice story built on the generation gap between father and Son. We can't say who is right?Who is wrong? Its just result of difference in the speed of reaction to the changes. One is fast. Another is slow. When the son westernize himself with Americal Education , the father believes in the Indian concepts. When the son catches up with "living toghter" with a foregin girl without marrying her, the father is not able to digest that. When the son wants to start the new business with Story telling machine, the father wants him to continue with vending of sweets. When the son talks about funding his new venture with his father's savings, the father refuses to part away with his hard earned money. He considers that as equivalent to squandering the money.

The book brings the 1960s and 1970s South indian life style. In one chapter the father reminisces over his "Ponnu Parkira incident" and his intial life after wedding. Its just great. It brings about how the marriage of our grand father and grand mother had been happened.

Nice Read !