Mystic River

There are a few instances when I cursed myself for not having watched a movie a long time ago.  Today, the list gets one more addition.  Normally when you watch a comedy, you usually come out laughing. You watch a tragedy and you come out with a heavy heart.  You watch an action/adventure movie and you are high in your spirits.  And you have the feel good movies or movies that leave you with nothing or adds more to your boredom. You discuss with your friends or think to yourself, no this is not right, the movie shouldn't have gone this way or shouldn't have ended this way.  Or you say this movie is cinematic and has no credible fiction in it.  However, there are few movies which leave you stunned, just stunned. After finishing this movie, I couldn't think of any of these things. I did not/could not feel whether the justice was served or not in this movie.  I could not think of any else on the events took place in this movie or how everyone acted in this movie.  My mind was calm as a bomb but was on the verge of exploding and this blog is the evidence of the explosion.

I was becoming the fan of Sean Penn after watching "I am Sam" but now it is acknowledged.  The cold face he shows when Brendan Harris walks in his store, the burst of tears when he comes to know his daughter has been murdered, the emotions he hides behind his coolers while preparing for his daughter's funeral, the grieving father mourning the fact that he misses his daughter, the brotherly face he shows to his sister-in-law when she confesses about her husband's actions, the steel face when he avenges for his daughter's murder and the last not the least is the classic when he comes to know he had killed an innocent man with forgetting not to mention the carefree yet remorseful face at the end of the movie.  No wonder he bagged so many accolades for his acting and exceptionally apt that he received an Oscar for the Best Actor of the year 2003.

Tim Robbins would be loved by all movie freaks for his performance in "The Shawshank Redemption" and he does not fail in this endeavor too.  Though he looks calm, he has so much secrets soaked within himself and carries the face so lost by himself.  Sometimes looking nervous, sometimes looking pitiful but I wonder how he manages to be terrorized and terroristic at the same time.  An acting that makes you forget that he's acting fetches him the Oscar for the Best Supporting of the same year.  Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne does justice to their roles.  And what graceful acting by Marcia Gay Harden.  All do their jobs so perfectly and flawlessly.

The movie has got a soothing hue or color throughout its lifetime that has a calming effecting on the viewers' mind.  The music is intertwined with the story and the closing music does not give a feel whether truth has triumphed or evil has been rewarded with defeat.  It is neutral and so I felt after the movie.  

All my astonishment and acclamation was floating in the mid-air until the closing credits came up.  I was made to shut up my mind and its astonishment and say 'No wonder, he was the director'.  And the realization dawned that only he could have directed such a movie, a realization that happened for the second time, the first time being after watching the movie Apocalypto.  Already a fan of his works, my favorite list of his movies gets one more addition.  Only this director knows how to shoot a drama with a script that has all the ingredients for a thriller.  This genre of directors show why they are the best in the industry as they can emphasize that human emotions can give the same thrill as any other thriller/action movies.

எங்கேயும் எப்போதும்

அச்ட்ப் ச்போயே அல்ப்க்ப் ந்க்கோல் ஒவ்ல்வ்னாவ் ப்ஜ்களோ க்கியல்ன்ல்ம்க்......அட தமிழ் தாங்க.  ஆனா ஒண்ணும் புரியவில்லையா? எனக்கும் அப்படி தாங்க இருந்துச்சி இந்த படத்தை பார்த்த பிறகு.  சாதாரணமா ஒரு அறிவிப்பு பலகையை வச்சி, "இது விபத்து பகுதி. மெதுவாக செல்லவும்"ன்னு போட்டாலே எனக்கு புரியும்.  ஆனா திருச்சியில் வேலை செய்ற கதிரேசனும், அதே ஊரான அவன் காதலி மணிமேகலையும், திருச்சியிலிருந்து முதல் தடவையா சென்னைக்கு வந்த அமுதாவின் மீது காதல் வயப்பட்டு அவளைக் காண திருச்சிக்கு வந்துவிட்டு சென்னை செல்லும் சென்னை வாசியான கௌதம் - ஆகிய மூவரும் வந்த பேருந்து, கெளதமை அதே நேரத்தில் சென்னையில் தேடிவிட்டு திருச்சி செல்லும் அமுதா பயணிக்கிற பேருந்துவோடு நேருக்கு நேராக இந்த இடத்தில் மோதிக்கொண்டதால்,  "இது விபத்து பகுதி. மெதுவாக செல்லவும்"ன்னு அறிவுப்பு பலகை போட்டால் எப்படி இருக்கும்?  இது தான் எங்கேயும் எப்போதும்.

என்னங்க தலை சுத்துதா? படம் போய் பாருங்க. படம் முடித்தவுடன், தலை ஒரு புறம் சுத்த, விழிகள் மறுபுறம் பிதுங்கும்.  படம் முடித்தவுடன், கடைசி படச்சுருள் போட மறந்துட்டாங்களான்னு யோசித்தேன்.  படம் ஒரு முழுமையாக எனக்கு தோன்றவில்லை.  எப்பவுமே ஒரு விபத்தை காட்டினால், அந்த விபத்தடைந்தவர்கள் வாழ்கையில் அந்த விபத்தின் தாக்கத்தைக் காட்டினால்வொழிய அந்த விபத்தின் பங்கு பெரியதாய் இருக்காது.  இந்த படத்தில் விபத்து நடந்ததை படம் துவக்கத்தில் காட்டினார்கள். படம் நடு நடுவேயும் காட்டினார்கள்.  படம் இறுதியிலும் காட்டினார்கள்.  விபத்திற்கு பிறகு என்ன நடந்ததையும் காட்டினார்கள்.  ஆனால் அந்த விபத்தின் தாக்கத்தைக் காட்டுவதற்குள், அபாய அறிவுப்பு பலகையை காட்டிவிட்டார்கள்.  கதிரேசனை இழந்த மணிமேகலையின் வாழ்க்கை அந்த விபத்துக்குப்பிறகு எப்படி மாறினது என்ன ஆனது என்பது என் மனதில் ஒரு பெரிய கேள்விக்குறி.  இந்த வகையில் எனக்கு அங்காடி தெரு படம் பிடிக்கும்.  அந்த விபத்தின் தாக்கத்தை எப்படி அந்த இருவரும் கையாண்டு, அதன் பிறகு அவர்கள் வாழ்க்கை எப்படி தொடர்ந்தது என்பதை ரொம்ப யதார்த்தனமாக காட்டியிருப்பார்கள்.

என்னை பொறுத்த வரை விபத்து நடந்த இடம் தான் படத்தின் கரு.  ஏன்னா, படம் முடிந்தவுடன் அந்த விபத்து நடந்த இடத்தில் மறுபடியும் வாகனங்கள் செல்வதையும், இந்த இடத்தில் தான் ஒரு பெரிய விபத்து நடந்தது என்ற அறிகுறி மெல்ல மெல்ல சாயம் போகுகிறதையும் படத்தின் இறுதியில் காட்டியிருப்பார்கள்.  அந்த இடத்தில் விபத்து நடந்திருந்தாலும், மீண்டும் அதே இடத்தில் வாழ்க்கை இயங்குகிறது.  ஆனால் நான்கு பேர் வாழ்கையை குறுகிய கோணத்தில் (narrow perspective) காட்டிவிட்டு, விபத்துக்கு பின்பு விபத்து நடந்த இடத்தையும் விபத்து நடந்த பல செய்தித்தாள்களையும் விபத்தை தடுக்கும் அறிவுதல் கொடுக்கும் பின் குரல்களையும் அகன்ற கோணத்தில் (broader perspective) காட்டினது ரொம்ப அற்பத்தனமாக இருந்தது.  விபத்துக்கு பின்பு கதாபாத்திரங்களின் வாழ்க்கை எப்படி இயங்குகிறதை காட்ட இயக்குனர் தவறவிட்டது படத்தில் மிக பெரிய ஓட்டை.

படத்தின் திரைக்கதை மிக அருமை.  ஏன்னா, இரு ஜோடிகள் வாழ்க்கை ஒவ்வொரு காலகட்டத்திலும் பார்பவர்களை குழப்பாமல் எழுமையாக காட்டினது பாராட்டக்குரியது.  எல்லா கதாபாத்திரமும் நிறைவாய் நடித்துருந்தார்கள்.  யாரும் மிகையாக செய்யவில்லை.  படத்தில் பிடித்த காட்சி: தலையில் அடிபட்ட கதிரேசனை முதலில் மருத்தவமனைக்கு அனுப்பிவிட்டு செவிலியான(nurse) மணிமேகலை எல்லாரையும் அனுப்பிவிட்டு கடைசியில் மருத்துவமனைக்குச் சென்று கதிரேசனை தேடும் பொது, ஒரு ஊழியர் ஒரு பிணத்தை டாலியில் வைத்து தள்ளிக்கொண்டு செல்வார்.  அது ஒரு வேலை கதிரேசனாக இருக்குமோவென்று மணிமேகலை அருகில் சென்று பார்க்கும் போது அது கதிரேசனே தான்.  உடனே என்னுடன் படம் பார்க்க வந்த நண்பனிடம் 'சூப்பர்' என்று சொன்னேன்.  ஏன் என்றால் கதையில் அது ஒரு பெரிய திருப்பம்.  கௌதம் அமுதா ஜோடியை விட கதிரேசன் மணிமேகலை ஜோடி ரொம்ப கலகலப்பாக காட்டியிருப்பார்கள்.  அப்படி பட்ட ஜோடி மத்தியில் இந்த ஒரு இழப்பு பார்பவர்கள் மனதில் ஒரு நெருடலாக இருக்கும்.  பொதுவாக தமிழ் படங்களில் கிராபிக்ஸ் ரொம்ப வெளிப்படையகாவே தெரியும்.  ஆனால் இந்த படத்தில் இரண்டு பேருந்தும் போதும் காட்சியை கிராபிக்ஸில் ரொம்ப அருமையாக சித்தரித்து சிறப்பு.  பிளாஷ்பேக்கிற்குள் பிளாஷ்பேக், முதல் பதினைந்து நிமிடம் பேருந்தையே காட்டினது ஆகியவை கொஞ்சம் சலிப்பை தூண்டியது.  எப்போ அடுத்த பேருந்து நிற்குமிடம் வரும், இறங்கலாம்ன்னு போல தோன்றியது.

க்ளைமாக்ஸ் மற்றும் படத்தில் சொல்லப்பட்ட செய்தி, கதை திருப்பத்தின்  காரணம் இவையை தவிற படம் அருமை.  

கூடுதல் செய்தி #1: மும்பை இந்தியன்ஸ் மற்றும் திரினிடாட் & டொபாகோ இடைய நடத்த CLT20 ஆட்டத்தைப் பார்த்தேன்.  பழம் நழுவி பாலில் விழுந்து பால் இருந்த பாத்திரம் உடைந்தது போல திரினிடாட் & டொபாகோ அணி ஜெயிக்க வேண்டிய ஆட்டத்தை நழுவ விட்டார்கள்.  கடைசி 6 பந்துகளில் 11 ஓட்டங்கள் மும்பை அணி எடுக்க வேண்டும். இறுதில் ஒரு பந்தில் 2 ஓட்டம் ஒரு விக்கெட் மட்டும் இருக்கும் நிலையில் திரினிடாட் & டொபாகோ அணி இரண்டாவது ஓட்டத்தை தடுக்க அற்பத்தனமாக கோட்டை விட்டுவிடுவார்கள்.

கூடுதல் செய்தி #2: கிரி பரிந்துரை செய்த 'I Saw the Devil' படம் பார்த்தேன்.  படத்தைப் பற்றிய கருத்துகளை கிரி ப்ளாக்கில் காணவும். என் கருத்துக்கள்:

"ரொம்ப நாட்களுக்குப் பிறகு ஒரு நல்ல படம் பார்த்த திருப்பதி.

வில்லன்னா இவர் தாங்க வில்லன். மிரட்டலான நடிப்பு. எவ்வளவு அடி வாங்கினாலும் சைகொத்தனம் ஜாஸ்தி ஆகுதே தவிற, ஒன்றுக்கும் ஆளு அசறதா தெரியவில்லை. எனக்கு ரொம்ப பிடித்த காட்சி: க்ளைமாக்ஸ்சில் வில்லன் திருந்திட்டாருன்னு நாயகன் நினைகிறப்போ நம்ம ஆளுவோட சுயருபம் வெளியவரும். அபார நடிப்பு. ஒரு அசத்தலான கதாபாத்திரம்.

நம்ம தமிழ் படம் மாதிரி எங்க தன் காதலியின் தந்தையையும் தங்கையையும் காப்பாற்றி விடுவாரோன்னு நினைச்சேன். நல்ல வேளை இல்லை.

என்னை பொருத்த வரைக்கும் வில்லன்தான் கடைசியில் ஜெயித்தார். இந்த படத்திற்கு இது தான் சரியானதும்கூட."

Magnificent

The first thing I did after coming out of the stadium is that I cursed all the broadcasters of the cricket matches to the television.  What a delight it has been to watch a cricket match live at the cricket stadium.  Yes, the 2nd match of Champions League T20 tournament between New South Wales Blues and Cape Cobras held at Chepauk Stadium, Chennai on September 24, 2011 was the first match I ever watched live at a stadium.  I do not think many would agree to prefer watching a cricket match live at the stadium over watching it live on a television.  The reason they would quote is that one need not go to the stadium to watch a cricket match live when the huge amount of money is invested in broadcasting the match right to your homes and one can watch it comfortably at the coziness of their couches.  One can watch the player closely and with the advent of ultra motion technology, it is a real delight to watch how a batsman played that wonderful shot.  Instant replays, pre and post sessions and with Direct To Home technology one can even pause the live match and watch it anytime he wants to.

Whatever reason one has for prefering to watch a match live at home through the television screens, it is still the undeniable fact that your view is not your own view but what the broadcaster wants you to watch.  So what, one may ask, as long as I am able to interpret what the broadcaster telecasts, I do not mind watching anyone's view.  Well, I beg to differ here.  Entering through the Gate #8 at Chepauk Stadium, I was guided to the C Upper section through three sets of staircase.  What a view it was when I entered the C Upper section.  I could see the entire ground, greenish pasture surrounding the narrow strip in the middle (the pitch) with the whole ground lit up by the sun.  Unlike the television, my view was limited only by me and the view was bigger than what the television shows.  Even though the ball was not much visible as the sun was shining so bright, I could track the ball based on its trajectory.  However, during the second match, the ball was cleanly visible under the flood lights.  The most and usual audio audible in the television is the commentary but here, you need not hear those things.  The only sweet music that fills your ears are the cheers, the ooohhhs and the wows from the fans.  Its such a fun and delight to cheer for your team and you even get to see response from players.  And when a boundary is scored or a wicket is taken, there are hundreds and thousands to cheer with you and even anyone has come alone to watch the match will also mingle with others and enjoy in the celebration.  You will never get short of supporters whichever side you support.

I learnt this long back: the television always confines its view to a certain subject clearing off all the possible things that might distract the viewer away from the subject.  The more you watch it, the more you view is confined.  The close-up shots or trianglular shots are also confined to one part of the bigger picture.  One does not use their imagination while watching TV unlike when you read a story or a novel.  It actually cripples your creativity in thinking.  No, I am not trying to bring up the disadvantages of watching television.  I am trying to say that how delightful is to watch a cricket match in a stadium than watching it in a television.

There was no crowd for the first match but the house was full when the second match started.  The second match was between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.  I had gone with my office colleagues.  Since CSK was the homeside, Mumbai Indians has very less supporters and as usul my office colleagues were supporting CSK and as usual, yes, I supported Mumbai Indians.  Not that I am against CSK but it would be no fun when all support only one team.  Most of the C Upper section has CSK supporters and when CSK lost a wicket, the only yell would be from me and all the CSK supporters would be looking at me with disgust as I had taken the wicket.  And also its fun to see how your friends react when they hear you shout against them - clenched fists and murmuring lips, anyone will love it.  So yelling back and forth, each time each one showing their delight and happiness when their team scores a boundary or takes a wicket in turn.  It was real fun when all yelled at me when CSK scored a boundary and me yelling at all of them when MI took a wicket.  He who laughs last laughs longer and it was me.  Yes, MI snatched the match right under the very nose of CSK.  And you need not ask about me teasing my colleagues after the match. 

I loved the day and whenever I get the opportunity I would love to go to the stadium to witness the magnificent view of the cricket match.

HE LOVED HER IV

"What are you doing this weekend", she asked him on a Wednesday morning when they were going to office in the bus.

"No plans.  Why, do you have any plans?", he replied.

"Why don't you come to my home?" she said to him.

He was really surprised because it was the first time ever a girl had asked him to come to her house.  He couldn't think whether he could take her into his home.  He replied "OK, I'll come".

Though he said he'll come, he wasn't sure even on Saturday morning whether he was ready to go to her home.  He was little nervous.  He almost called her to inform that he was not coming but he did not want to disappoint her.  He called up before starting from his home.  She asked him to give a missed call once he reaches the nearest bus stop to her home so that she can pick him up from there.  All the way he was thinking how would her household would react on his presence.  Then it dawned upon him that it was the first time for him to go to her house and not the first time for her to invite her male friends or colleagues to her home.

She introduced him to her mom and she served him coffee.  They started talking, laughing, giggling, sharing everything about themselves and everything under the sun.  Lunch time came and she offered him to have lunch at her home.  He was a little hesitant but then she eventually persuaded him to have it and also her mom had prepared for him as well.  By the time, he came back washing his hands, lunch was served at the dining table.  He sat for it and turned to see her and she was laughing.  He gave a puzzled look and she told him that he was so hesitant to have lunch but now was sitting for the food that was served for her grandmother.

Both of them were completely out of their shells and came to know more about each other that day.  She always had a good memory so she used to remember the date when they met for the first time, the date when they talked for the first time and so her memory made a mental note of the date he came to her home for the first time.

Evening came and they were silent, sitting next to each other and pondering how they are becoming close friends.  She laid her head over his shoulders and he loved that moment.  He never dreamt in the wildest of his dreams that he would have such a close friend.  The moment was short-lived as he felt someone at the door and turn to see who it was.  Her father, entering the house just as she took her head off his shoulders.  He could see the shock on her father's face when he yelled at her daughter "What are you doing?" and went in.

He could see her shivering.  He had heard sometime from her that her father was very strict and now he was saw that man.  Her father came back with his clothes changed, sat on the chair across them and put his leg over the other.  He looked at her and then at her friend, sternly and asked "What would you do when you enter your house and see your mom's head on shoulder of some man who is not your father?"  She was about to explain but he silenced her just by his look and returned to him, expecting an answer.  She somehow gathered courage and she looked at her friend and asked him to leave home.

Who wouldn't be irate when someone comments about one's mother?  More than daughters, sons are more emotionally attached to their mothers and he was no exception.  He walked back home and his mind was wondering that only few minutes ago he was so happy for such a close friend and now he was unhappy that his mom was insulted because of the same friend.

Related Posts:

HE LOVED HER III

HE LOVED HER II

HE LOVED HER

Transportation

What I consider as the most wonderful invention is of the progression in transportation across ages. Initially, transportation was human-powered and still common in most of the countries. Then man moved onto animal-powered transports where he used horses, donkeys, camels, elephants and dogs. Then he invented road transport, rail transport, water transport and air transport. Present day, we have Concorde flights and supersonic jets which can achieve greater miles within seconds.  I believe that during this progression towards better transport, the word speed was most celebrated.  Once man stabilized his invention over transportation, he started building faster transportation. If invention of a flight was a milestone in human history, then the fastest flight was also considered as another milestone.  We have the bullet trains that travel around 300 km/h and has a world record of 581 km/h.  Mankind has also seen the fastest car and the fastest bike.  A simple Google search could list the top fastest cars in the world and the top fastest motorbikes in the world.

Some view transportation as what it was intended to be: move from one place to another.  For some, transportation has become their passion as they started loving travelling and venturing new places.  Some explore within the country and some explore from country to country.  And not to forget the men who travel just because of sheer joy of driving.  A long drive to the countryside or the beach.  I too love driving, especially long driving.  A long drive out of the city in early hours of the day towards some hill station, clicking photographs here and there and nice hot snacks on the top of the hill in the evening would make my ideal holiday.  I always loved the portion in the movie 'Dil Chahta Hai' when the three friends ride to Goa and spend quite some quality time at the wall facing the beach.

However, during driving, we cannot be accelerating forever.  There are times when you need to slow down or stop. You need to slow down when the traffic signs turns red and then stop. You need to stop when there is a pedestrian crossing. You need to slow down when there's a speed breaker. If one go against any of these rules, the damage is to both the rider as well as the pedestrians.  And that's the only thing I hate in driving, though I love driving. Braking.  Yes, I hate when the speedometer drops from 50 km/h or more.  To me, if I start the bike, it should not stop or slow down anywhere till I reach my destination.  That's because it gives me a feeling of "going-on", like an old advertisement for Kinetic vehicles stating "will keep going".

What joy I experience for keep going on?  I think that is what life is all about.  Keep going.  There may be some incidents in our life that did not go by our expectations.  Some heartaches.  Death of our beloved ones. Some situations that happened in our past still haunting us because of the way we behaved.  Some regrets that we could have changed things a little better.  All these are perfectly human - to go down and feel depressed.  To me that is like braking.  No, no, no, I should not stop and if I stop it shouldn't be for long.  Long enough only for the traffic sign to change green.  Long enough only for the pedestrians to pass.  Rev up the engine and make sure your ears keep listening to the sound of the engine.  Keep going.

As fuel is essential for the vehicle to keep going on, I feel there should be something in us to make us keep going on.  It can be anything.  It could be your responsibility on your shoulders or your commitment to your dependent.  It could be for your dad or any beloved one.  But it is one's responsibility to find out that which will keep them keep going on.  There could and would be things that does not happen according to my situations but nothing can stop me from keep going, because I found the joy of keep going.  I have found that one thing that always will keep me going. Have you found your joy?  Have you ever searched within yourself what that keeps you waking up every morning, doing your everyday routine chores, get backs to your bed and gives you a sound sleep?  Have you found that one thing in your life that will not prevent you from not keep going?

Friends, don't let anything stagnate you like a marsh as it is in the marsh that the reeds and the moss grow.  Be like the flowing stream, fresh as ever.  Let the engines roar and horns honk and the sweet music of the sound of your engine (life) be heard in your ears forever.  Keep going!

          

கேரளாவில் ஒரு போதி மரம்

இந்த நிகழ்வு நடந்து ஒரு இரண்டு வருஷம் இருக்குங்க. என் பள்ளி தோழியின் திருமணத்திற்காக கேரளாவிலுள்ள ஒரு ஒன்றியப் பகுதிக்கு (அதாங்க union territory) போயிருந்தேன்.  வெளியூரிலிருந்து வருபவர்கள் தங்குவதற்காக என் தோழியின் வீட்டார் ஒரு விடுதியில் ஏற்பாடு செய்திருந்தாங்க.  நான் தங்கியிருந்த அதே விடுதியில இன்னொரு குடும்பமும் தங்கிருந்தாங்க.  அவங்க என் தோழியின் குடும்ப நண்பர்களுனு பின்னர் தெரிந்துகொண்டேன்.

விஷயத்துக்கு வரேன். அந்த குடும்பதில்ல ஒரு பத்து அல்லது பதினோரு வயசுல ஒரு பையன் இருந்தான். அவன் ரொம்ப சேட்டை. சும்மா ஒரு இடதுல்ல இருக்கமாட்டான்.  அங்க ஓடுவான். எதையாவது நோண்டுவான்.  பத்தாத்துக்கு அவங்க அப்பாவும் அம்மாவும் இதை செய்யாதே அதை செய்யாதே சொல்லிகிட்ட இருப்பாங்க. அவனும் அதற்கு மாறாக எதையாவது செஞ்சுகிட்டே இருப்பான்.  சொல்றதை இரண்டு நாள் கேட்டு எனக்கே வெறுப்பாயிருச்சி.  "அவன்தான் நீங்க சொல்றதே கேட்கமாட்டேன்றான்.  நீங்க ஏன் திரும்ப திரும்ப அதையே சொல்லிட்டு இருக்கீங்க?"ன்னு கேட்கலான்னு வாயெடுத்த பொது, எனக்கு ஒரு உண்மை புரிஞ்சது.  அந்த அப்பா அம்மா ஏன் சதா அந்த பையனை "அதை செய்யாதே, இதை செய்யாதே,  அங்க போகாதே, இங்க இரு"ன்னு சொல்லிகிட்ட இருக்காங்கன்னு ஒரு நிமிஷம் யோசித்துப்பார்த்தேன்.

அப்போ தான் எனக்கு புலப்பட்டது அவங்க அப்பா அம்மா மட்டுமில்ல இந்த உலகதுல்ல எல்லா அப்பா அம்மாவும் இப்படிதாங்க இருக்காங்க.  அவங்க ஏன் அப்படி சொல்றாங்க? தான் பையனுக்கு எதாவது ஆயிடுமோ, கால்ல கையில்ல அடி பட்டுடுமோன்ற பயம். இந்த அறிவுரை சின்ன வயசுல மட்டும் இல்லங்க. அந்த பையன் பெருசாயி சில பேர் பையன் கல்யாணத்துக்கு அப்புறமும் புத்திமதி சொல்லிகிட்ட இருப்பாங்க.  பையன் பத்தாவது வகுப்பு முடிச்சதும் எந்த படிப்பு பிரிவு எடுக்கணும்னு, +2 முடிச்சதும் எந்த பொறியியல் கல்லூரில சேரணும் - இப்படி எல்லாத்துக்குமே அறிவுரை அம்மா அப்பா கிட்டயிருந்து வந்துகிட்டே இருக்கும்.  இப்படி ஏன் சொல்றாங்கன்னு கொஞ்சம் யோசித்துபாருங்களேன்.  தான் பையன் எதுலேயும் தோற்கக்கூடாது, எதுலேயும் ஏமாந்துறகூடாது, கஷ்டபடகூடாது என்ற ஒரே காரணம் தான்.  புத்திமதி சொல்றது சரியா தப்பானு விவாதம் பண்ணவர்ல.  ஆனா எதுக்கு சொல்றாங்கன்னு என் வாழ்க்கையல நடந்த ஒரு நிகழ்வை வைத்து இந்த ப்ளாக்கை எழுதுகிறேன்.

நான் பெங்களுருலிருந்து சென்னைக்கு வந்து வேலை சேர்ந்து ஒரு வருஷதுற்கு அப்புறம் என் பள்ளி பருவ நண்பன் ஒருத்தனை பல வருஷம் கழித்து ஒரு கல்யாணத்துல பார்த்தேன்.  அவன் என்கிட்ட தான் ஒரு சிறு தொழில் ஆரம்பிக்கபோறதாகவும் என்னை அதுல உழைக்கும் பங்காளியா சேர்துக்குறேன்னு சொன்னான்.  அதே வாரதுல்ல ஒரு நாள் என்னைக் கூப்பிட்டு தான் செய்ய போகிற வணிகத்தைப் பற்றியும் நான் பங்காளியா சேர்ந்தா எப்படி ரெண்டு பேரும் அந்த வணிகத்தை  செய்யலாம்னு ரொம்ப நேரம் சொல்லிட்டுருந்தான்.  நான் யோசித்து ரெண்டு நாளைக்குள்ள என் முடிவை சொல்றேன்னு சொன்னேன்.  

நம்மைவிட நம்ம அப்பா அம்மா பத்தி வேற யாருக்கும் நல்லாவே தெரியாது. ஆக எங்க அப்பா அம்மா இந்த வணிகத்துக்கு என்ன சொல்லுவாங்கன்னு எனக்கு நல்லாவே தெரியும்.  இருந்தாலும் அவங்க என்னதான் சொல்றாங்க கேட்கலாம்னு அவங்க கிட்ட என் நண்பன்னோட ஒரு வணிகம் ஆரம்பிக்கலாம்னு இருக்கேன் சொன்னேன்.  அது என்ன வணிகம் எப்படி செய்ய போறீங்கனுகூட கேட்கலை.  "வேண்டாம், வணிகம் பண்றது ரொம்ப கஷ்டம், உனக்கு அதுல ஒண்ணும் தெரியாது, காசை வீணாக அதுல போட்டுட்டு ஏமாந்து போகதே" - இது தாங்க நானும் எதிர்பார்த்த அவங்க பதில்.

நான் என்னுடைய அனுபவத்தில்ல கத்துகிட்டது: வாழ்க்கையில வெற்றி எவ்வளவு முக்கியமோ தோல்வியும் அதே அளவு முக்கியம்.  என் பொறியியல் கல்லூரில் நடந்த எந்த ஒரு நேர்காணலேயும் நான் தேர்ந்து எடுக்கப்படவில்லை.  என்னைப் போலவே தேர்ந்து எடுக்கபடாதே என் நண்பன்(அவன் பட்ட பெயர் சடை) அப்போ என்கிட்ட "மச்சி, நம்ம சரியான பாதையில்தான் போயிட்டுஇருக்கோம்"ன்னு சொன்னான். எனக்கு கடுப்பு. "என்னடா சொல்ற? நம்மளை ஒரு நிறுவனமும் தேர்ந்து எடுக்கலை ஆனா நீ என்னன்னா  சரியான பாதையில்தான் போறோம்னு சொல்ற. எனக்கு ஒண்ணும் புரியல" ன்னு சொன்னேன். அவன் "மச்சி, வெற்றிக்கு முதல் படி தோல்வி. இப்போ நம்ம தோற்று இருக்கோம்ன அப்போ நம்ம சரியான பாதையில் தானே போயிட்டு இருக்கோம்னு அர்த்தம்." எனக்கு நடு மண்டையில அடிச்சது மாதிரி இருந்தது.

நிறைய தோல்வி சந்திக்க சந்திக்க தோல்வி எனக்கு நிறைய கற்றுத்தந்தது.  Kenneth Ewart Boulding ரொம்ப அருமையா சொன்னாரு "Nothing fails like success because we don't learn from it. We learn only from failure."  எவ்வளவு பெரிய உண்மைங்க இது.  என்ன செய்தால் வெற்றி அடைய முடியும் என்பதை தெரிஞ்சிகிறது எவ்வளவு முக்கியமோ அதே அளவு என்ன செய்யலேனா தோல்வியடைய மட்டோம்ன்னு தெரிஞ்சிகிறது முக்கியம்.  Thomas Alva Edison சொன்னாரு "I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered 1000 ways that can cause failure."  ஆனா பெற்றோர்கள் தங்க பிள்ளைகள் தோல்வியடைய கூடாதுன்னு அந்த பத்து வயசு பையனோட அப்பா அம்மா மாதிரி அறிவுரை சொல்லி அவங்க ஜெயிக்கவிடாமே தடுத்து கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள்.  சந்தோஷ் சுப்பிரமணியம் படத்துல்ல வர அப்பா மாதிரி தங்களுக்கு எந்த வழியில வெற்றி கிடைச்சதோ அதே வழியில தங்க பசங்களையும் வழி நடத்துறாங்க.  இது தப்பில்லை ஆனா அப்படி வந்த வெற்றிக்கு ருசி ரொம்ப கம்மி.  என்னதான் செயற்கை முறையில ஒரு பழத்தை பழுக்க வைத்தாலும், தானாக பழுக்கிற பழத்துக்கு தான் ருசி அதிகம்.  தானாக தோற்று தானாக வெற்றி தான் அதிக சந்தோஷம் தரும் என்பது என்னோட தனிப்பட்ட கருத்து.

ஆக பெற்றோர்களே, உங்க பிள்ளைகளை அடிபட விடுங்க. தோற்க விடுங்க. அப்படி செய்தால் அவன் உங்களைவிட அதிகம் வெற்றி பெறுவான். அப்படி வெற்றிபெற்றால், அது உங்களுக்கு தானே பெருமை. 

கூடுதல் செய்தி #1: நான் அந்த வணிகத்தை செய்தேனா இல்லையானு நீங்க கேட்கிறது எனக்கு கேட்குது.  எங்க அப்பா அம்மாக்கு தெரியாமே அந்த வணிகத்தை சுமார் ஒரு வருஷம் செய்தேன். போட்ட காசை எடுத்ததுமில்லாமல் ஒரு மடங்கு முதலீட்டையும் எடுத்தேன்.  ஆனா அந்த வணிகத்துல நான் அடைந்த லாபம் இது இல்லங்க.  ஒரு குழுவை எப்படி வழி நடத்தணும், எப்படி சக ஊழியரிடம் நடந்துகிடணும், எப்படி அவர்களை வேலை செய்ய ஊக்குவிக்கணும், குழு முயற்சி என்றால் என்ன, ஒரு குழுவில் பொறுமை எவ்வளவு முக்கியம் போல பல விஷயங்களை கற்றது தாங்க அந்த வணிகத்தில் நான் அடைந்த லாபம்.  இன்னொரு பெருமை என்னன்னா, அதுல வந்த காசு ஒரு பரிச்சியமில்லாத ஒரு ஒலியியற் பொறியியல் (audio engineering) மாணவனின் பரிட்சை கட்டணத்திற்கு உதவியதுதான்.

கூடுதல் செய்தி #2: இந்த ப்ளாக்யை தமிழில் எழுத www.eudict.com என்ற இணைய தளத்திற்கு பெரும் பங்குண்டு.  சில சிரமம்மான ஆங்கில வார்த்தைகளுக்கு தமிழ் வார்த்தையை கண்டுபிடிக்க இந்த இணைய தளம் உதவியது.

கூடுதல் செய்தி #3: அண்மையில் குள்ளநரி கூட்டம் படத்தைப் பார்த்தேன். ஒரு நல்லவர் 'படம் ஒரு தடவை பார்க்கலாம்'னு சொன்னதால் பார்த்தேன்.  முடிவில் ஏன் பார்த்தோம்னு ஆகிவிட்டது.  அவ்வளவு கடுப்பு.  இதுவும் ஒரு சராசரி தமிழ் படம் தான்.  பெருசா ஒண்ணுமில்லை.

What does this mean to us?

Usually my day starts with me walking just a few minutes after the sunrise to get 1.5 liters of milk for my family. I would have to go past a Corporation Play Ground to reach the Aavin booth.  The play-ground inhabits a basket-ball court, a volley-ball court and a gym.  Few North-Indians popularly known as Marwadis in Chennai would be playing volley-ball to reduce the sweet-paan-ghee induced cholesterol in their bodies.  The gym would be seldom open but when opened, it would busy with young men sweating their butt off to put that extra muscle in their bodies.  Older men would be running around the inside of the ground to reduce their pot bellies and some exercising on the jungle-gym found in the play-ground.  Even though there is a basket-ball court, I have never seen anyone play basket-ball there.  The court is only used for playing cricket and one can always find few youngsters hitting the ball.  Off late, I even found a person training kids on karate.  During school days, the ground will not be that crowded but weekends and school vacation always made the teens and the youngsters populate the playground even before the sunrise for playing cricket.   

That's the usual scene that I had witnessed for the past eleven years.  However, on the morning of April 3rd of 2011,  I felt that cricket will not be played here anymore with the same passion it was played until today.  No more tennis balls would be hit with the same aggression in that basket-ball court.  No more Pepsi balls would be bowled with the same heart inside that ground.  It would be bigger than ever one would have imagined.  I felt that the kid who was facing the ball that morning would be recollecting how his heroes the previous night were inching towards victory with each ball being bowled in the final.  I felt that every time a teenager hits the ball from that time would feel how Dhoni would have felt when he hit the winning knock and relishing that moment as if he was the one who hit that six.  Every time an aspiring bowler bowled that morning would imagine himself as Zak bowling the maiden overs the previous night.  The passion is ignited ever than before.  It is all because India won the Cricket World Cup 2011 just few hours before the start of this day.

From now on, no fathers would discourage their cricket-aspiring sons to stop playing cricket because India never won the World Cup.  From now on, gully cricket would be played like an international tournament.  From now on, local play grounds would be played on as if it is the Lord's stadium.  Yes, cricket means a lot to us, Indians.  It is sacred than religion, powerful than politics, seducing than sex and larger than life to us.  What a moment had it been.  Lifting the World Cup in the home soil before your own fellow-indians and for the second time, no Indian cricketing fan could ask for anything more.  For the first time, a team player hitting a century in a Cricket World Cup final ends on the losing side.  I don't know how many other records were broken that night.  However, this moment would be relished in the billions of hearts in India.  My mother who knew nothing about cricket sat throughout the Indian batting.  My sister-in-law who knew only few players and that too only in the Indian side was calling Malinga, the yellow-haired-fellow, cussing him for taking the wickets of Sehwag and Sachin.  And after a long time, my brother burst a 10000 wallah in our street when India lifted the cup.  Yes, in India, cricket rejuvenates the kids in us.

Usually the losing team would have the woulds and coulds and the ifs and the buts.  "We (losing team) could have scored some 20 more runs but....."."If we would have played with that player, we would have not lost but...."."If he had taken that catch, it would have been the turning point of the match, but...."  But I felt now that the winning team would also have the woulds but in the opposite way.  Now politicians would say India won because their party was in reign, ruling the country.  Selectors would say India won because we selected the right players.  Sponsors would say India won because our brand names were on their jerseys.  Astrologists and Numerologists would now claim that they had predicted India will win.  It is rightly said that Success has many fathers while failure is an orphan.  Let whoever claim whatever they said it would happen.  History was re-written last night and more than claiming, cricketing fans in India would want to relish this moment for their entire lives.

I was always skeptical about the performance of the Indian team in any tournament but that night this event has made my mouth shut and many others like me and with a remorse for such an attitude, I felt proud for being an Indian that night.  India first sent Australia to their homes, second Pakistan to their homes and finally Sri Lanka to their homes.  And what did India bring to our homes?  The Cricket World Cup 2011.

The Afghan

This is my first time me reading a Frederick Forsyth novel, The Afghan. My reading habit started during my school days when my school friend Aloke Sahu introduced  me a library in which he was a member, located at Kellys Corner. And from there, my choice of books ranged from The Adventures of Tintin, Asterix and Obelix to John Grisham, Sidney Shedon and Robert Ludlum.  My biggest struggle in reading any novel is finishing off the first chapter. If I could finish off the first chapter without any hiccups in one go, then its for sure I would finish off the novel at any cost. However, I had to read the first chapter of 'The Afghan' several times to really understand what the author is trying to tell. Yes, I found it difficult to imagine certain narrations of the author. I know that Forsyth do not sound like authors like Sidney Sheldon, John Grisham, Erle Stanley Gardner, Robert Ludlum or Danielle Steel, who became my favorites. I found Forsyth being one level up for me.

'The Afghan' is a thriller novel about a planned AQ terrorist attack and how the good men go doing something about it. Forsyth had done his homework so well that he had narrated the plots and twists with much accuracy. I was carried away with more of his detailed description of each and every aspect involved in the story than the enjoying the pleasure of reading a thriller. Even in the climax, I was not able to imagine how the protagonist prevented the mishap from happening. Giving depth to every scene extravagantly deprives the user the sheer excitement of reading a thriller novel.

I am not rating Forsyth as a bad author but I would like to grab more opportunities in reading his other novels to understand more about his style of writing and his way of narrating.

HE LOVED HER III

After the break-up, she noticed that he has reduced his personal talks with her but he was always available whenever she needed him.  She was surprised to see that he never brought up their break-up topic whenever they spoke.  He behaved like such an incident never happened.  Little did she know that he was excellent in deviating his mind and that was his strength.  And she was also afraid to start that topic with him.  However, she always had that guilty conscious of breaking up with him without letting him know what the reason was.  After a week, an organization change was announced and he had to join some other team in a different workspace location.  She was sad to know that he had to move away.  He had understood her so well that he knew that she felt her conscious pricking her whenever she saw or talked with him.  He did not want her to feel bad because of his presence so he  had applied for a change of workspace and it was granted without any objection.  However, he made sure that she should not be aware that it was he who initiated the location change instead as the company ordered it.

Few weeks later, he moved into another company and even he changed his number.  After that, they lost contact of each other.  Though he was so good in distracting his mind away from thoughts of her, there was never a morning that dawned without he pronouncing her name or a night that slipped without he thinking about her before going to sleep.  After a few months, he called her and he really caught her by surprise.  She told him that she was trying to reach him after he changed his job but the number was out of service.  Then they agreed to meet.  She had changed her residence again and that was usual because her family did not own a house and they always lived in a rented house.  Because of the change in her residence, she then used to come in train from office and take an auto-rickshaw to her home so she had asked him to meet her at the train station.  He waited for quite some time and finally she came.  For a minute, they stood there, each giving time for their minds to get accustomed of their changed image that had happened since their last meeting. 

She invited him to her home since her parents were not in town and only her sibling was at home.  While walking down the stairs of the subway to get to the other side of the road to get an auto-rickshaw, he held her hand.  No sooner he held her hand, he could feel that she was not the usual person he had known and he could feel the indifference she had when she told him of her break-up with him and he felt that she did not like to hold hands.  He immediately shook his hand.  Then, inside the auto-rickshaw, each were filling the gaps of what each had missed.  He then put his hand on her left thigh, imploring himself that wouldn’t she become the person he used to love but she gently removed his hand off her.  They reached their home.  It was his first visit to that new rented house and so she showed him around the place.  While he was chatting with her sibling, she went in to the kitchen to prepare some quick dish for him.  He went into the kitchen and she was preparing something for him.  With all the longings that he had stored up so far, he hugged her from behind just like old times, thinking the same hug would restore her as his lover but she pushed him off gently, much to his disappointment.  He concealed his disappointment and had whatever she prepared for him and left her home.

He always believed that every man wants to fight a battle and for that, he needs someone to fight for.  There is nothing that inspires a man to courage so much as the woman he loves.  Men fight for beauty and his pursuit brings her beauty.  Here, the woman herself has left the man and he did not know what to fight for.  He walked all the way home pondering all this in his heart, knowing for what he has to fight for the rest of his life.  However, by the time he reached his home, he had found the reason to fight for the rest of his life.

Yuddham Sei

We have directors and then we have directors like Myshkin.  What a movie Yuddham Sei had been!  I don't remember when was the last time Tamil cinema gave an excellent thriller movie but this movie is definitely a must watch for all edge-of-the-seat-thriller-lovers.  Even before the intermission in the movie, I could tell that the director has really worked very hard on the script, a process often taken for granted by Tamil cinema.  It has all the ingredients for a beautiful thriller to keep the audience's eyes glued to every frame of the movie till the end and yes, Myshkin definitely has all the worthiness to put in the ending credits as 'A Film by Myshkin'.

To first speak of the movie, I would take the screenplay, which is the highlight of the movie.  With only 5-6 slides for the opening credits (thank god as there was no title song for the credits), the opening scene itself starts with a knot in the story demanding the audience to be alert right from the first frame of the movie.  One may think that the next scene would be the introduction of the hero but no, another knot is introduced.  The principal characters are then slowly introduced and with more knots, more characters are introduced.  However, the director should be appreciated that the screenplay was not confusing with these many characters.  With each knot, the movie really gets exciting and makes one implore the next scene to untie the knots but the director has kept the audience guessing till the last frame.  And I was so happy that there was only one song sequence and that too fitted beautifully into the screenplay.  There was no flaw in the entire screenplay.  One may think that the father and mother should have ambushed the killers at the climax scene and not run directly at them with butcher knifes when the killers had guns but the state of the father and mother was to avenge for their daughter's death at any cost, even if it had to give up their lives.

The next wonderful aspect of the movie is the acting of the actors.  The best acting that stands out in my mind is that of Lakshmi Ramakrishnan because the other principal actors were all pros and one wouldn't been expecting a par below average acting from them - they usually deliver the best goods out of them.  In the climax scene, her acting reminded me of the T-X character played by Kristanna Loken in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.  There was not a slightest emotion showed in her face and she behaved like a real robot with only one objective in all her mind, body and soul - retribution at any cost.  Also it was really brave of her to shave her head for the movie.  The next one is Jayaprakash as Dr. Judas Iscariot.  The director's choice of choosing him to tell the audience the justice behind all the killing was not bad at all and Jayaprakash had justified the same.  Other characters were in place to play the supporting roles in the movie.

Myshkin has his unique way of narrating a thriller.  Even though the scenes in the first half  were a bit slow, it was still very interesting and kept me wondering what the next scene would be.  I think it is because the audience should understand the depth of the story especially since it is a thriller.  And I also felt the tempo was same throughout the movie and never lagged behind anywhere or rushed thru in the climax.  The next uniqueness of Myshkin are the fighting scenes in his movie.  I was really happy to see no stuntman flying miles for a kick from the hero like a cannon ball from a cannon.  The scenes were really enjoyable and quite realistic.  Another highlight of the movie is the cinematography.  I felt that the camera spoke a lot than the characters.  And what a background score delivered by the music director!  It is his music that gives the decoration to each scene in the movie.  To conclude, Myshkin has delivered his best brilliantly and has made a must watch movie in the history of Tamil cinema.